Interesting; McAvoy Stupendous; Sometimes Unremarkable

Rating: 7/10 (14 February 2017)

Heralded by many as a return to form for polarising director M. Night Shyamalan, Split tells the fascinating story of a man, played by an astounding James McAvoy, who has 23 completely distinct personalities - each with different ages, genders, and characteristics - fighting for control of his body. Some of these personalities conspire to kidnap three teenage girls for mysterious and nefarious purposes, making a film which is as much a psychological abduction thriller as it is a creepy Shyamalan horror as it is a character study of McAvoy's Kevin and his split personalities.
Split has received a divided response, with many citing controversy around its seemingly ham-fisted portrayal of mental illness. However, upon watching the film, it soon becomes clear that this is not a scaremongering horror story of the mentally ill who could be living among us, but instead a low-key sci-fi much like Shyamalan's 2000 film Unbreakable, with McAvoy's condition being treated as more of a supernatural ability. It ultimately translates into a film which, without the hype surrounding its release, would be seen as a largely unremarkable if interestingly watchable horror-thriller piece.
The main draw of the guild is undoubtedly James McAvoy. In a performance which tops not only his already glittering career, but also many of the best performances of 2016. It is even Oscar-worthy, not that that is necessarily a good indicator of quality. It is a fantastic mark of the man's talents under the role's stress, given the frequency with which he has to switch between hugely varied parts. His versatility makes it akin to seeing several different actors on screen, but it is all him. He manages to carry the entire film on his shoulders whilst simultaneously stealing each of his scenes, providing an endless source of massively interesting characters, creating sympathy for the character, and even sprinkling some black comedy into the mix. A near flawless performance overall.
The rest of the film does not reach quite the same heights but is nevertheless decent and worth watching. The horror elements are handled very well, without too many jump scares, and although it is not designed to frighten for the most part, it certainly succeeds at several times as tensions mount, mysteries unfold, and we find out more about Kevin and Casey, the most-developed of the abductees.
There are certainly other portions of the film which are highly commendable: the two central characters are well fleshed-out (though some of Casey's backstory feels at times somewhat unnecessary and tacked-on), for example. McAvoy performs with a well-judged moral greyness that leaves you rooting for both Kevin and Casey, whilst the story makes for an interesting tale that continues to surprise and entertain.
However, ultimately too much of the film is just rote and unoriginal. Admittedly it's hard in the current cinematic climate to make anything original but certain parts of Split feel too uninspired and lazy, especially some of the plot points and dialogue - notably, discussions of Kevin's "abilities" sometimes serve to induce a small eye-roll. Finally, it sometimes feels far too self- indulgent on Shyamalan's part. Ignoring his jarring obligatory cameo, there is a certain reveal which, without spoiling anything, will be obvious to any Shyamalan fan, that just feels far too dumb and unnecessary, though it could be interesting to develop if there is a sequel.
This doesn't make it a bad film - far from it. It's definitely worth watching, though maybe doesn't warrant the level of debate it has garnered. Watch Split for the unmissable McAvoy performance, and try not to expect anything too mind-blowing, and you'll probably enjoy. A solid 72/100.