Split

Audience Reviews

View More

Draco W Apr 27, 2019 One of the most unexpected and interesting second installment's of a trilogy ever as well as being a great and standalone chapter in The Glass Trilogy See more

Apr 27, 2019 This was soooo good - scary

Apr 22, 2019 James Mcavoy & Anya Taylor-Joy's performances carry the film well into the third act and it is at this point that Shyamalan comes at you with everything he's got and, well, if the word "Genius" needed a definition, I'd point to this film as an example. Noticeably, the score by West Dylan Thordson is subtle and emotional and integrates so well into the film. Storytelling at its finest and a twist ending that will leave you shattered like a glass. I'm leaving this Shyamalan film with an ellipsis too (wink)... See more

Hermione S Apr 20, 2019 An unforgettable movie with great actors and a great story. James McAvoy did an amazing job making 'The Beast' come to life. See more

Apr 19, 2019 What a story! What an actor!

Harry S Apr 17, 2019 A creepy thriller restoring M. Night Shyamalan to form! Split (2016) is a suspense heavy thriller that centers around a madman with multiple personalities switching off randomly who has kidnapped three teenage girls. The plot thickens as the girls are forced to reconcile their differences and find a way out, while pandering and appeasing their mentally disturbed captor. M. Night Shyamalan has a return to form as both a writer and director with Split. The story he wrote is intriguing every scene with new details carefully hinted at through clever subtle dialogue and nuanced performances. M. Night's direction is so steady and horrifying as his shots linger on the most upsetting sequences and scary moments. Split is not a horror film with endless jump scares, but rather tormenting in that you are trapped there with these girls and their monstrous keeper. Furthermore, M. Night uses long panning shot and frightening close-ups. The extended tracking shots down dark hallways and winding shots around circular staircases to keep you interested. The very secretive editing lets you in on characters' pasts only when you need to know them for extra suspense. I just find myself continually impressed by M. Night's choices. The score from West Dylan Thordson is moody and atmospheric with simple rhythms of dread inducing thuds and moaning melodies. The haunting vibe to Split is exponentially increased thanks to Thordson's score. I must mention James McAvoy's supporting performance as The Horde. His portrayal of a man with 24 unique personas is frightening, hilarious, and shocking. His sudden jumps between multiple characters even within the span of a single scene is beyond impressive. His seamless transitions and subtle shifts in his physicality and gait are interesting unto themselves. When all McAvoy's choices are combined into his depiction of Kevin Wendell Crumb is daunting to endure his genuinely intimidating stature and acting. He really gave each personality unique voices, stances, movements, and clothing to establish them as separate characters for his portrayal as well as differentiating them for the audience. Split is a stage for McAvoy's brilliant acting! I adored Anya Taylor-Joy as the lead actress role of Casey Cooke. Her fearless performance features intellect, instinct, wit, charm, terror, frustration, rage, confusion, and relief. She is heartbreaking to watch as she struggles to survive. You really root for Anya to live from this awful situation. I love how thoughtful Taylor-Joy makes each look and word feel. She acts opposite McAvoy going pound for pound each scene with him. They elevate each other's performance to something hypnotizing. After her transcendent acting in The Witch and Split, I look forward to more from Anya Taylor-Joy. I would also highly recommend Thoroughbreds too for her fans! Haley Lu Richardson is excellent and gripping as Claire Benoit. Her initial stuffy persona melts away to a caring and clever girl that does what is necessary in her attempt to survive. Richardson is really interesting to watch and her acting is very sincere and realistic. Similarly, Jessica Sula is great as Marcia who is kidnapped with the other girls. Her frantic attempt to escape dancing for her keeper in the beginning is really frightening and upsetting. I liked her best when she was pleading Taylor-Joy to help her escape. She found a genuine fear and urgency in those scenes. I have to give my respect to the moving and gentle role from Betty Buckley as Dr. Karen Fletcher. Her psychologist scenes with James McAvoy are amazing as she sees right through it all. You are completely convinced by her performance and feel all the worse for her character. She gets several biting lines in against McAvoy. Lastly, I just honestly appreciate M. Night putting Bruce Willis in Split as David Dunn from Unbreakable (2000) in the twist finale. Revealing Split to be a sequel to Unbreakable is so cool and shocking that it just made me love this film even more. The use of James Newton Howard's Unbreakable theme slowly fading in was masterful. In all, Split is a unnerving suspense thriller and a complex depiction of dissociative identity disorder (DID) with several marvelously executed chase sequences. Split branches out its horror from the past to the present and gifts its viewers with a deeply disturbing and carefully tender portrayal of victims of abuse, violence, and trauma. M. Night redeems himself for a decade of mediocre films with Split. Give it a chance and be amazed! See more

Read all reviews

Split

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING