Trap ending explained: Was Cooper really The Butcher?

If you love M. Night Shyamalan movies, you’ll be happy to hear that Trap is the latest out in theaters. Let’s break down the ending to see what the twist was at the end.

Trap follows what the title suggests. There is a trap being set up, but this isn’t a trap by a serial killer. This is a trap for a serial killer.

After learning that The Butcher would be at a concert, the FBI decides to use it to their advantage. There is no way in or out until The Butcher is caught, and it appears that Cooper is that serial killer they’re after. He spends the whole movie looking for a way to escape, manipulating situations to get information to do it.

Who set the trap in Trap?

A profiler for the FBI helped to set up the trap at the concert. It all came from a partial receipt for the concert tickets. This was enough for the FBI to realize he would likely be there, but the betrayal went deeper than that.

You see, yes, Cooper was The Butcher. He had his latest victim tied up, and he was able to use that victim to get out of the situation he was in. He told Lady Raven that he could set off carbon monoxide gas that would kill his latest victim unless she helped him get home with his daughter. Lady Raven did, but she found a way to get the victim free and get the FBI to Cooper’s door.

The whole plot thickened as we learned that Cooper didn’t mess up with the receipt. His wife had realized something was wrong. Initially suspecting an affair, Rachel realized that that wasn’t right. The smell of cleaning bleach made it clear that her husband was likely the serial killer, and she decided to leave the partial receipt to tip the FBI off.

Cooper kept his cool throughout the trap

What was surprising was seeing how Cooper kept his cool up until the very end. While he was in the trap, he kept focused on escaping. Maybe it helped that he was still somewhat in the shadows. While everyone knew that The Butcher was there, only he knew he was who they were looking for. This gave him the chance to manipulate situations.

He could lie on the spot convincingly. He was able to play different characters depending on what he needed to do. When he did look nervous, that was clearly a character put on for the situation.

It all slipped once he realized he was being outsmarted. The cracks started to appear, but that didn’t stop him from planning ahead.

Will Cooper remain behind bars after Trap?

In the end, the FBI was able to capture Cooper. Rachel used some of his tools against him, putting drugs into his drink to knock him out long enough for the FBI to move in and capture him.

On the way to the police van, Cooper stopped to pick up a bike that was on its side in the front garden. This was important for his presumable escape in the future. He managed to grab a broken spoke from the wheel, which would allow him to unlock the cuffs around his wrists and ankles. When the door to the police van opens, he’ll be able to make a run for it.