Split
/"The broken are the more evolved."
Filmology Rating: 2.88 out of 4
Split, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is a story about a man named Kevin (James McAvoy) who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. His psychiatrist has diagnosed at least 23 different identities within Kevin. One day, one of Kevin’s personalities kidnaps three teenage girls.
Night Shyamalan has been very hit or miss throughout the last decade or so. He started off very strong by giving us movies such as: Signs, Sixth Sense, and Unbreakable (he even was a writer for Stuart Little which is a little random for him) However in the last decade, he has given us a lot of duds like The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth. Thankfully he finally rebounded with his prior film The Visit. Anyway! I say all that to say this, when M. Night can be very hit or miss. I am very pleased to say that Split was a definite hit!
First things first, we need to talk about James McAvoy. He was absolutely fantastic. He has been in so many great movies such as the most recent X-Men movies, Wanted and Atonement, but this was by far his best work. The funny thing is…. he wasn’t the original person cast for this role, Leonardo DiCaprio was! DiCaprio was originally cast but then had to back out of the project when filming of The Revenant went months past what it was supposed to and he also wanted to finish his documentary Before the Flood as well. Leo I'm sure would have done a great job because Leo is arguably the best actor alive right now; however James McAvoy did such an incredible job that I can’t imagine anyone else playing this part. He completely changed his mannerisms, voice, even slightly altered the way he looked through different ways of presenting his body and face. I cannot say enough good things about what he did throughout the film. Complimenting McAvoy was another young talent. I love a good thriller/horror movie where there is actually a smart character and that was very much the case here. Anya Taylor-Joy did a wonderful job. She is a very young but talented actress that really shined in the movie VVitch earlier this year and once again did a great job.
Now it has been a while since there has really been an M. Night movie that I have really loved. The Visit was a step up from the previous stuff he’s done but it didn’t strike a chord with me. This one did. I loved the story! It was spooky, it was terrifying to think about what it would be like to be one of those girls, and most importantly it was engaging. I was fascinated with Kevin and his multiple personalities. The concept of having those personalities battle for time and priority and then doing a heinous act without the other parts of you knowing was great. The slow building and development of its characters was brilliant as well.
Now for those of you who know M. Night’s work, there is always a twist. The twist was fantastic. There is the obvious twist that the movie builds up to and then there is an OMG twist. I won’t tell you what it is obviously but know that it is great. Some of you might not understand it (you'll know why if you see it) so if you see it and are confused, message me and I will explain!
Split was a well-rounded horror/thriller that was a ton of fun. I will for sure want to watch this again and again. Really the only issue I have is that I feel M. Night failed the main character (Anya Taylor-Joy) right at the end. I would’ve liked to see a little more out of her in the final scene but overall it didn’t take anything away from the enjoyment of the movie. This one is a must see!
Rating: See It
-Nick
After The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, M. Night Shyamalan was praised as an auteur filmmaker and called "the next Spielberg." And very slowly his career tanked and he made some of the worst films of the last decade. In the past 6 years or so, he has slowly built his way back up and with Split, he proved that he still had it in him. Sort of.
The reason a film like this is financially successful is because: 1) it is a Blumhouse film so it was marketed as a straight horror and they are the most profitable films today. 2) seeing a crazy man run around with 23 personalities is like a gimmick and we all know how well those sell. This film is about a man who has Dissociate Identity Disorder and he kidnaps 3 teenage girls. Through that, a bunch of dark comedy ensues and tricks people into thinking the film is a straight horror. The film intercuts between the girls and a therapist as she shovels exposition to people who don't understand the psychological effects of split personality.
The best aspect of the film is definitely the performance from James McAvoy. A role like this is every actor's dream because it allows them to display their vast range of tone and ability and James McAvoy proves he is a brilliant actor. Ann Taylor-Joy is also making a name for herself as a terrific young actress. She was in this and The VVitch. Then there are two other girls who aren't worth discussing because M. Night didn't bother writing them either.
I have watched the film once several years ago and rewatching it now, it does have more issues that are more pronounced. One being a clear separation in structure and intent. The first 2/3 is very slow and the film intercuts between the girls in a locked room, the therapists office and flashbacks for the protagonist, Casey. The therapists office often feels like a detour and there for exposition and to stretch the runtime. The flashbacks are strangely inserted at random times because M. Night realized that his protagonist had no character, arc, or backstory other than, she is a girl.
Near the end of the film, there is an odd shift in intent. The first 90 minutes are very slow and atmospheric. Then on a dime, it turns into exploitation slasher film where the girl has to run away from bad man. It's a very odd shift and goes into absurd territory. Similar to Don't Breathe.
The directing here feels like airplane mode as well. M. Night is very stylized in Unbreakable. Here he seems so bored with the camera.
However, Split remains a competent film with a stellar performance.
Rating: See It