"Split" Review

Title: Split

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Written by: M. Night Shyamalan

Year: 2017


M. Night Shyamalan has had an infamously rocky career. He seemed to be the next great director with The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs. However, his quality as a filmmaker continued to drop with each successive film after this period. Recently he put out The Visit, which was quite well-received and many marked it as a good start for his comeback. Does this latest film return Shyamalan to his high status, or will it leave the audience divided?

Three teenage girls are abducted by a man who has Dissociative Identity Disorder. The girls do not know why they have been kidnapped, but their captor appears to have a greater purpose for them. With 23 distinct personalities living in one body, this kidnapper is completely unpredictable, and it seems that a 24th is on its way.

More than anything, Split serves as a showcase for James McAvoy's acting talent. McAvoy is absolutely captivating, giving a career-best performance as Kevin and cementing himself as one of the greatest actors working today. His ability to so fluidly shift between the different personalities simply with facial expressions is unbelievable. He is able to make the different characters incredibly distinct and evokes a different tone with each one. Barry seems like a nice enough guy, but Dennis is a cold and menacing presence. Patricia is a creepy mother-like figure, and the nine-year-old Hedwig is a wild card. If for nothing else, watch this movie for McAvoy's performance as it truly is magnificent.

Not to be overlooked though is Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey, the protagonist of the piece. Taylor-Joy is slowly crawling her way into the limelight with strong smaller roles, and I think this is the movie that will put her on the map. She gives a powerfully understated performance that escalates throughout the picture. Casey is a very well written character, too. The audience is left wondering why she acts the way she does, but as the film progresses we slowly learn more about her and it culminates in a surprising and effective way. Also good is Betty Buckley as Kevin's psychiatrist. The scenes she has with McAvoy are always interesting and Buckley brings a sense of the genuine to the movie.

The movie begins almost immediately, and by that I mean there is hardly any build-up or background to the story. The kidnapping is the first thing that occurs, and that structure works well for the film. The tension is present from the start, as is the intrigue. This picture may be deemed as an exercise in horror, but it is a thriller more than anything, and also a mystery film. The majority of the film is spent trying to uncover exactly what Kevin's personalities have planned for the girls and why he kidnapped them. This hooks the audience and holds onto their attention throughout the film's duration.

But if there is one thing this movie excels at, it is generating tension. It is as if a rubber band is being stretched at both ends with each passing minute, growing tighter and tighter, and you never know when it is going to snap. Split becomes more intense with each scene, leaving the audience short of breath until the very end when everyone can finally exhale. A lot of the suspense comes from the unpredictability of McAvoy's character. You are never sure which persona is safe to be around and the amount of surprises in the film will catch the viewer off guard.

M. Night Shyamalan's direction is immaculately appropriate for this feature. He has gone back to his roots, producing a spellbinding thriller and employing unique camera techniques. The cinematography complements the closed and narrow sets, creating a claustrophobic and tight atmosphere that transcends the silver screen. The camera will track at a sluggish pace to further draw out the tension, and there is no shortage of odd framing, evoking an air of unease. Another great feature of the cinematography is the lighting. Usually, rooms are lit by a single color or hue, thus emanating a particular mood that effectively seeps into the mind of the viewer and allows them to interpret a scene in a certain manner.

Shyamalan's decision to incorporate a hint of comedy in this movie was brilliant, as it successfully provides occasional moments of levity while simultaneously amplifying the unsettling environment. Hedwig, though a chilling and uncomfortable character, is given some gut-busting lines that strangely fit the film. In addition, the movie is slowly paced, which works for the most part because it helps to drag out the suspense. However, there are times when the story is moving too slowly. The film always had my interest, but some moments felt unnecessarily long, which faulted the pacing slightly.

While on the topic of flaws, this would be an appropriate time to bring up how exposition is handled. There are two instances where the film shamelessly speaks directly to the audience (or close to it) to provide important information. The first is when the therapist is speaking to a lecture hall about Dissociative Identity Disorder. Not only is the dialogue not furthering the plot, but it is also clearly intended for the audience. This could have been done in a more creative manner, like during one of Kevin's sessions, which they did earlier. The second time is through the use of a computer. The computer lists all of Kevin's identities in handy video formats. However, the videos are supposed to be journal entries. So then why is there only one video for each personality? Should there not be multiple? Also, the information given in these videos could have been handled much better and played a more relevant role. In the next paragraph, I will be discussing the outstanding ending to the film with spoilers in mind.

*SPOILERS AHEAD* I was not prepared for this film's conclusion, and not in the way you might think. The movie's final moments reference the events of Shyamalan's second film Unbreakable, which came out in 2000, with Bruce Willis making a cameo as his character from that picture. I did not feel comfortable reviewing this movie until I did my cinematic homework; namely, watching Unbreakable for the first time. After doing so, I can appreciate this ending much more. Shyamalan proved to be ahead of the superhero curve with Unbreakable, and now he has shown that he understands what makes a cinematic universe so enthralling. Furthermore, the ending changes the dynamic of the entire movie, prompting a re-watch almost instantly. In addition, the twist about Casey's being raped by her uncle actually saving her in the end was a master stroke of genius. And the final scene with her contemplating the thought of going back to her uncle after being "rescued" was done in expert fashion.

*SPOILER FREE* Split marks an extraordinary comeback from M. Night Shyamalan as a director. The film is endlessly thought provoking, chilling, and thrilling, never allowing the audience to take a break. James McAvoy turns out his greatest performance yet; definitely the highlight of the picture. Anya Taylor-Joy makes for a terrific protagonist and the complexity of her character enhances the story ten-fold. The cinematography elicits a suitably creepy and unnerving atmosphere and the story is magnetically engaging. The pacing can dip too far in a couple of places and the exposition does hinder the film's intentions and ingenuity, but overall, Split is a tremendous triumph. Not only is this a fantastic Shyamalan picture, but it is also a wonderful January movie, which is quite the miracle if you are unaware.

Grade: A-