I'm in two minds about this film. McAvoy turns in a startling performance(s) and the story is geared towards a twist, as with most of M Night's previous work. And that's the problem, I was always trying to second guess the plot in the search for a twist and that ruined the experience for me... as in many ways the twist isn't that important. Or maybe it is. I don't know, I'm split down the middle in my opinion.
Also many people are saying this is a return to form for M Night. I disagree, The Visit was a return to form and I actually liked The Last Airbender and The Happening. They weren't great films but I found them enjoyable. Unlike The Village, which just frustrated me.
This was pretty awful.
The entire movie was trying to dictate something to the audience, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.
At no point do you feel anything at all for the characters. The kidnapped girls and Casey's dad are not developed at all, so their deaths don't carry any weight.
The one smart character (the doctor) doesn't act rationally. The whole lecture sequence made me cringe. The doctor is originally presented as someone who approaches her patients methodically. She is perceptive and crafty. Then she gives a Skype lecture where she pleads with a group of scientists to believe her. She doesn't present proof or make a convincing argument, even though she must have that capability.
Then in dangerous situations she shuts down. While she can write out his name, she doesn't call it out or check for his presence. She knows how dangerous he is. She suspects him. She even stuffs the tissue into the keyhole, but she still doesn't call out his name to snap him out of it.
The girls are also in an unrealistic state while trying to escape. In most other movies, people in this type of situation are either 1) competent, 2) paralyzed by fear, or 3) completely frantic and flailing. These girls were none of those. Their maddeningly slow pace was inconsistent with the terror they must be feeling.
The whole parallel with Casey's uncle (and being imprisoned after being "released" into his custody) didn't match well with the main story. Why did she pull the trigger on The Beast but not her uncle? At first it seems like both stories were parallels, where at this point in her life she actually overcomes her fear and confronts her aggressor. But then she just goes back to her uncle. It's very unclear what her character is feeling and what she's going through.
Also, the fact that The Beast is immune to gunshots and has superhuman strength is out of nowhere. The story abides in the natural world before derailing into the supernatural. While the supernatural element should be a big reveal, it wasn't. His powers build up step by step, so there is no surprise factor. The lack of surprise implies that we should expect this. Yet the world presented doesn't give us any hint before the build up. Tying it into Unbreakable at the end was jarring as well. The tie-in explains more about the movie's universe, but nothing about the movie's tone or world-building mirrored Unbreakable.
McAvoy's performances were decent but spread very thin. So many characters (8?) are introduced that none of them were well developed. The other thirteen aren't explored at all, which was pretty disappointing. MNS might be saving them for the sequel, but I doubt most viewers will be willing to sit through another ordeal of this magnitude.
The only success of this movie is when Casey goes for a gun and the non-Beast personalities plead for their lives one by one. It makes you think about the twenty-some actual people who would die if she pulled the trigger in self defense. Unfortunately, this was the only redeeming quality of the movie and not enough to justify a watch.
I really enjoyed Split. The movie was so unique! I especially liked that they added a bit of humour into what could be a very dark movie, by having young Hedwig appear a lot. A definite must see film for all psychological thriller fans.
What else would you expect from an M. Night Shyamalan movie but this? The story/idea is really good and I start to really like it but then it turns out to be super unrealistic which always makes me hate the movie in the end…
At least the guest appearance and reference to one of his previous movies is cool.
I have to admit that James McAvoy's performance is amazing!
I'm so grateful to James McAvoy for inventing the acting
I really enjoyed this movie!
Its a brilliantly crafted movie .i had my 'Holyshit' moment in the end .Looking forward to see the clash of 'The Horde vs The Unbreakable'.You need to connect all the dots and its ties to unbreakable to really appreciate the underlying layers and brilliance of its story telling.
"The broken are the more evolved"
"Split" isn't just a return to form from Shamalamadingdong, but an emotionally powerhouse of a thriller. Anyone who watched the trailer and think they have an idea of what it's gonna be, think again. Putting forward this guys history in films; this surprised the heck out of me.
The cinematography was excellent, same guy who did "It Follows" which was pretty neat. The film had the right balance of tone with comedy and horrific. One minute you're laughing at the intentional comedic scenes, but quickly change when you start to over think.
James McAvoy is absolutely fantastic in this movie. Every personality has a unique purpose to them and McAvoy makes the whole thing believable. Especially when he plays a little boy named Hedwig, who you actually care for and the childlike behavior McAvoy was done so perfectly. The scene when he starts dancing, had me laughing so hard when I saw it, but when I heard M. Night talk about the meaning behind it, it gave me chills. It's about a person dying and coming back to life.
