Split

James McAvoy gives what could have potentially been an award-worthy performance if it had appeared in a different film.

He plays a man with multiple personalities who kidnaps three young girls as a part of a plot two of the personalities have hatched to unleash a powerful and unstoppable identity. Betty Buckley, in a better performance than the role necessarily needed, plays a therapist working with him and who begins to unravel the alarming plot. Writer/director M. Night Shyamalan, who hasn't made a movie I've wanted to see since "Signs," crafts a nifty and effective thriller with three fourths of his film, and then sort of if not completely ruins it by taking his idea too far and pushing the supernatural elements to the point where we realize we're not even watching the same kind of movie we were at the beginning. This particular story, and especially McAvoy's performance, would have been compelling enough without Shyamalan's characteristic inability to understand when he's ruining his own premise.

Grade: B

Split is a 2016 psychological horror thriller about a man with dissociative identity disorder who holds three teenage girls captive for sacrificial purposes.

Although not a direct sequel to M. Night Shyamalans Unbreakable, it takes place in the same universe and once again deals with the concept of superhuman abilities. This is an excellent film all the way through, with some absolutely amazing performances. James McAvoy is incredible with his portrayal of Kevin Wendell Crumb and all of his personalities locking you in to where you can't take your eyes off the screen. The story is creepy, compelling, and completely creative. It's filled with suspenseful moments that tickle the hairs on the back of your neck, and a fantastic ending that will leave you walking away in anticipation for what's next to come.

This is one of my favorite M. Night films, and if you haven't seen it before, It's an absolute must see.

After watching this movie, I have to say, I don't understand all the one and two star reviews. This is a return to form for the director of the excellent SIXTH SENSE and UNBREAKABLE. I haven't enjoyed most of his output since those first two films, but only titles like his misguided LAST AIRBENDER and the truly terrible THE HAPPENING are deserving of such low marks. I've seen a few real one star movies, and SPLIT isn't one of them. It's definitely worthy of higher marks. I can only assume those who didn't like it are trying to lower the average rather than rank it realistically somewhere closer to 4 or 5 stars (although I'd rank it higher).

It's a lot of fun. James MacAvoy is great in a subgenre that is normally pretty insipid (ie dissociative identity disorder movies). He deliveres a great performance that really helps to carry this film, and Betty Buckley also gives a notably outstanding performance in her supporting role.

Is it as good as THE SIXTH SENSE? No. Is it worth seeing? Absolutely. I'd happily see it again.

As for those reviewers who are upset that movies like this distort the public perceptions about mental illness, I can only assume they are too close to that subject to be truly objective.

Let me start off by saying that I haven't really like Shyamalan's work since "Unbreakable", but I have to admit that this movie made me believe in his vision again. I gave him another chance after hearing so many people raving about this movie, and I'm glad I did. This is an excellently acted, directed and thought out movie. It's intense, funny at some parts, and it is incredibly well thought out. Don't listen to haters just because they don't like Shyamalan's movies. Check it out for yourself and make your own decision.

We need more of James McAvoy on the silver screen that's for sure. He plays the role of a person with MPD (multiple personality disorder) and he plays the role(s) so darn well. The movie is the second in a trilogy of an adult comic series and comparing it to it's older brother (Unbreakable 2000) it's more refined and perhaps with a more interesting plot.