Friday, January 24, 2025

Trapped Inn (2024)

 
 
Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
Movie Name/Year: Trapped Inn (2024)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Length: 1h 55min
Rating: Unrated
Director: Leah Sturgis
Writer: Leah Sturgis
Actors: Matt Rife, Robert Palmer Watkins, Brian Gross, Brielle Gearson, Jaylen Moore, Oliver Trevena, Jacy King, Noemie Maia, Rickey Eugene Brown, Laurel Coeur, Emily Farache, Tal Serror, Mary Vade Bon Coeur
 
IMDb Blurb: An American cycling team trains at a remote European lodge. Teammates start dying mysteriously. Rivals Connor and Greg battle to survive and uncover the cause behind the team's demise.
 
 
Cat’s Point of View:
I don't remember hearing anything about Trapped Inn back around the time it was released. That's not entirely surprising, given that this film came from an indie production company, and likely didn't have a big budget for marketing. I digress...
 
When I watched the trailer, pretty much the only thing that Trapped Inn seemed to have going for it was the recognizable name and face of Matt Rife (Don't Suck, The Private Eye, Beyond the Likes). I've seen his stand-up specials, and his humor isn't always my cup of tea. This didn't strike me as a comedy, however, and I was curious how he handled more serious settings as an actor.
 
 
As an aside, I've seen some of his YouTube videos where he's accompanied friends on paranormal investigations and various adventures. I have to say that in more candid moments – even in front of a camera – he came across as respectful and genuine in those scenarios. With a peek behind the proverbial curtain of his on-stage persona in mind, I felt like he had a real shot at pulling this more serious role off.
 
Generally, I was right. Unfortunately, that didn't really save the movie.
 
Most of the core cast members didn't bungle their roles either, to be honest. Trapped Inn simply suffered from trying to be too many things at once without a clear sense of direction for the story.
 
 
There's a clear theme of isolation and how that impacts the human psyche. I'd also go as far as to say that this story also highlighted how such a claustrophobic atmosphere could be amped up and made worse by fear of a deadly unknown.
 
Outside of that, the other elements of the narrative caused the wheels to fall off the bus. I nearly got whiplash from the number of times the plot seemed to shift with sudden twisty revelations. Just when I thought Trapped Inn was building suspense in one direction, the gears shifted to a setting that made it even harder to suspend disbelief.
 
 
If Trapped Inn had tried to take itself less seriously, it's plausible that it could have offered a fun and memorable experience. Unfortunately, its earnest attempt at selling everything from a super serious perspective made it less cohesive and ultimately forgettable.
 
I can't say that I would offer a recommendation for Trapped Inn – unless someone wanted to turn the plot-shifts into a drinking game. Even then, I don't think it would offer this movie any sort of redemption. At the same time, this wasn't the worst film I've ever watched, so at least there's that.
 
 
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 77%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – 4.0/10
IMDB Score – 2.9/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2.5/5
 
Trust the Dice: Parental Advisory Rating - R
 
 Movie Trailer: