M. Night Shyamalan is back with his latest psychological thriller, Trap, which he also wrote and produced. This time he weaves some magic.

Why? It’s kind of insane how he turns this crazy, senseless plot into something not just watchable — but actually very entertaining.

The plot holes are as big as the Grand Canyon, and the premise is straight-up silly. But Shyamalan sets up his scenes so well that you’re hooked from start to finish. The pacing, editing and camerawork? Very good. Shyamalan knows how to keep you glued.

Our main guy here is a 30-something dad of two, Cooper (played by Josh Hartnett). But he has an evil side. He’s the infamous “Butcher,” a super-dangerous serial killer on the loose for seven years.

In those seven years, the cops have nothing on him. Nada. Zilch. No ID, no fingerprints, no DNA. All they’ve got is a recent ticket stub to a concert by Lady Raven (played by Saleka, Shyamalan’s own kid).

So, Cooper and his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) head to this packed concert. Riley’s totally clueless that her dad’s a psycho killer.

Meanwhile, Cooper spots a swarm of cops in the concert venue, headed by an elderly profiler (Hayley Mills). Turns out it’s a hush-hush operation to capture The Butcher. Bizarrely, these cops don’t know squat about what the suspect looks like — just that he’s a white dude.

So, the robotic cops start questioning every single white guy at the concert — and there are 3,000 of them. But Cooper? He’s just walking around, ignored by the cops.

The whole situation, with the cops being a bunch of bumbling idiots, is so absurd it’s hilarious. They hold briefings in an unlocked employee room, or they just stand around like mascots and listening to the profiler’s “smart” guesses.

The genuinely fun part is observing Hartnett’s Cooper evading these dopey cops. His sneaky moves and the tension of trying to escape make for some pretty exciting moments. The sheer stupidity of the police — almost fantastical in nature — actually adds to the fun.

You’ll feel the stress, the chase and, initially, you’ll root for Cooper. Then you’ll want him to get caught.

And being “trapped” isn’t just about Cooper, but Raven, too. Also, Cooper is not just trapped in a concert but also trapped in his childhood trauma.

The way Shyamalan captures Hartnett’s eyes, tensed mouth and escalating distress keeps the audience glued to the screen.

Meanwhile, Mills’ Riley is charming with her innocence and fangirling over Raven. Saleka’s Raven delivers a solid performance with a delightful character arc.

Shyamalan’s signature twists are still present, and Trap proves the auteur’s storytelling skills that you forgive the plot holes and simply apply suspension of disbelief.

Shyamalan making the cops so incompetent might just be his way of throwing shade at authority. But even with all the head-scratching moments, Trap is still an entertaining popcorn flick.

3 out of 5 stars

Now showing in cinemas