Split makes you question the truth of reality and the reality of fiction. It's the story of a man named Kevin (James McAvoy), with twenty-three different personalities, who kidnaps three teenage girls. Kevin wants all three girls to bear witness to the emergence of his twenty-fourth personality--a carnivorous, monstrous beast. On paper, it sounds absolutely ludicrous, but it's definitely worth a watch.
On the downside, the film trudges at a slow pace through some parts, particularly some of the interview portions and early scenes where it's just Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley). While these scenes are necessary (pay attention during these scenes!), I wish they would have been slightly different in their pacing. Then again, it was nice to have a break from the more suspenseful moments.
I would be remiss if I didn't start my pros by bringing up the stellar performances of two people. James McAvoy was brilliant in his role as Kevin. And Hedwig. And Dennis. And Patricia. And and and...The way he was able to flip back and forth between roles down to the minutiae of facial expressions was incredible to watch. The pacing of the film was predicated on his reactions to things and his timing. Even when he was playing a nine-year-old boy, you felt the intensity. He BETTER get at least a sniff at an Oscar, seriously.
Anya Taylor-Joy, on the other hand, exhibited a powerful performance through defiance and the struggle of her inner turmoil. While McAvoy ignited every scene and created an explosion, Taylor-Joy was the welcome calm in the center of the storm. Her character Casey Cooke was a badass not because she wanted to be, but rather her circumstances left her with no choice.
Director M. Night Shyamalan has a talent for suspense and Split was no exception. I found my heart racing through multiple moments as I wondered what the fate of those three girls would be. In the midst of all the jumps and scares, Shyamalan succeeds in telling a powerful story as well, one that is funny, heartbreaking, and scary at the same time.
Finally, Split succeeds in introspection. It makes you think about all the people you've interacted with in the past and present and how you treated them. People usually are the way they are for a reason, but seldom times do we try and relate on their level. We judge because they're different, because they're not the norm.
But everyone has a story.
Solid movie. If you're jumpy like I am, wait and watch it in your home. But definitely watch it. I give Split a 79.
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