Seeing the name M. Night Shymalan on a film conjures a certain expectation. The filmmaker, who burst onto the scene in 1999 with The Sixth Sense, has made some captivating and enthralling films. But he’s known for a certain style of plot element that works better in some stories than others. Doubtless that makes him polarizing among audiences.

But with his new film, Trap, which opens today, he uses a clever hook with a great performance to deliver an engrossing summer film. It’s one of his best and also one of the better performances from star Josh Hartnett, making this appointment viewing to begin August.

In the film, Cooper (Hartnett) is a father taking his daughter (Ariel Donoghue) to a concert. They are heading to see Lady Raven (Saleka) at her latest big arena show. It’s a great time of bonding for father and daughter. It seems like a sweet and innocent set up, except Cooper seems overly drawn to the large number of law enforcement officers at the show.

Soon, Cooper finds a friendly employee (Jonathan Langdon) who lets him know that this isn’t just a concert. It’s a trap set by the police, and an FBI profiler (Hayley Mills), to catch a serial killer called The Butcher. All that would be fine if Cooper wasn’t said Butcher. Now, with the walls closing in and his daughter blissfully ignorant, Cooper has to try to find a way to escape.

It’s a simple concept that is laid out in detail in the trailer. That, at first, seems like a negative. But there are plenty of twists and turns along the way on this concept that build the intrigue and the tension. That makes this a fun film that exceeded my initial expectations.

Saleka, Shymalan’s daughter, is a musician that burst onto the scene in 2023. At first, it seems like the film is something of a showcase for her original songs and musical performances. But there is depth to Lady Raven, and Saleka gives a strong performance in her feature film debut.

I also enjoyed the casting of Mills as the FBI Profiler on the hunt and Alison Pill as Cooper’s mild-mannered wife. Both are given their chance to showcase their skills as the story twists and turns toward its conclusion.

But what makes this work is Hartnett. He goes from a goofy, loving father to something more menacing in the flip of a switch. Watching him work and work things out is fascinating. Hartnett conveys so much through his facial expressions and non-verbal cues, adapting to each situation and creating the perfect monster within. It’s a great performance that helps elevate this from a clever concept into an engaging film.

I liked what Shymalan did here. He tells an interesting story that has layers. Nothing feels like a big surprise, but rather the twists feel organic to the flow of the story. This is a clever film executed well that should be fun for audiences.

Trap is now playing nationwide.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.