Summary
Director M. Night Shyamalan explains how he included the post-credit scene in his latest psychological thrillerTrap. Starring Josh Harntett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donoghue, Alison Pill, and Hayley Mills,Trapfollows Harntett’s character, Cooper Adams, a man who leads a double life as a family man and as a serial killer known as The Butcher. In the usual Shyamalan style, the movie contains several plot twists, but the director also tacked on a post-credits scene.
Now, according toGizmodo, Shyamalan, discussing his recently released thriller, revealed thatthe surprise post-credit scene was not in the original plans for the movie. He added thatit was an impromptu decision to add the scene, and everything eventually worked out. Read his full quote below:
“That wasn’t in the script. I went, ‘Wow, you know what? I’m just gonna shoot it.’ And I was like, ‘Start doing it, let’s get it ready. I’ll shoot it whenever I have an hour or two and let’s go do it.'”
What Was The Purpose Of Trap’s Post Credit Scene?
It’s The Perfect Tag For Shyamanlan’s Idiosyncratic Thriller
More often than not, post-credit scenes in movies are a way of setting up or piquing the interest of viewers for a follow-up movie. This, however, isn’t the case withTrap. While the movie does contain a post-credit scene,it’s used to bring back a character for one more comedic beat at the end of the film.The post-credits scene picks up right afterTrap’s twisty ending.
The scene features Jamie, a concert worker, who is seen watching the news about the FBI apprehending the notorious serial killer The Butcher. Earlier in the movie, Jamie had a conversation with Cooper where he revealed that the concert was a trap set by the FBI to capture The Butcher. However, he had no idea Cooper was The Butcher at the time. The post credit scene ended withJamie learning the face and real name of The Butcher and discovering it was the man he had a conversation with earlier in the movie.
Trap’s 8 Biggest Unanswered Questions, Mysteries, & Plot Holes
M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap leaves audiences with mysteries and room to theorize about the film’s events. Here’s what we’re still wondering.
Post-credits scenes are quite rare inShyamalan’s filmography. Across his extended career,only two of his previous movies have featured post-credit scenes prior toTrap. 2016’sSplitfeatured a cameo from Bruce Willis which set up a connection to bothUnbreakableandGlass, while 2023’sKnock At The Cabinfeatured an audible tease. Shyamalan’s revelation that the post credit scene was more of an afterthought further proves that it was included simply for comedic purposes and to pay off a small storyline rather than an attempt to set up a sequel.
Trap
Cast
Trap is a film by writer-director M. Night Shyamalan under his Blinding Edge Pictures label. The film is part of a deal struck with Warner Bros for him to direct and produce several films under their banner.
