M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film, Catchoffers an exciting new take on the manhunt for a serial killer that leaves you wanting more.
M. Night’s filmography is interesting. Although it has many ups and downs, the filmmaker keeps coming up with great ideas. Some work better than others and I am more than happy to say Catch manages to pull the trigger and remind us why M. Night is still a filmmaker to be reckoned with.
CATCH
Leaded by: M. Night Shyamalan
Written by: M. Night Shyamalan
With: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, Alison Pill
Release date: 2 August 2024
If you’ve seen the trailers (which were impressive), you already know the basic outline of the story. Cooper (Josh Hartnett) finds his two personalities colliding when he takes his young daughter to a pop star concert. Not only is he a loving father – who seems a little silly but ultimately sincere – but he’s also a notorious serial killer known as the Butcher.
It turns out that the entire concert was designed as a trap to track him down and put an end to his reign of terror. With his two partners’ lives never having intersected before, Cooper tries to find a way out of the FBI’s clutches while making sure his daughter has the time of her life without finding out the truth.
There’s a bit more to the story, but I won’t go into it here to avoid giving too much away. The result is a super exciting cat-and-mouse chase. It’s almost like a duel between Cooper and the FBI profiler who’s sent to take him down. They’re both incredibly intelligent, and seeing them outdo each other is a big part of the fun.
What struck me most, however, is how the core of the film’s tension essentially relies on the audience “cheering” on the villain. Don’t be fooled here, Cooper is the villain. He’s a monster, and there’s no major twist (I’ll talk more about that in a minute) that reveals he’s not. Therefore, knowledgeon a basic intellectual level that he must be caught. And yet I breathed a sigh of relief every time he managed to escape.
It’s a strange feeling, but it’s a major factor in why this story works so well and how the tension is built in almost every scene. Much of that feeling is brought about by Cooper’s daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) and their interactions with each other.
Even though Cooper is a monster, we see that he genuinely cares about his daughter. His role as a girl’s father is sincere and the bond between them is real. You feel for the girl because you know she is innocent in all of this, so you hope that Cooper succeeds, if only to preserve Riley’s “best day ever.”
Again, no spoilers here, but I want to make it clear that there is no real “big” twist. At least not in the way you’re used to in Shyamalan movies or the way you usually joke about them. The twist this time isn’t earth-shattering and doesn’t dramatically change the story as we know it. Ultimately, it answers a question that I remember being on my mind from the beginning.
A more subtle twist actually makes the main story seem more exciting. Since the rest of the film isn’t necessarily about “hiding” a secret, it can focus entirely on other aspects. We know Cooper is the serial killer within the first few minutes, so we can spend the whole film watching him try to reconcile his two identities. If we had to spend as much time wondering whether or not he really is the killer, these moments wouldn’t have the same impact.
And it’s great, because Hartnett absolutely shines in the role. His dialogue is fairly sparse, and most of his performance is conveyed through his mannerisms and facial expressions. It’s impressive to see him switch between roles in real time to lie his way out of situations; and all the more terrifying when his dark side comes out. In fact, the entire concept of the film hinges on Hartnett’s performance… and he pulls it off absolutely perfectly.
It’s not a perfect film. Trap suffers from some clunky dialogue and more than a few plot conventions. However, the fun factor and suspense more than make up for it.
Catch is just incredibly entertaining. It manages to combine incredible suspense with some sly humor while also making you care about the characters in surprising ways. Combine that with a great soundtrack and the skillful cinematography that Shyamalan is known for, and Trap is easily one of his best works. I can’t wait to watch it again to see how well it holds up on repeat viewings, but I have a strong feeling it will hold up.
