Split
Starring: James McAvoy, Anna Taylor-Joy
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Rated: PG-13
M. Night Shymalan is an unpredictable director. His early days of filmmaking show real talent.The Sixth Sense and Signs are strong and thrilling sci-fi films. However, after films like The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth, audiences noticed an extreme decline in his directorial skills. Since then, there's no telling what to expect in a Shyamalan film.
I'm always intrigued by psychological thrillers so I went in to see Shyamalan's latest, Split, with an open mind. I have to admit, this is one of his more entertaining movies. It's an intense thriller that keeps you guessing. Although it suffers from a weak final act, the first two are pretty good.
In Split, 3 girls are kidnapped by a man named Kevin (James McAvoy) with 23 different personalities. They must try to figure out how to interact with his different personalities while plotting a way to escape.
James McAvoy plays Kevin, a man with Dissasociative Identity Disorder. He has 23 different personalities. There's Barry, a clothing designer. Hedwig, a loud 9-year-old child. Dennis, an intense man who deals with extreme OCD. And Patricia, a frightening woman. There are even whisperings of a 24th personality called "The Beast". (More on that later)
What could easily be perceived as a hokey performance is played excellently by James McAvoy. Each character is played in a completely different way. You can tell the moment he switches identities by his voice, facial expression, or body language. It's worth seeing the movie just for his performance.
Anna Taylor-Joy is impressive as Casey, the girl who knows how to handle her surroundings after being kidnapped. At first, she seems passive. However, as we learn more about her character we understand the way she handles things. She studies Kevin's many personalities and tries to communicate with any one that will possibly provide escape. It's an intriguing concept to watch.
Some of the supporting characters in Split are disappointing. The two girls who are kidnapped with Casey have no personality. They are just there to help the plot move forward. Not everyone can have major character development, but everyone has a personality.
Spoilers
I can't talk about this movie without mentioning what happens at the end. It's such a major part of the whole thing. I wouldn't say Split has a big twist, but two reveals. The first reveal involves Kevin's emerging 24th personality "The Beast" and that's when the movie gets ridiculous. The whole movie "The Beast" is mentioned. When the last act begins, all of Kevin's personalities merge into one to form "The Beast" a massively strong semi-supernatural being. This disappointed me a lot because 1) the movie actually tries to explain how this is scientifically possible and 2) it goes from a grounded psychological thriller to a supernatural thriller. It tries to explain it all through his psychiatrist (Betty Buckley), but it is so unbelievable. Then the 2nd reveal happens and it turns out Split is meant to be an extension of another M. Night Shyamalan film called Unbreakable. So, Kevin and his many personalities are actually a super villain. Even though it makes more sense to view Split as a super villain origin movie, I still have major problems with the way the "The Beast" is handled.
Spoilers Over
Split is a flawed, but intriguing movie. If you like intense psychological thrillers with strong acting you'll be entertained by Shyamalan's latest.
My Rating: 6/10