Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast : James McAvoy, Betty Buckley, Izzie Coffey, Brad William Henke, Neal Huff, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, Anya Taylor-Joy, M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: B+
Famed director M. Night Shyamalan is known for injecting unusual plot twists to the films he brings to life. He surprised moviegoers with works like THE SIXTH SENSE, UNBREAKABLE, and SIGNS – three films that had interesting, unpredictable, and exciting outcomes that made for a memorable cinematic experience. Sadly, this accomplished filmmaker did have some misses with productions like THE LAST AIRBENDER and AFTER EARTH. Two examples of his projects that somehow took a wrong turn and did not have the wow factor of some of his other works. Night’s latest attempt to astonish film buffs is SPLIT, a thriller about a man with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), also known as multiple personality disorder. The lead character has a whopping 23 different personalities. Will the twist and turns of this psychological mind-bending adventure be one on Shyamalan’s hits or misses?
Claire (Haley Lu Richardson), Marcia (Jessica Sula), and Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) are leaving a teenage birthday soiree when they are surprised by an intruder that jumps into their car. The three girls knocked out and kidnapped, wake up in a room with no windows finding themselves facing a rather odd captor called Barry (James McAvoy). The girls are given strict instructions on how to behave by their bald slender jailer who informs them that they are being held as “sacred food” for some unnamed future honored guest. Slowly the kidnap victims learn that Barry is not all he appears to be with the first clue being when he shows up as a cross dresser named Patricia, a stern and proper female persona that tries to apologize for any inconveniences her guests are experiencing.
Casey, a shy clever deep thinking young woman, studies Barry as she tries to lead her two friends on an escape mission. Soon they are introduced to Hedwig, a 9 year old personality that comes forward. Casey sees the meeting of the child in Barry as an opportunity to find a way out of their predicament. She begins a slow process of bonding with Hedwig and tries to connect with the child within during some intense interaction between the two.
We also follow Barry to the office of psychiatrist Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley) and witness a series of doctor/patient sessions as the doc figures out she is not actually dealing with Barry. She deliberately and gently interrogates her patient as she tries unveiling the personality that is calling out for help. Dr. Fletcher does not know a crime is in progress (at least not yet) but does know something is terribly wrong with the patient she thought had stabilized but seems to be unraveling in front of her. The doctor believes that there is unlocked potential in the human brain and those suffering from DID maybe the key to discovering the brain’s true potential. She wants to see if Barry’s condition will prove her theory. This is the scientific mumbo jumbo the film uses to set up for the big reveal at the end.
As the story unfolds we learn that both Casey and Barry suffer from childhood traumas that each dealt with very differently. The suspense builds as the game of cat and mouse escalates. Casey tries her best to out maneuver her captor, but Barry and all the inhabitants in his head outsmart Casey and her friends at every turn. There are many spine chilling moments as Dr. Fletcher starts to uncover Barry’s crime, Casey plots her escape, and the voices in Barry’s head artfully plan the fate of the prisoners.
SPLIT wastes no time getting started and is packed with mind games that the characters play with each other. There are a few bumps in the film when flashbacks to Casey and Barry’s childhood attempt to give an explanation to the development of the two lead characters. The flashbacks are rather sloppy and could have been handled with better ease and grace so as not to distract from the main story.
Anna Taylor-Joy (who had a great breakout role in WITCH) is intense and convincing as a shy teenage girl with secrets of her own that help her deal with her dangerous dilemma. The upcoming actress manages to make those watching feel her fear, desperation, and anxiety. The stand out performance and the one that really holds SPLIT together is that of James McAvoy, who is amazing as he switches back and forth between personalities. He seamlessly changes clothes, accents and facial expressions as he goes from gentle, to crazy, to funny, to terrifying. He is very convincing in making all the personality changes appear as complex parts of one person. It is McAvoy’s long drawn out scenes with changing facial expressions and physical transformations that are engaging and keep the mystery and uncertainty moving along. Playing a character that has fits of dialogue that is often very funny and creepy at the same time, McAvoy is a joy to watch and will be appreciated for taking on such a challenging role.
By the end of the movie, Shyamalan ties all the loose ends to together bringing SPLIT full circle. There is an interesting metaphysical twist at the end and the final scene in the movie will make fans of Night’s films squeal with delight. This multiple personality adventure rates high in providing delightful hair raising pleasure.
