dark and suspenseful, but ignore people who claim there's a twist ending

Rating: 8/10 (20 October 2017)

Split is possibly the most creepy and suspenseful movie of director Shymalan's career. This dark film follows three girls kidnapped by a man with multiple personalities, brilliantly played by James McAvoy, whose transitions from one personality to another are seamless and who maintains a disturbed, threatening quality through all of them.
The movie was, however, slightly wrecked for me because I was trying to guess the "twist" that some critics claim the movie has. And here's the thing to know: no one would be saying this movie had a twist if it wasn't directed by someone famous for his twists.
A twist is when you are lead to believe something and then your perspective is shifted. It's something Twilight Zone did a lot.
Split certainly has plot turns, some of them interesting, some rather unconvincing, but none all that surprising. This is a movie about suspense and character, not brilliant plotting. If you spend the movie, as I did, trying to figure out how Shyamalan is going to flip everything on its head, it will take you out of the movie and lead nowhere. But if you just appreciate the beautifully constructed shots and the flow of action, you'll be impressed.
There is something very surprising in the last second of the movie, but it's not a plot twist because it doesn't come out of the story. Most people will have to google the ending to understand what it means.
This twist distraction is not Shyamalan's fault, but that of critics determined to talk about the director in twist terms regardless of the movie. I just wanted to let people know that, as a public service, so that they can enjoy the movie without false expectations. Because it's well worth watching.