Then again, "Kanye West is my main man".
Anya Taylor Joy was great in this too. Really impressing me from what I've seen from her so far, and might be the new face of horror movies. Her character arc was the most compelling part of the film and ties in very well with McAvoy characters. It's too bad Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula, the other captured girls, couldn't keep up with Anya. They performances were pretty bad and easily the worst part of the film.
It's not just them, some of the supporting actors who thankfully don't have much screen time, deliver such wooden performances. The film also suffers from M. Night's trademark, terribly written exposition. Other than that, this was a pretty solid film.
Overall rating: Welcome back M. Night Shyamalan, for real this time.
- Only minus that I can think of is that the movie mentions 24 identities but we only get to see up to 7 or 8. It's not really a big deal, but it made me feel a little dispointed when the movie finished..
- Overall feel : I was sucked in from start to finish, truly a magnificient movie 10/10
For those fortunate enough to know that this movie was the second of a trilogy, this may be a satisfying movie. The trilogy is M. Night Shyamalan's building his own subset of the superhero genre. His superheroes and villians don't have non-human powers (teleportation, invisibility, heat vision, etc.) but have enhanced human behaviours (survival instinct, empathy, intuition, a hero's heart). Once that is established, our expectations turn to psychological thrillers, as the personalities are explored and the extra- is added to -ordinary. For those looking for a horror movie, a fast paced thriller, or a superhero action movie, you will be thwarted by your genre expectations. Having said all that, here are my pluses and negatives: The acting is superb - James MacAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy and Izzie Coffey, especially. The premise and developing sub genre are interesting. The pacing is too slow for me, but that is Shyamalan's preferred pace in his movies, better than UNBROKEN but still too plodding for me (he writes for an intelligent audience, he should trust that they can keep up). There were some loose ends or lost opportunities for me, Casey Cooke's character, forged in torment, could have been the mirror superhero to our supervillain or at least she could have been enabled to finally escape from her abusive uncle. (Super up the girl's powers of observation and deduction, for Pete's sake). . I give this film a 6 (fair) out of 10. [Genisis of a Super Villain]
the acting in this movie is A+++ i'm shook
The story is a very interesting take on Dissociative Identity Disorder. James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy take this story to the next level with their impressive performances. I can't believe how I never came across this movie before today. If you're enjoy psychological thrillers, this is a must watch movie for you.
M. Night Shyamalan's latest film, Split, marks his return to smaller budget, tighter stories after a period of less successful films. The movie centers around a mysterious and unpredictable antagonist with 23 personalities, held captive in a bunker with a group of young girls. The film effectively creates a sense of danger and claustrophobia by alternating between the bunker and the offices of the girls' therapist. James McAvoy gives a standout performance as the captor, Kevin, showcasing his ability to convey different states of mind. The plot is a typical thriller, with moments of good thought and compelling scenes. However, the final act falls short, shifting towards a superhero theme and leaving some plot points unresolved. Overall, Split is a return to form for Shyamalan and sets up potential for more in this saga, with McAvoy's performance being a highlight.
La última película de M. Night Shyamalan, Split, marca su regreso a historias más ajustadas y de menor presupuesto después de un período de películas menos exitosas. La película se centra en un antagonista misterioso e impredecible con 23 personalidades, cautivo en un búnker con un grupo de chicas jóvenes. La película crea efectivamente una sensación de peligro y claustrofobia al alternar entre el búnker y las oficinas del terapeuta de las niñas. James McAvoy ofrece una actuación destacada como el captor, Kevin, mostrando su capacidad para transmitir diferentes estados de ánimo. La trama es un thriller típico, con momentos de buen pensamiento y escenas convincentes. Sin embargo, el acto final se queda corto, cambiando hacia un tema de superhéroes y dejando algunos puntos de la trama sin resolver. En general, Split es un regreso a la forma para Shyamalan y establece potencial para más en esta saga, con el desempeño de McAvoy como punto culminante.
I've said it before. I am a M. Night Shyamalan fan. His last movie, "The Visit", was a step in a positive direction after years of stumbling ("The Last Airbender", "After Earth", "The Happening"). "The Visit" wasn't a return to form, that form being my belief that he is a terrific director. Instead, it contained a number of elements and surprises that reminded me of his past successes. I'm talking about his first three films, "The Sixth Sense", "Unbreakable", and my personal favorite M. Night work, the love-it-or-hate-it, "Signs". Now "Split" is a return to that form. It can be added to the list of top-notch Shyamalan films.
