When a young couple feels that it’s time to take drastic steps to prevent their relationship from falling apart, they travel to a friend’s cabin to spend an intimate and technology-free weekend with one another. What should be a wonderful, relaxing weekend getaway immediately starts out with a hiccup, a Glue Trap–and it continues to spiral out of control when a third wheel, Eliza (Gloria Bangiola) arrives, seemingly prepared to derail their vacation and their relationship. KJ (Brittany Bradford) and Dan (Isaac Jay) will either save their relationship or be torn completely apart.
Glue Trap begins with the couple in question having an argument, and that immediately sets the tone for the rest of the film. Viewers are instantly made to feel uneasy–and that feeling transcends the entirety of the film. While that seems to be the purpose of the film, to make viewers feel uncomfortable–something else comes to be later in the film, and it steals from the initial thrill of Glue Trap.
While that feeling of unease exists throughout Glue Trap, there’s also an incredibly cheesy tone that exists as well. It sort of always exists, but when Eliza shows up, that is piled on heavily. It’s almost too much to handle, because it does more than shift the tone of the film–it negatively affects the other characters as well. It’s so obviously an issue that she’s arrived, and for KJ and Dan to ever consider this to be alright dilutes their intelligence and makes them far less likable.
There are some issues strewn throughout Glue Trap, however, the one thing that always works is the set. Viewers, I think, are supposed to feel a sense of isolation throughout the film, and while there are inklings of that in other aspects of the film, it’s the setting that really allows that to happen. A cabin in the woods may feel a tad cliché from time to time at this point–but it still works in developing the appropriate tones in horror and horror-esque films. There’s a glimmer of hope that exists in Glue Trap, and it’s the setting as a result of its consistency. By the end of the film, the cabin is still used to develop suspense and create a dark, dreary tone–even as the credits roll. This is the most effective part of the entire film, and it helps to raise the film up in times of need.
I truly struggled with Glue Trap (at least through most of it). I often felt that, even through the unease and the intended mystery, the film failed to hit the nail on the head. That is until the final five minutes or so. Sure, the film still plays out in a relatively corny fashion–but it quickly shifts to a cautionary tale, one that finally allows horror to develop. I’m not entirely sure that I was ever aware that Glue Trap was meant to be a horror film, but rather a dramatic thriller of sorts. It wasn’t until the film was effectively over that horror began to develop–and at that point I began to appreciate it more. I genuinely liked the film at this point, and everything that had come before (whether or not it actually made sense) seemed purposeful and relevant.
All in all, Glue Trap ends up being entertaining. It struggles from time to time, and there are moments when things simply don’t work. By the end of the film things are wrapped up nicely, and things begin to make sense. I do believe that this cautionary tale will appeal to viewers, even with its hiccups–and it will ultimately do what it set out to do.
Written & Directed by Justin Geldzahler.
Starring Brittany Bradford, Isaac Jay, Gloria Bangiola, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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