A Solid Thriller That Derails at the End

Rating: 7/10 (20 February 2018)

Overall I enjoyed this film, despite it's flaws. The concept is very intriguing in my opinion and has a lot to offer from a story telling perspective. For the majority of the film I was captivated and invested in the character's wellbeing...until the end. This movie is a shining example of how an ending can diminish what was an otherwise enjoyable experience.
I will start by saying that James McAvoy was brilliant in "Split". He has, over the years, proven his worth and this film is yet another notch in his belt. While the script is inconsistent at times, McAvoy carries the load with his protrayal of a young man suffering from split personality disorder (23 to be exact, and thus we are given the title "Split"). The acting is definitely one of the bright spots of this film, and McAvoy does not disappoint; he delivers a truly memorable experience from start to finish. The rest of the cast does a fine job as well; I was especially impressed by the performance of Betty Buckley who plays the therapist of Mcavoy's character Kevin.
With an interesting premise and good-to-great acting, what could have possibly went wrong? Well, M. Knight Shyamalan is what went wrong. While i'll give him credit for rising above his recent disasters (and lets be honest, he hasn't made a halfway decent film since "The Village"), he again attempts to be a bit too clever with this one. The "twist", as it's become known as in his works, is downright terrible and threatens to derail the entire movie. In fact, the first time I watched this I did not like it because of this "twist". It wasn't until my second viewing that I was able to appreciate this movie for what it does well.
While the climax of this film is pretty disappointing, the actual conclusion is somewhat interesting. For those who have seen Shyamalan's (good) films, you will know what I speak of when you reach the end. Many did not like this, but I found it to be a pretty cool conclusion. Watch for yourself to see what I mean.
I originally rated this film a 5 simply for the disappointing aformentioned climax, but after a second viewing I have decided that it deserves a better score than just "average". You must suspend disbelief if you wish to truly enjoy this film, but that isn't uncommon in the movie world. While the climax of the film leaves much to be desired (as well as some of the over-arching plot), overall this is a solid thriller worth watching in my opinion. Kudos to M. Knight for making another film actually worth watching (and one that doesn't make the list for potential worst movies ever).