"Split" looks wonderful. For being shot in what is basically a basement, it always looks interesting. There's no disorientation for the viewer. We are placed within the maze of halls and doorways and never feel lost. Regarding the cast, James McAvoy is great, and Anya Taylor-Joy is perfect as the savviest of the abducted teens.
I've talked up this film so far, but as I was watching it, I was having some trouble with all the talk of the "beast". Instead of letting the story play itself out, I was looking for the M. Night 'twist'. Trying to be smarter than a film by attempting to figure it out before it ends is something that I like to avoid. Yet, that's what I found myself doing and it was subtracting from my enjoyment of watching.
Then, when the "SPLIT" title screen flashed, I thought that the movie was over. I started to stand up feeling a bit underwhelmed. But wow...was I wrong. There was an additional scene with a reveal that knocked me over! What an amazing twist! Especially for a Shyamalan fan (and a 'twist' fan) like myself. It's not even that the twist sets up a future film that I want to see, which it did, and I do. It's just that it gave fuel to a previous story and offered a universe to a character that Shyamalan can himself build upon or that I can build in my own imagination.
Shyamalan sure does love to lean on mental illness as a way to make up for his lack of character writing skills, doesn't he? Too bad it's never enough.
Not so exciting... The beginning is good, the end is too much supernatural. They should have followed the true history. The main character was excellent in the performance of each personality.
Tense and kinda cool movie
The movie was amazing, McAvoy is an amazing actor. It is not easy to act so many parts in a single movie.
[spoiler]I liked every single change of personality and the slow transformation to the beast, you can actually feel the terror that is slowly increasing, until it explode with the final act of violene from Kevin, that kills practically everybody , exept for Claire.[/spolier]
I did not know that this movie is actually part of a trilogy tìthat began in the very far 2000 with Unbreakabel, one of those movie that you don't hear a lot, and it was made almost 20 years ago, but if you want to fully understand the movie until the end, you need to watch also the first one, that it will be necessary to understand the third one, that was released on January 2019. I really hope that these two movies will contribute to revive a little bit Unbreakable, In my opinion these movies are very different from all the high-budget Hollywood movies and they actually try to present something original, which nowadays is really risky for the industry, especially at this level.
James McAvoy is fantastic. He must be having so much fun playing all those characters. Anya Taylor-Joy is great too and I love seeing more Haley Lu Richardson. I can't wait to see more of the beast in Glass.
Funny how this movie brought me back to watching Unbreakable...Loved how Shalman created this awesome universe cant wait for Mr Glass
This is so good.
Suspense at its greatest.
Really nice ending(s) since there is a special extra thing at the end!
Absolutely loved this!
9 out of 10
filme sensacional, apenas aguardando glass!
James McAvoy is the best, really. the whole movie was nuts, I was actually afraid if him changing his personality all the time, but it was great!!!
Great performance by James Mcavoy.
A basic premise that could have been interesting with some imagination, but it's played predictably. Locked in a room, time ticking etc... No interesting tension or atmosphere to fill the horror gap. No style. Flat girl characters that add nothing, but are just there because it was needed. The multiple personalities were sometimes pointless. It needed some strong main personalities that made the plot stand out made the mental struggle horrific.. Didn't happen really. Just a bad guy and some filler personalities. How did this insane guy function in public so well, and where was he living? The movie Identify did a simular idea way better.
Shyamalan is back! Well, kind of.. At least he's on the right track and I'm quite happy about it. That ending though! Yummy.
Here is my short list of questions I would like to ask mr. Shyamalan:
Apparently, the movie is based on the story of Billy Milligan - the most famous patient with MPD. Why did you change almost everything, but kept the magic number of 23 personalities, though you can only show 5?
There is a purpose for a new personality - to protect the core personality or to fulfill a supressed psyhological trait. Watching tigers in a zoo is not enough. So what was the reason for emegring of The Beast? Childhood dream to be a superhero?
Why would somebody proclaim victims, sufferers, people with mental disorders to be pure, "more evolved", superheroes? The phrase "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" has a different meaning - it's about a failure when you're making an effort to evolve, working hard for it. Childhood abuse can only wreck you.
i expected "deeper" story.
basically this movie is just about a guy who changes identities from time to time, nothing more.
and this is NOT a horror movie.
