Trap parents guide: Your teens will enjoy this twisty M. Night Shyamalan thriller

If you’re looking to get your kids into thrillers, M. Night Shyamalan movies tend to be a good place to start. They tend to be rated PG-13, and they don’t include too much gore. The thriller is in the psychology. Trap is one of those thrillers.

Josh Harnett slays it as Cooper, a seemingly everyday man who just wants to look out for his daughter and take her to a concert to see a pop star she adores. However, it turns out that the concert is a trap for a serial killer known as The Butcher, and it’s soon clear that Cooper is The Butcher.

This is what you get from the trailer. The movie takes us through Cooper looking for a means to escape. That is, if he’s actually the Butcher. We all know there’s a twist in an M. Night Shyamalan movie.

Trap is officially a PG-13 movie

The good news is the movie is rated PG-13, making it perfect for tweens and teens. It means that parental advisory is necessary for under 13, and really, it’s not going to work for those under 8-year-old. Let’s take a look at the factors that make this a PG-13 movie.

Sex & nudity: There is no sex and nudity throughout the movie.

Violence & Gore: There is some implied violence. There’s a moment where a man shows Cooper images of one of The Butcher’s victims, but we don’t see that photo. We can tell from Cooper’s face how graphic it is.

The scariest part is likely when the singer, Lady Raven (Saleka) is trapped in a bathroom with someone trying to get into the room. There is a lot of screaming on the other side, but we don’t see anything graphic.

Language: There is only one use of the F-word throughout the entire movie, which is standard for a PG-13 movie. All other cursing is light and sticks to the likes of the S-word and the B-word as the worst.

Alcohol & Drugs: The movie does take place in a concert venue, which means that there is some alcohol on sale. There are a couple of characters who look a little drunk, but no explicit alcohol or drug use is shown on the screen.

Overall verdict: Who is Trap appropriate for?

This thriller is aimed at teenagers and up. It’s one of those that plays on the mind, as you find yourself rooting for this man to get out of the trap set up for him despite him being the likely serial killer. It’s a great gateway into thrillers for teens.