Whatever happens tonight, tomorrow, or into the future, remember to take care of yourself and others, and watch M. Night Shyamalan’s latest pulse-pounding thrill ride. It seems that the Solute consensus has followed the general one for Trap, that it flops (or at least flails) in the third act once it ends what would seem to be its reason for existence. But please consider that that’s not correct and that part (really two parts) is instead the best part. I had a blast throughout Trap, as usual dazzled by Shyamalan’s preternatural visual storytelling (shout-out Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, whose 2024 is as good a year as any cinematographer has had) but especially taken with Josh Hartnett’s extraordinary tightrope-walk in the lead, playing all the way into Shyamalan’s usual goofball dad jokes to show his human suit slowly slipping off. It’s a sick thrill to follow and root for him as he problem solves out of certain doom, but his jump from fun-scary to scary-scary is shocking and more than justifies the third act’s gear-shifts away from the premise and his perspective. It seems many were not overjoyed like me at the sudden centering of Shyamalan’s daughter as Olivia Rodrigo as Clarice Starling, and that’s their loss. Where it goes from there I understand being thrown off by, but even if you’re not convinced by Shyamalan’s sickening thesis on family, more movies should hand themselves over to a powerhouse Alison Pill with no warning.

1992 (2023) Lionsgate
The 4:30 Movie 4K (2024) Lionsgate
Afraid (2024) Sony
Blink Twice (2024) Warner
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (Kino)
The Crow 4K (2024) Lionsgate
Fright 4K (Kino)
Godzilla 4K (Criterion)
I Love Lucy: The Complete Series (Paramount)
It Ends with Us (2024) Sony
Krampus 4K (Shout Factory)
Last Christmas 4K (2019) Universal
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (2024) Cohen
Rules of Engagement 4K (Kino)
Strange Darling (2023) Magenta Light Studios
Trap 4K (Warner)
We Were Soldiers 4K (Paramount)
White Christmas 4K (Paramount)