As many others have stated before me, there are two sides in Split. One that shares great acting, and other that punishes us with a weak script and an even weaker development. Sadly, the latest prevails.
James McAvoy's performance is simply stunning. His ability to impersonate the multiple personalities of the main character is so impressive that makes you wish there were room for many others. Despite the 23 -or 24, if you prefer- identities advertised by the movie's plot, we can only see a bunch of them. Five if I remember correctly.
Anya Taylor-Joy's work is also a pretty good one. She shows a clear evolution since her appearance in The Witch, which lacked a bit on the emotive flank. While not being as outstanding as McAvoy, Taylor-Joy manages to show an above-average execution, in a genre plagued by mediocre acting.
On the dark side, which happens to outweight the bright one, we have a poorly written text (For example, Dr. Fletcher seems to always tackle the exact things needed to make the plot move forward, even when that means talking about previously unheard topics and asking out-of-nowhere questions; and the final scenes' cliché cursing by the villain) and a dissapointing progression of the story, that ends with a wink to a sequel that only the director's fans will get.
Just shit.
I was looking so damn forward to seeing this movie cause, come on guys, the trailers were fucking awesome and McAvoy's acting was just superb and fantastic. In the end? No need to waste your money on this title. Do you know why it sold so well? BECAUSE EVERYONE LIKE ME WAS EXPECTING GREAT THINGS AND WENT TO WATCH IT WITH CONFIDENCE and ugh bleah.
Okay, seriously.
The level of anxiety it creates it's just perfect, more than once I got chills. One point.
The second point is brought by McAvoy's skills, he was so wow, in every personality of his. Also Anya Taylor was really good, her expressions were really real.
It went well until about the half of the movie, when there was the pause.
Then everything goes down and even more.
come on, what was that thing with the name? watched harry potter too much? the-one-who-can't-be-named? don't call my name Alejandro? (hi gaga) and it worked only once, wow, Mrs. Fletcher was so like ' OMG I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU SO I WON'T CALL YOUR NAME '; really effective dude.
And Casey wasn't killed because she had suffered? Wow, she's superior. Now she can go back to be abused. She didn't have to be there from the start, Dennis was so meticulous that he could have noticed before, not at the end.
The useless death of Mrs. Fletcher? She really seeked her own death.
In the end, he did everything only to be acknowledged? Perfect.
And for sure they'll make a sequel or two because that shitty finale wasn't a finale BUT I WOULDN'T SPEND ONE MORE PENNY TO SEE IT.
I'm so disappointed I could cry.
Not a very good film.
Overly long, slow, predictable and unnecessarily supernatural.
M. Night Shyamalan is really back. After the quite solid 2015, "The Visit", he returns with the brilliant "Split". After some flops, he returned to his origins that threw him into the spolight, and brought two good movies in a row.
This movie builds, builds, to a very intense final act. Wonderful realization of M. Night Shyamalan. Man knows how to create suspense.
The performances were also very good. I believe that if "Split" had premiered between October and December, James McAvoy had a good chance of being nominated for an Oscar. The way he transforms himself into the different personalities, is not any actor who can do that. It felt natural. Anya Taylor-Joy was also very good. As for the other girls, they were "ok".
I really hope there is a sequel. Etcetera...
I try to not read anything about the movie, avoid spoilers like hell as a knew for a Shyamalan movie it will have a twist so this is what i was looking throughout the movie and a bit ruined the experience for me. McAvoy was superb and the young Taylor-Joy came second. For the ending now
So this is in the universe of Unbreakable, and we have here as we had on that movie instead of the birth of a hero the birth of a supervillain, so i assume the next movie should be about a confrontation of these two. That will be a neat trick
Last 30 mins ruined the whole movie. Great potencial at the begining, but ending turned it into bullshit.
9 Stars: 10 for McAvoy and 8 for everything else
Kevin (James McAvoy) telah didiagnosa memiliki 23 kepribadian oleh psikiaternya, Dr Fletcher (Betty Buckley). Namun terdapat satu kepribadian lagi yang masih terpendam yang dapat terwujud dan mendominasi kepribadian lainnya. Hal tersebut membuat Kevin terdorong untuk menculik tiga gadis remaja yaitu, Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy), Marcia (Jessica Sula) dan Claire (Haley Lu Richardson). dengan kepribadian yang berbeda-beda, ketiga gadis remaja tersebut berusaha meminta bantuan kepada kepribadian Kevin yang lain, namun mimpi buruk tiba saat kepribadiannya yang 24 muncul dan dikenal sebagai "Beast".
