Review of Split (2017) by Ken S — 14 Jun 2017

I'm projecting that the reaction to this movie's ending is going to be - dare I say it...

DIVIDED?

You'll have those who won't get the ending and will leave the theater in a confused state.

And then you've got those who will go gaga over the end because they DO get it.

Don't worry - I was in the latter category.

Split is directed by M. Night Shyamalan, stars James McAcoy, Anya Taylor-Joy and Betty Buckley and tells the story of a troubled man with multiple personalities who kidnaps three girls because of reasons that come to light as the film goes on.

Shyamalan is undoubtedly one of Hollywood's most interesting director stories in that he fell off the holy throne of "Next Great Movie Messiah" and plummeted into the swamps of eyeroll-laden opinions and "Oh no, not HIM again!" laments. But then he returned to his low-budget, quiet thriller roots with The Visit and enjoyed moderate success, suggesting that he could be back on the upswing.

And you'll probably agree that he absolutely is after seeing Split.

This movie is a claustrophobic, creepy, atmospherically rich experience that's dripping with tension and uncertainty in some scenes and then exploding into full-on, albeit appropriate comedy in others with terrific effect.

McAcoy is on a whole 'nother level of acting as he portrays some of his antagonist's 23 separate personalities with chilling believability. In one scene he's a cold-hearted, determined man with OCD; in the next, he's a goofy 9-year-old with a lisp. He can go from terrifying to hilarious at any given turn, and he's a tumultuous villain for whom you can still feel empathy.

Taylor-Joy is incredibly powerful as McAvoy's foil and the story's reluctant hero Casey, who finds herself kidnapped along with two of her peers and tries to get them out of their frightening circumstances.

Betty Buckley as the psychiatrist for McAvoy's character Kevin was somewhat distracting early in the running given the expositional nature of her character, but I came to appreciate her role as she goes along. She also does play a central albeit forced role in telling a very intriguing story about what these 23 personalities believe in and what they're afraid of. There are several details in the plot that are worth revisiting, simply because of how immersive and intricate they are.

To some, the way in which Taylor-Joy's character's backstory scenes were included felt jarring. There really aren't any true good moments where you can transition between the two different plots because of how they're only tied together by Casey's approach to the situation, and also by certain symbolism and themes. But I personally thought these scenes were handled well and shot well, and that's all I'll say about them because spoilers and stuff.

In fact, pretty much the entirety of the film is beautiful in its look. You get several close-ups and first person POV shots with a mix of Shyamalan centers that all help to make you feel trapped and on-edge in this claustrophobia-inducing space. Certain actions are given weight in how they're both shown and then at times hinted at through camerawork and quick albeit memorable moments. They cultivate a sense of dread, create this disturbing energy that lines up somewhere between sexual and carnal, and help build tension to the point that you legitimately become afraid for the girls as the stakes pick up and lives become endangered.

As for gripes, I didn't like that the two side girls disappeared for long spells and that, even though they were deliberately not given a lot of development, didn't feel like living, breathing characters alongside the likes of Taylor-Joy and McAvoy. Buckley also felt a little over-the-top near the start, and the dialogue was oftentimes not natural, even if it was delivered naturally.

But lest I forget: there is a major reveal at the end of the film that comes back around to give new meaning to other big plot moments in the third act, and man, it's really, really effective. It's not long, but it still manages to do something that actually feels new and innovative to the world of film in a weird way.

Several people won't get the ending, and because of that, they'll probably leave having enjoyed the film in parts but maybe thinking it was ultimately another Shyamalan disappointment.

But hopefully, they'll also want to understand what the ending was about, so for those viewers, I recommend googling the Split ending (or "twist" if you so choose) to find out what it means. I personally find it to be ingenious.

Ultimately, Split is a visually powerful thriller with a propensity to disturb and shock you in the best of ways, and it is undoubtedly a return to form for Shyamalan who excels at low-budget, claustrophobic thrillers.

Split, for superb performances from Joy and McAvoy, a well-told story, stunning reveals and tons of atmosphere, gets an 8/10. It is a movie worth owning once you come to learn of what the big reveal means.