Director M. Night Shyamalan has returned from the dark after a period of releasing films that weren't as stellar as his earlier films such as "6th Sense", "Signs" and "Unbreakable". While Split isn't as thrilling as those, Shyamalan is helped by a definitely stellar James McAvoy, who gives a career defining performance as Kevin, a man dealing with personality disorder resulting in 23 different characters in one body.
Following three young girls who are kidnapped by "Dennis" (one of the 23 personalities who says the women are needed for a special purpose), the film takes a slow pacing, allowing for McAvoy to roam around the mind of his character(s) and give a completely believable portrayal of his broken character dealing with DID (dissociative identity disorder). I cannot imagine how difficult it was to understand the thought process of multiple characters all fighting for relevance in a world that has labeled them mentally ill. A flawless performance from start to finish, this is once again an example of a single performance elevating a film from what could have been "meh" to captivating. McAvoy has outdone himself and not only so, but has just scratched the surface of this role.
McAvoy has received critical acclaim for his performance in Split, dealing with a man who has 23 personalities in one body
But that's not to say McAvoy was the only great performance. Anya Taylor-Joy gives a surprise performance as Casey Cook, one of the young girls abducted by Dennis. Assuming the film would focus on McAvoy and McAvoy alone, I thoroughly enjoyed her character and the role she had in the film, providing two protagonists you become emotionally connected to. Giving a complex performance as a girl who had dealt with abuse but is also smart and caring, Taylor-Joy has a bright future ahead of her after a breakthrough in 2015.
Taylor-Joy (right) gives a high quality performance and doesn't get lost in McAvoy's (left) brilliant portrayal of "Kevin"
Don't be fooled by the film's official genre label which is thriller/horror - the majority of the film focuses on McAvoy's multiple characters and their development along with Taylor-Joy's Casey. With a strong script to boot, the film feels more like a human drama placed inside of a psychological thriller with intellectual thoughts of what the human mind can physically achieve sprinkled throughout. It has basically no scares, high intensity, or "jump" scenes, completely deceiving and most likely disappointing those looking for a blood pumping horror flick. It's not a bad thing that it isn't, just a fair warning for those in the mood for that type of film.
I will say this about Split: it could have added a higher sense of urgency. As I mentioned earlier, the film feels like a human drama that suddenly changes gears in the third act which helps make it feel like an actual thriller. That being said, the ending was somewhat anticlimactic because of this lack of urgency in the sense that the Kevin's big reveal for the reasoning behind the girls kidnapping kinda just "happens". The whole climax of the film gets lost in the shuffle but luckily still works despite that hiccup.
In the end, Split is a film that captivates and keeps you interested because of the main character(s) and its perfectly executed performance by James McAvoy. He is supported by strong writing and a very good cast in a film that isn't fast paced and doesn't carry too high of an intensity. M. Night Shyamalan has added another very good film to his collection; two thumbs up for the director and this film.
Final grade: 7.5/10