Setelah tiga gadis yang diculik oleh seorang pria dengan 24 kepribadian ganda, Kevin (James McAvoy). mereka harus menemukan beberapa kepribadian yang berbeda yang dapat membantu mereka untuk melarikan diri dan bertahan hidup dari kepribadian yang lain.
This was surprisingly good, certainly one of Shyamalan’s best. It kept me entertained all the way through. But just as with 10 Cloverfield Lane, the ending was a bit over the top (though not quite as much), and I think the movie would have been better off without the supernatural part.
If you liked this movie (and especially if you didn't and you just wanna rip on it :) , then go ahead and watch
South Park - 15x06 - City Sushi
It's like this movie but in 20 minutes and funny.
I loved the movie, so did my wife.
McAvoy played it perfectly!
Has anyone run into the fact that this is not the right "Split" movie?? I keep getting a movie about bowling.
Wow, what a performance by McAvoy! I watched this right after watching Unbreakable, so it's fresh. Of course, there's no perceivable connection until the very end, so I'm interested to see how Glass ties it all together.
Night surely has honed his skills between Unbreakable and Split - that is for sure!
This was almost really good. There were some really stunning shots here and there and I’ll admit I was spooked when “the beast” happened, but like this movie did not know how to end.
McAvoy is really something different in this movie.
I’ve watched it a few times now and I think it’s a good movie and the best in the series. Would I say you should watch it over plenty of other films? No but James does a stellar job in this.
Split had great potential and kept my attention for most of the movie. James McAvoy delivers an impressive performance, portraying the various personalities of his character, each with their own unique quirks and mannerisms. However, the movie would have been tremendously better is it wasn't a part of the Unbreakable series which detracts from the otherwise strong psychological tension built up throughout the film. It feels like a forced attempt to add an action element that doesn't quite fit with the tone of the movie. Despite this, McAvoy's performance and the overall premise of the film make it worth a watch. It's a shame that the Unbreakable aspect detracts from an otherwise compelling and suspenseful story.
The portrayal of DID in this movie is very problematic
"Rejoice. The broken are the more evolved."
Definitely one of my favorites from Shyamalan, Split is a character study psychological thriller with themes on trauma and confidence in yourself. It uses mental illness and trauma and turns it into a superpower, transcending into the highest form of human evolution: The Beast.
James McAvoy gives a phenomenal career best performance, portraying many different characters. He switches rapidly from a sympathetic kid to a psychopath to a creepy extremely mannered woman and still manages to make every character believable. My favorites are Hedwig and Patricia. Best showcase of McAvoy's performance is when he portrays a character posing as another, it's crazy how accurate that was.
The tension was tight throughout, great pacing, love the industrial set, the lighting is always dark, Anya's backstory was creepy as hell and I really enjoyed the psychiatrist lady. The twist ending is perfectly fitting but the add on scene at the end should of been cut out, it feels like one of those Marvel credits begging to tease a sequel and that diminished the movie a little.
at the end of the movie "split" it is recognizable, that these movies are trilogies
1st "unbreakable" (https://trakt.tv/movies/unbreakable-2000),
2nd "split" (https://trakt.tv/movies/split-2016-11-15),
3rd "Glass" https://trakt.tv/movies/glass-2019)
The first half is really good (9,5/10) but the second half (if you've seen you'll understand when) is really disappointig(6/10). You should even watch it for the first part even if the second waste everything...
One of the best acting jobs I've ever seen.
James McAvoy stars in M. Night Shyamalan’s incredibly intense psychological thriller Split. The story follows three teenage girls who are abducted by a man with multiple personality disorder. McAvoy gives an extraordinary performance, doing an amazing job at shifting between personalities and at making each one distinct. Additionally, the storytelling is rather impressive, developing tension and intrigue especially well, along with a mind-bending twist (a Shyamalan trademark). Still, there are a couple of plot points that are kind of left hanging and ambiguous. Yet despite a few weaknesses, Split is a solid film and a return to form for Shyamalan, whose work over the last few years has been rather lackluster.
Very slow burning, and I honestly expected much better. I kept thinking it was going to improve or there was going to be a twist and an exciting ending but there wasn’t. I wouldn’t recommended or watch again, McAvoy played the part well and it was watchable just expected much more.
