Movie Review
Review Split
The film is about a person with multiple personalities where each personality speaks collectively in full awareness of the rest. Although main character Kevin (James McAvoy) is said to exhibit 23 personalities, we see just a handful during most of the film. There's Barry, a New York fashionista, Hedwig, a goofy 9-year-old, and darker personalities Patricia and Dennis. Calling themselves The Horde, the latter two have influenced the abduction of three high school girls as a ritualistic sacrifice for the 24th personality often referred to as "The Beast". The girls have limited time before The Beast is unleashed and although paralysed by fear, their escape depends on protagonist Casey's (Anya Taylor-Joy) proactive deconstruct of the good and evil personalities that reside in Kevin. To her advantage and through revelatory flashbacks, we learn that this wouldn't be the first time Casey would confront a monster.
The movie develops a quite diversified pace right from the start. The teenagers get kidnapped within the first five minutes of the movie and have to face one of the more aggressive personalities right from the start. The movie then slows down and presents us seven of the twenty-three different personalities. The film also gives us background information thanks to therapy sessions with the perpetrator and his psychologist as well as flashbacks of one of the girls that will become more and more important throughout the movie. The last quarter of the film quickens up the pace and leads to a furious showdown and an interesting reference.
There have been accusations that 'Split' is offensive to sufferers of mental health disorders. In an age where being offended is a competitive sport, presumably any piece of fiction involving death, for instance, is offensive to anyone who has ever suffered bereavement and therefore 'shouldn't be allowed'. This is a point of view that stifles creativity, fiction, drama and/or many levels of art. That is not the problem with 'Split' in my view.
James McAvoy has the challenging task to portray eight different personalities all at once and his acting performance alone elevates this movie to a very high level. He is credible in all of his roles and convinces as unpredictable patient that is both perpetrator and victim at the same time. The main actress incarnated by the talented Anya Taylor-Joy is almost as perfect as her character develops a fascinating chemistry with the perpetrator. Initially, she seems to be a shy outcast but turns out to be a clever and empathic young moment who will fight relentlessly for her survival. She's the tragic heroine of this movie and empathic viewers will definitely care about her fate. Among the secondary characters, Betty Buckley convinces in her role as open-minded psychologist who is walking a thin line between tolerance and insistence to uncover her patient's gloomy secret.
Split is an extraordinary psychological thriller with an intense plot, an uneasy atmosphere and absolutely outstanding acting. Genre fans might even have their best movie of the year right here. Even those who like to criticize Shyamalan should admit that "Split" is a success and one of the best movies in his career.
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