Too long and a suffers from a real lack of tension

Rating: 4/10 (16 January 2017)

I'm going to start this review by stating that this isn't a particularly original film - there are already quite a few out there which do the same thing, only far better. Only last week I watched 10 Cloverfield Lane, which is broadly similar, yet a far superior movie. The reason 10 Cloverfield works (the final 10-15 minutes aside) is that you always feel John Goodman's character could lose it at any moment. And from time-to-time, he does. That movie really had me on edge and the tension was almost unbearable at times. Unfortunately, 'Split' did not do this well. The runtime and pacing is probably one of the biggest issues, because a movie like this set over 117 minutes really needs to be handled by a master. I don't know much about this director, but he's no Kubrick. And although Kubrick could be self-indulgent (Eyes Wide Shut was a catastrophe), a film like The Shining runs for well over 2 hours, but the suspense and atmosphere carries it all the way. With Split, the film lulls and drags you really don't believe you're going to see this 'beast' they talk about till the very end, which is a big problem, because you're not on the edge of your seat. Perhaps sharper editing would help and personally I would've cut it down substantially, but that still wouldn't have made it a great movie.
McAvoy gives a decent performance, but I'm not about to overstate it. I saw a film called 'The Love Butcher' the other day and the almost unknown actor in that film also played many characters quite successfully. Lots of actors are capable of this and I'm sure many will cite McAvoy's performance as being a key element of the film, but for me it doesn't save the movie. If you want campy fun of this sort, check out John Lithgow in Brian De Palma's Raising Cain! Other acting in the film is absolutely fine, although you don't get to see two of the girls all that much. This again is another problem, because this sort of film really works best when you can put yourself in the place of the victim(s). It doesn't really dare you to do that, as it moves from place to place, but doesn't focus on their plight.
There's a huge plot hole something which one of the characters should have said near the end of the movie, but I won't elaborate, as I don't want to spoilt it. It's a glaring plot hole though! To conclude, it really does drag so much and I couldn't wait for it to end. It gets to the point where you know everything there is to know, but it won't stop. We're just treated to more 'performance' from McAvoy, but by this point, you won't care. I could recommend at least a dozen similar films without a second thought which are far better than this, so I honestly wouldn't waste your time. There were a few laughs along the way, but by the end of the film, you certainly won't be laughing. Overall, for me it's a 4/10.