So bad it put me to sleep and yet although I missed part of it, didn’t miss anything & still dragged on far too long. In fact, I’m writing this whilst waiting desperately for the film to end. Wish I’d just rewatched The Happening once again.
to be completely fair, i liked this movie when it came out. i like james mcavoy and i love anya taylor-joy. but i don't like that dissociative identity disorder, a disorder that is already viewed by too many people to be dangerous or 'not real,' is being used as the premise for a horror movie like this, especially without providing any context or benefit to help people understand that this is an acutal disorder that real people struggle with. it would be ridiculous to think anyone would come away from this movie thinking that people with DID can turn into supernatural beasts, but it doesn't help that the only character in this movie with DID is the one who is kidnapping young girls and holding them captive. it's irritating. right up there with sia's 'music.'
um. wut? what did I just watch? I love it!
"Split" is a well-executed thriller based on an interesting concept: three girls kidnapped by a man suffering from a dissociative identity disorder. It sometimes feels more like a Friday night B movie, but it's clear that the director is trying to focus on storytelling and atmosphere rather than throwing in the usual gimmicks of the genre. The mood is uneasy and suspenseful, and both main characters are brought to life by convincing acting performances. However, it felt like the concept needed further development. Kevin is supposed to have 23 different personalities, but we only get a glimpse of the same five or six. Kevin and Casey both have a domestic abuse backstory, but we only get a couple of dull flashbacks. The character psychology is supposed to be the core of the movie, but we get nothing deeper than a bunch of didascalic interventions from Kevin's therapist.
Due to great acting and Shooting, this would have been a 10 without the supernatural stuff. It still is an eight.
Great performance. Shitty-ass film.
This is a thriller movie about a person suffering from DID. It's a fine thriller. It's not a good movie about DID though. I don't think that this disorder can be shown as a superpower like any other disorder.
The performance was brilliant. Kudos to James McAvoy. The directing was very good. It's the relation to superpowers that upsets me.
"The broken are the more evolved"
"Split" isn't just a return to form from Shamalamadingdong, but an emotionally powerhouse of a thriller. Anyone who watched the trailer and think they have an idea of what it's gonna be, think again. Putting forward this guys history in films; this surprised the heck out of me.
The cinematography was excellent, same guy who did "It Follows" which was pretty neat. The film had the right balance of tone with comedy and horrific. One minute you're laughing at the intentional comedic scenes, but quickly change when you start to over think.
James McAvoy is absolutely fantastic in this movie. Every personality has a unique purpose to them and McAvoy makes the whole thing believable. Especially when he plays a little boy named Hedwig, who you actually care for and the childlike behavior McAvoy was done so perfectly. The scene when he starts dancing, had me laughing so hard when I saw it, but when I heard M. Night talk about the meaning behind it, it gave me chills. It's about a person dying and coming back to life.
Then again, "Kanye West is my main man".
Anya Taylor Joy was great in this too. Really impressing me from what I've seen from her so far, and might be the new face of horror movies. Her character arc was the most compelling part of the film and ties in very well with McAvoy characters. It's too bad Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula, the other captured girls, couldn't keep up with Anya. They performances were pretty bad and easily the worst part of the film.
It's not just them, some of the supporting actors who thankfully don't have much screen time, deliver such wooden performances. The film also suffers from M. Night's trademark, terribly written exposition. Other than that, this was a pretty solid film.
Overall rating: Welcome back M. Night Shyamalan, for real this time.
very poor movie. great acting by McAvoy tho
really enjoyed the movie and how it connects to the unbreakable....
really felt excited when i saw David Dunn again...and the performance of James McAvoy was astounding....
wasn't a very good movie, but james mcavoy made it worth its while. i'm curious to watch the last movie of the trilogy! (unbreakable was amazing tho, but this definitely fell short)
Next time, maybe aim for the head LOL
The Five Faces of Split
:heart_eyes:
Amazing performance by James McAvoy, who manages to capture so many distinct personalities and makes each and every one feel different.
:smiley:
I would have loved to see even more identities in action. McAvoy clearly has the ability to shift from one person to another at a blink of an eye.
Betty Buckley is believable and lovely as a fearless psychologist, trying to make sense of Kevin Crumb's situation.
Once the Beast is unleashed the film truly takes a bizarre and creepy turn that makes for a great final act.
