Split Movie Review

It’s always great to go to the theater purely for the spectacle of entertainment. Sometimes, it's healthy to step back from thought provoking or “deep” indie films, and just let yourself become entangled in an interesting movie, catching you off guard with thrill and surprising you with how invested you become after you leave the theater. Movies can easily be considered successful if they manage to bring the viewer into it, achieving their main goal. Sounds easy enough, but it's astonishing how many films never end up bringing the viewer in, putting a lot of great ideas to waste. I believe Split should be considered a success, and not just in the box office, but in taking a step back from a bland big budget objective in trade for a gripping little suspense movie.

Interestingly, Split has garnered some wide attention due to an emphasis on M Night Shyamalan himself, the infamous director primarily responsible for The 6th Sense, possibly one of the best starts a debuting director could have. Unfortunately, after one more hit, Shyamalan went down a landslide of poor movies, desperately trying to recreate the success of his first hit. Since then, his reputation has plummeted. But in a way, it was sort of a blessing, because then Shyamalan proceeded to take this opportunity and start small; restart. The Village, for the most part, had positive feedback, being a more self aware horror film, eventually leading this small budget release to recover some old fans. The fans’ faith in M Night wasn’t spiraling downwards anymore, but the pressure from critics and fans on his films increased. Split was his chance to recover his reputation, getting back into the positive light of the public.

Split isn’t trying to be a pretentious commentary on multiple personality disorder; it doesn’t aim for impractical goals, but executes all of Shyamalan's tropes in a fluid way. I never quite felt as if the movie got too invested in it’s own absurdity, or too full of itself for that matter. It aims to provide tension through its unpredictable antagonist. The main bread and butter has to be James McAvoy’s performance as multiple altering characters, sometimes switching without cuts. Nothing unprecedented, and often used for acting practice, but it’s hard to pull off without it feeling too off-putting. It was entirely possible for this character to slowly dismantle the film, so a great performance was necessary to hold up the movie. That’s a pretty big risk for any movie, but the character, along with the premise, seemed just too

interesting to take your eyes off of.

Throughout the film we follow the actions of three girls, but mainly a socially inept girl played by Anya Taylor-Joy. She is in direct contrast from her wealthy suburban ‘friends’. However, the trio ends up kidnapped and enclosed in a small room. Desperately, they try to escape, but they slowly learn the situation is more complicated than they anticipated, and eventually the stakes grow higher. As it unfolds, the film covers both the victims and the perpetrator, as we slowly unveil the true intentions of “Dennis”.

It wouldn’t be a Shyamalan film without the surprising twists, and this one is sure to puzzle you. It’s good to know that the director just might have retrieved his skills and ambition, now throwing away any pretentious inclinations. I think if anything, other Hollywood directors should take note of this humble slope to get back one’s mojo. Sometimes bigger isn’t better, and Split is a great example of that premise.

Overall, the movie contained decent to great performances, and the script itself was well written and was the core of the tension in the film. Sometimes, a corny feel can come out of the movie, with multiple scenarios seeming a little more comical than usual. But it is a minor problem when compared to what it does well. Again, the film can rely on an individual’s expectations of the film prior to coming into the theater. It’s a good popcorn flick, and it entertains the audience without any serious cynical tone. If you’re looking for something more concrete in substance, something more thought provoking, than Split might not be for you.

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