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Cast: Allen Perada, Alonzo F. Jones, Ashton Blanchard
Walter is a middle-aged ex-con fresh out of jail. Consumed by guilt for his leaving his family behind, he tries to reestablish a relationship with his only living relative, his meth-addicted daughter Tori. But Tori wants nothing to do with Walter, so she involves him in a kidnapping scheme with Franklin. The two men kidnap a girl named Tennessee, planning to hold her until the ransom is paid. But the plan goes all to hell when Walter falls in love with the young Tennessee. Does she love him as well, or is she just using him to escape? A story of isolation, loneliness, loyalty, and violence, Trap reveals the darker side of human nature.
As "Trap" opens we see a young woman who is basically going on a suicide mission to save someone, we are not sure of the why or who because that comes later when the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall together. The film quickly shifts and we are introduced to Franklin and his middle-aged partner, Walter who are working together on a kidnapping for some "higher ups." They have a young girl by the name of Tennessee dropped off to them and their job is to hold the girl until her rich father pays the ransom but as we are know things are never as easy as they seem.
While Franklin is out Walter checks in on the girl who is tied up in another room and as the days pass he begins to fall for the young girl as she uses her youth to lure him in. The problem is does she really care for Walter or is she just using him to try and get away?
"Trap" is a slow moving but deliberate thriller that focuses more on it's characters and their motives than anything really thrilling. There are a few scenes of violence in the film which are well done but for the most part Director, Jason Horton concentrates on the story at hand and his three main characters. The story is pretty simple at first but once the tension between Walter and Franklin begins the film a few twists get tossed into the mix which keeps the audience guessing and engaged in the story. It's pretty easy to get sucked into the story because the characters in the film are well-developed and that makes it very easy to have feelings towards them in one way or another.
Let me also say that the three lead actors, Allen Perada as Walter, Alonzo F. Jones as Franklin and Ashton Blanchard as Tennessee give very realistic and believable performances and all three have great chemistry with each other so nothing seemed forced. Production wise the film looks and sounds great and Director, Horton does a fantastic job at keeping things moving at a good pace. "Trap" isn't going to be a film for everyone simply because there no chase scenes or big explosions in the film, it's a thinking man's thriller that asks it's audience to follow along rewarding them at the end. I really enjoyed how different the three main characters were and I liked how the story slowly fit all the pieces together towards the end. The film's clever story-line, it's mature and smart dialogue and it's stellar performances from both it's leads and supporting cast make "Trap" a film worth checking out.
Available on DVD on 2/12, you can order it HERE. I look forward to seeing what this talented filmmaker has coming out next but in the meantime I highly recommend picking this up, it is a great example why Independent cinema is so good.
Released by New Conquest Pictures
*** 3/4 Out Of *****