It was with his third film, the now classic The Sixth Sense in 1999, that M. Night Shyamalan made a name for himself as a director, albeit a name that was a mystery all of its own to pronounce for some.

Since then his work has always been interesting, although not always successful, as his latest is a prime example of.

Taking his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a concert is devoted father Cooper (Josh Hartnett). Her favourite artist Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) is playing, and her dad has got her some excellent tickets on the floor.

When they arrive though, security is super tight, with officers swarming all around. And apparently it’s not just for Lady Raven; they have it on good Intel that the notorious serial killer the Butcher is attending, and they have every intention of catching him there.

Cooper is alarmed, but not in the way you might think, because he is the Butcher, and he soon finds himself in a trap that he needs to escape from.

Another interesting premise from Shyamalan that once again feels let down by the execution. Although he creates an interesting scenario within the venue, full of young teens out to see their favourite artist, the director focuses too much on the gig itself; this may well have something to do with the fact that not only does his daughter play the artist in question, but also wrote the very many songs that she sings. So the film ends up being more of a showcase for his daughter’s singing talents, and less about the trap in question. We know that Cooper has killed a number of victims but at least we know that nepotism isn’t dead in Hollywood.

And although the initial premise is intriguing, the longer it goes on, the more ridiculous it becomes, reaching its peak when the action finally moves away from the venue, where the film just disintegrates into a vat of silliness.

What it does do however is make you wonder why Hartnett hasn’t become a really big star. He certainly has all the prerequisites for a leading man, and at only 46, it’s a little curious why he hasn’t been sucked up into either the MCU or DCU at this point, as everyone else has. He has definitely struggled making the transition from his teen heart-throb days in The Faculty and Pearl Harbor, into being mainstream leading man. Although that said, Christopher Nolan did cast him in Oppenheimer, and if anyone can spot talent, Nolan can (although hearing them is another conversation).

If being forced to sit through a concert in what feels like real time – which really is the film’s trap – is your thing, then you’ll have a good time, but if you’re expecting an edgy mystery, this isn’t the gig for you.