Surprising

Rating: 7/10 (14 May 2017)

M. Night Shymalan was said to have lost his special filmmaking touch. The famous director/screenwriter behind treasures like Signs, The Sixth Sense, and Unbroken destroyed his own career after having recently pumped out The Happening and After Earth, two movies classified as flops and atrocities in so many eyes. However, with his most recent film, Split, Shymalan has resurrected himself back into his former golden days of above-average filmmaking and has left the sour taste of The Last Airbender behind. Split revolves around Kevin Crumb, played brilliantly by James McAvoy, who suffers from a split-personality disorder and has twenty-three distinct personalities. One of Kevin's personalities kidnaps three teenage girls and keeps them hostage inside a locked area of his home. The film continuously jumps back and forth between the girls attempting to escape and Kevin confronting his therapist, Dr. Fletcher, to try and keep his disorder under control. Split is a unique, complex movie that isn't so much of a horror movie but more of a psychological thriller. Shymalan doesn't take the film too seriously, which works to his advantage as there are lots of funny moments involving the different personalities of Kevin's. Split also never leaves you bored because it constantly introduces new situations and information that keep you interested as the girls attempt to escape Kevin's house. Kevin Crumb's multiple personalities all feel distinct and creepy at times, expertly including eerie conversations that Kevin would carry on with himself and his own personalities. One of the downsides, unfortunately, that I experienced with Split were the constant flashbacks that were shown throughout the movie involving the main character's past as a toddler. The flashbacks came across as very distracting and it felt as if they kept interrupting and bringing you out of the rather well-written plot. Split, aided by one of the best performances of James McAvoy's career, is nothing short of a unique success that definitely brings M. Night Shymalan back into the movie business