M. Night Shyamalan's Trap Finds Success on Netflix Despite Mixed Reviews

1 week ago 12

M. Night Shyamalan on the red carpet in 2015

Published Jan 29, 2026, 3:04 PM EST

Rahul Malhotra is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has been writing for Collider for over two years, and has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal to introduce audiences to a whole new world of cinema.

Swing and a miss > measured victory. Also, #JusticeForHan. (He/Him).

After staging a successful comeback a decade ago, director M. Night Shyamalan seems to be stuck in some sort of rut. His last few films haven't broken out commercially, nor have they received unanimous praise. Shyamalan instead seems to be pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved in mainstream genre cinema, even if it comes at the cost of alienating a section of the audience. His last film was Trap, which divided critics and crowds with its one-line premise and third-act twist. The movie did solid business at the box office and reminded audiences of star Josh Hartnett's talents. Trap is now finding success on Netflix, two years after its theatrical run.

According to FlixPatrol, Trap was among the most-watched movies on the global Netflix charts this week, when the leaderboard was topped by the crime-thriller The Rip, starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. The film stars Hartnett as a serial killer who falls into a trap set by law enforcement at a pop concert. It marked the beginning of Shyamalan's partnership with Warner Bros. He'd previously worked with Universal for a decade. W.B. had a terrific 2025, with hits such as One Battle After Another, Sinners, Superman, A Minecraft Movie, F1, Weapons, and The Conjuring: Last Rites to its name. However, Trap didn't perform as well as those movies, earning $83 million globally against a reported budget of $30 million.

Shyamalan's New Movie Will Be Released This Year

The movie is now sitting at a 56% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, "An arch thriller given some grounding by Josh Hartnett's committed performance, Shyamalan's Trap will ensnare those who appreciate its tongue-in-cheek style while the rest will be eager to wriggle out from it." Some of the criticism directed at the film dinged it for serving as a vehicle for the acting career of Shyamalan's daughter, Saleka Shyamalan. The filmmaker had previously faced similar criticism for his sci-fi flop After Earth, which featured Jaden Smith alongside his father, Will Smith. Shyamalan is now putting together his new film, a supernatural romance titled Remain, starring Phoebe Dynevor and Jake Gyllenhaal, set to arrive later this year.

You can watch Trap on Netflix and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.