The Twist In M. Night Shyamalan's Trap, Explained

Contains spoilers for "Trap"

For the past nearly three decades, thriller director M. Night Shyamalan has become known for his twist endings. Some may be better executed than others, but they're almost always there. In his latest film, "Trap," Josh Harnett stars as Cooper, a typical suburban dad who takes his preteen daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a massive stadium concert headlined by her favorite pop star, Lady Raven (played by Shyamalan's daughter, Saleka). So far, so normal (and even inspired by a true story!) But we get two reveals in rather quick succession, first that Cooper is moonlighting as a serial killer known as The Butcher (thanks to his proclivity for chopping up his victims), and second that the FBI is aware of the Butcher's presence at the concert and actively setting up a sting operation to catch him. Cooper has to find a way to get out of the concert without the police identifying him — and without Riley being any the wiser.

So where's the twist, you may ask? Well, "Trap" may not have the massive plot turn that Shyamalan is famous for, but rest assured, there's still a little twistiness in there. After all, Shyamalan can't help himself.

When you watch "Trap," it seems like M. Night Shyamalan gets the twist out of his system early on in the film. We learn that Cooper is the Butcher almost immediately, where perhaps a different Shyamalan film would have saved that revelation for much later on in the proceedings. It seems like all of the cards are on the table and what we're about to see is a more straightforward thriller, where the main source of drama is in watching Cooper work to outsmart the police and evade detection. And by the time the concert has come to an end, it seems like he's in the clear, having threatened Lady Raven into helping him escape in her limo in exchange for the life of the current victim he has tied up in a basement somewhere.

But things go a little wonky when Lady Raven invites herself over to Cooper and Riley's suburban home, framing it as a treat for a lucky fan. There, he has less control over the situation — with his wife and children present, the thin veil between his two very distinct identities as doting father and serial killer threatens to dissolve entirely. Lady Raven manages to get a hold of his phone and barricade herself in the bathroom, communicating with both the victim to get information on his location and crowdsourcing detective work live on social media with her legions of devoted fans. Raven saves the day, and with the police on the way, he's been outed as the Butcher once and for all. But is there more to the story?

We're given a tidbit of information early on in the film that is easily overlooked, so focused are we on Cooper's exploits at the concert. But when the merch guy Jamie (Jonathan Langdon) tells Cooper about the FBI sting, he briefly mentions that the FBI had evidence to suggest that the Butcher was going to be there that night. Cooper, so meticulous in every way, doesn't seem like the type to accidentally leave that type of damaging clue behind. So how did the FBI know he was going to be there? Who called in the tip?

When Cooper arrives at his home after the concert with Lady Raven and his daughter in tow, he is greeted by Rachel (Allison Pill), his loving wife. They seem to be a happy family, and utterly devoted to one another. But when Cooper returns to his house after having escaped the police, he is met by Rachel, who reveals something he had already started to piece together: She had been collaborating with the FBI to lay a trap for him.

At first, Rachel thought that his increasingly suspicious behavior was the result of a hastily hidden affair. But she began to suspect something far more disturbing when she noticed one very specific detail: The strong, astringent scent of harsh cleaning chemicals on his clothes. She was suspicious enough to get the police involved and — perhaps hoping to be proven wrong — left a piece of the concert ticket receipt at one of his recent crime scenes, knowing it would lead the FBI to the concert. After this confession, she knows he's going to try to kill her, but asks that they sit down together and enjoy the last piece of Riley's celebration pie. He's furious, but he agrees — and only after eating several healthy bites realizes that she's dosed it with the same sedative that Cooper used on his victims.

This dulls his senses enough for the FBI, who had been lying in wait, to storm in and arrest him. But Cooper may not be as out of it as he seems. While being frogmarched down his driveway, he stops to straighten up his child's bike, seemingly in a sentimental gesture. But we then learn that he was actually removing a spoke, which allows him to unlock his handcuffs in the back of the police van, chuckling triumphantly to himself.

"Trap" may not have the traditional Shyamalan twist we've come to expect from him, but he uses smaller misdirects throughout the entire film to great effect, constantly wrong-footing the audience. Lady Raven's impulsive decision to go off script, the reveal that Rachel suspected his violent crimes enough to involve the police, and the final twist that Cooper will likely escape police custody all add to the thrills of "Trap."

Shyamalan spoke to Slashfilm about why this approach interested him so much for "Trap," since it's a clear departure from many of his previous films — including that part of the twist, in a way, is the fact that the serial killer is framed within the narrative as at least a somewhat sympathetic protagonist. "You're watching it from the point of view of someone unexpected, is really what the movie's telling you ... what's unconsciously happening is, you're identifying with him as you're finding out the premise of the movie," he explained. "So that's actually the funky twist of it, is not the information, that he's in a trap or that he's the killer — it's that you are the killer."