Review of Split (2017) by Crankyerma — 25 Mar 2017

Shyamalan is a gifted storyteller. There is no doubt about it. Every one of his works is reminiscent of Serling minus the latter's voice in the dialogue. But Shyamalan, despite influences still has his very own specific identity and style.

That said, if Serling's work was always stories told well but sometimes stories not necessarily worth telling, the same holds true with Shyamalan. This is a fascinating and taut film that ultimately left me unfulfilled and disappointed.

I'm still glad I watched it but want a bit of a rewrite. It should be said that all of the performances were stellar, McAvoy's being chief among them. I know this is the sort of role that many actors salivate over and it could have been done so absolutely over the top as to ruin the experience.

James did not do that. He should subtlety and nuance but also menace when need be. Pretty captivating performance.