Our hopes in Shyamalan's films have reawakened

Rating: 8/10 (19 February 2017)

Ah, Shyamalan. What a complex opinion I have of you. "Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable" had made such an impression on me that as an eleven-year-old I had decided that you were my favourite director. Little did I know that your following films would steadily disappoint me over the years to a point that I had almost completely given up on you.
"The Visit" was a spark of hope. "Split" is a flame.
This thriller turned out to be much better than I expected. A trio of teenage girls are kidnapped by a mysterious man who suffered from multiple personality disorders. There are a whopping 23 of them, and the ones responsible for the kidnapping are three: the stern-faced Dennis, the calm and collected Patricia, and the child-like Hedwig. However, a far more dangerous personality is threatening to emerge, and it is a race against time for the girls to escape before their luck runs out.
The film is intense and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The viewer feels the pressure and you will be trying to connect the dots throughout the flick. The Shyamalan twist (or, more accurately, the reveal) explains a lot and is satisfying.
After 16 long years, I think I can shyly say: Shyamalan is back.