A return to form

Rating: 8/10 (29 January 2017)

Almost every director has a period one can call their 'golden years'. For some directors these last their entire career, while for others it merely consist of one or maybe two movies . A few years back director M. Night Shyamalan experienced his 'golden years' with three consecutive movies much loved by fans. Back then it was no wonder that Shyamalan was often given the nickname ''the golden boy''. As a fan of his earlier work it was sad to see that he never came close to accomplishing the wonderful craftsmanship he showed during his 'golden years' with movies such as The Sixth Sense. Every film released by Shyamalan after Signs was a major disappointment and after just a few movies he fell from grace reaching his lowest point in 2010 with The Last Airbender.
However in 2015 something changed when Shyamalan released the comedy/horror movie The Visit. Although this still wasn't a very good film it did provide a very fun experience and it seemed as if Shyamalan was beginning to understand what made his earlier work so much fun to watch. All the more reasons to be excited about his latest film Split, which follows actor James McAvoy in the role of Kevin Crumb, a man with 23 distinct personalities. In the beginning of the movie one of these personalities kidnaps three young women who he holds hostage in some sort of underground facility. These women must try to survive while facing Crumb's many personalities. Things take a turn for the worse however, as Crumb starts to develop a monstrous 24th personality.
If one were to judge this movie based on its premise it's easy to disregard this film completely. Another dumb movie by Shyamalan that will probably be just as terrible as his earlier film 'After Earth', right? While the trailers may give this impression, just a few minutes in it is clear that 'Split' is a different beast altogether. Right off the bat Split takes a hold of the audience and exerts a grip so tight that one can only forget its ridiculous premise and suspend their disbelief altogether. The story of Kevin is very interesting to watch especially since the mystery surrounding him seems to be growing by the minute. The manner in which questions are answered is perfectly balanced between conversations and even though the dialogue is exposition heavy as a result it never actually seems that way. This can be attributed to the fact that most conversations have a certain sense of realism such that it never appears as if the information is being told to the audience instead of to the characters on the screen. For the first time in a few years Shyamalan has created an amazing story and although it does take a few twist and turns that seem out of place it is incredibly fun to experience.
Shyamalan's story is also very well presented on the big screen. The eeriness of the events surrounding Kevin is very well framed by the slow moving shots that often linger a little bit longer than usual. Combined with the story itself this in turn provides some great psychological horror with a tension that almost always appears to be at a boiling point. This sense of tension never lets up and it alone is what can pull one through the few moments where the scrip falters. Scattered throughout the film are some beautiful shots and a lot of times what is actually happening on the screen is very well mirrored with the manner in which it is framed. Shyamalan and cinematographer Mike Gioulakis have created a very good looking film but by far the most noteworthy aspect of Split is the amazing acting by James McAvoy in the role of Kevin and seven of his personalities. McAvoy really owns the part and presents every personality very much as its own character. Every second with McAvoy on the screen was a delight to see and his performance alone made Kevin's journey worth the watch.
All in all Split is a very solid movie that is definitely worth the price of admission. Both the script and the direction by M. Night Shyamalan are very good and on top of that all is the amazing acting performance by James McAvoy. If you are a fan of the horror/thriller genre then Split is a must watch for you, however even if you are not it is worth checking out regardless.