Trap: How US Investigative Authority's Operation Flagship Inspired M Night Shyamalan's Thriller

Filmmaker M Night Shyamalan is known to make thriller films that can bring any individual watching them to the edge of their seats. With his latest directorial Trap, he seems to have taken a step further as the film has been inspired from real-life events. 

What is Operation Flagship that inspired Trap?

Trap is based on the case called Operation Flagship. In 1985, the US Fugitive Investigative Strike Team, or F.I.S.T., launched a plan to catch a bunch of fugitives in Washington DC. They set up a fake sports network, the Flagship International Sports Television, a rift on F.I.S.T. as part of the network's supposed launch. It sent letters to over 3,000 wanted men's last known addresses telling them they'd won two free tickets to an upcoming game between the Washington Redskins (now called the Washington Commanders) and the Cincinnati Bengals, and had a chance to win tickets to the Super Bowl. 

It was said to be part of a special event celebrating the inauguration of a new DC sports TV network called Flagship International Sports Television Inc. (it shares the same acronym as the U.S. Marshals Service’s Fugitive Investigative Strike Team). To collect their tickets, the “winners” were told to show up at a brunch a few hours before the game.

Upon arrival, the fugitives were split into small groups and taken into “party rooms” with snacks and posters that read “Let’s party!” Marshals and police officers posed as event staffers, with female officers dressed as cheerleaders hugging the guests to check for weapons. The men were also given balloons, categorising them by colour; violent criminals received red balloons.

About Trap

Directed by M Night Shyamalan, the film stars Josh Hartnett, Saleka, Ariel Donoghue, Hayley Mills, Alison Pill, Vanessa Smythe, Kid Cudi and Karina Gazelle. 

The film was release in theatres on August 2, 2024 but has underperformed at the box office.