Split
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Screenplay: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy
Strength: Acting
Weakness: Screenplay
Duration: 117min
Rating: 7/10
Plot: Three teenagers are kidnapped by a ruthless stranger named "Kevin", a victim of childhood abuse with severe "Dissociative Identity Disorder" and was imprisoned in a basement. They soon learn that their captor has a multiple personality disorder and try to find out which personality will help them to escape.
Kevin's psychiatrist, Dr. Karen Fletcher rushes to Kevin's home and suspects that he is responsible for the kidnapping. Before she can help, she is caught, drugged and locked up. Then Kevin goes into a train car and becomes "The Beast".
Review: "Split" is the perfect title for the movie because it is about a man with 23 different personalities. The screenplay is written by the director Shyamalan himself, and it shows its weaknesses on multiple occasions. Tagline of the movie is very catchy and this movie contains fascinating visual appeal. "Split" showcases an award-worthy performance from James McAvoy. He is absolutely incredible in each role, completely believable and able to flip between the characters with a twist of his face or a lean in his eyes. From obsessive-compulsive maintenance man Dennis to a playful 9-year old boy, he brings all the characters to life. One of the trios is Casey, superbly played by Anya Taylor-Joy. The film gives twist-hunters much to chew on and also tells the story of a split in the world. But there are a few plots holes that cannot be avoided. "Split" could have been an abduction thriller, a psychological drama or perhaps a twisted action film. Instead, its attempt to combine all these elements lead to a less satisfying experience than MacAvoy's personalities. Overall, this film is very well done and is worth a watch despite its shortcomings.
Reviewed by Saqiba Nawshin Junnurine
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