The climax is true M. Night Shyamalan supernatural thriller stuff and feels like a natural sequel to Unbreakable.
:neutral_face:
If it wasn't for McAvyoy's fascinating performance, this would be a bland film. The story isn't very interesting and the other performances don't really match up to McAvoy's.
There's less of that playful editing and cinematography Shyamalan is famous for. That could have been utilized as a way to make this film feel more like a horror film.
Nothing feels very scary or tense, since the music or the editing don't even try to make the film anything more than a supernatural drama.
The three girls at the center of things are stereotypical horror film girls and never anything more. Their performances aren't particularly interesting. Anya Taylor-Joy is good but not very memorable.
Most of the plot is straightforward without big surprises. There's little depth in the story until the very end.
The film builds up things for a very long time without keeping the story fresh or interesting. That makes the impact of the climax feel less exciting.
If the entire film would have been like the last act it would have made for a great psychological horror.
:frowning2:
The bulk of the film is people talking about people. Shyamalan has a message he wants to convey, but he doesn't really find a way to do it effectively.
I don't know how I feel about all the religious cult things that drive Dennis and Patricia's actions. That could have been replaced with some other motive.
The girls remain shallow and uninteresting stereotypes, which is a shame for a movie that could have made something new with the genre.
Unbreakable worked as a great homage to the classic superhero origin story and Split tries to do the same for the supervillain origin. It fails to convey the same sense of comic book-ness or creativity, however.
:face_vomiting:
//
The Final Face: :neutral_face: // Average
Excellent acting. Great movie. Waiting for part 3.
super good movie best classic ever
Split is an intriguing film that has all the ingredients of a film that should not work. Hit and miss director M.Night Shyamalan who seems stuck, at least in the public's mind, as the 'twist ending guy' to such a point that it seems to needlessly dominate every film he makes. A hokey story of twenty-four personalities which for me is problematic as it has never been a proven disorder but nevertheless this is only M. Night Shyamalan film and not a serious documentary so perhaps I should calm down a bit. Top this with the film needing to have a very strong actor to hold it all together you can see how the whole shebang could have been, shall we say, problematic.
Despite this Spilt is a good enough film to keep most viewers watching. Front and centre you have a personal acting favourite of my James McAvoy not acting with his lovely Scottish accent, of which no part of it is whining, but certainly acting convincingly a number of different personalities and with his performance he is the glue that holds it all together. That's not to say the other actors, in particular the young ladies, Anya Taylor-Joy, Hayley Lu Richardson and Jessica, do not hold their own against the impressive Scot but the character Kevin Crumb is the axel on which everything else revolves.
In fact, Split starts out an interesting premise on the split-personality theme and whether any one person or even personality within the victim himself, can overcome the huge mental problems that Kevin has - not entirely based in fact but a very interesting concept that was playing out well.
Shylaman's problem is taking the story off in an unexpected direction, almost a giant twist as it were, and from that point the film is served its divorce papers by reality. This in my opinion is the weakness. That and with this 'twist' as it were, we get a rapid darkening in the events and a big tonal shift which for me ruined the mood of the film and sent it to a place I did not think it deserved.
Split was an okay film, I probably would not watch it again, but neither have I instantly forgotten it. James McAvoy proves that his casting was correct because in what could have been a very showy role that actors love playing he keeps it all on the right side of sensible and you never get the sense he loving every acting part of it 'darling' - it just seems like Kevin has these distinct personalities to me which is as a big a compliment as I can pay the actor.
The young girls who are kidnapped are more problematic for me with Casey Cooke's character played by Anya Taylor-Joy seemingly being the only one worthy of anything other than a passing interest, the talented and attractive Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula both end up screaming and whining in between not escaping from situations that are patently escape-easy.
It is a real shame and nothing that reflects the times we live in now.
Split is fine, I have never been on the bandwagon of constantly knocking Shylaman's films but in this case I was mostly disappointed the longer the film went on. I can't explain why it spoils the story for those that have not seen the film but I did not like the way it ends it could have been an entirely different film about an entirely different thing. Having said this I can see why others would like this film.
In general you will have a good night watching this but it ain't no Sixth Sense that is for sure.
McAvoy is simply brilliant in this movie, deserves an oscar.
Hands down his best movie I have ever seen.
Had high hopes for this one, but it didn't quiiiite deliver. McAvoy was amazing, though!
Overrated movie and an overrated performance just watch the last 20 minutes you’re all caught up. Now you can watch Glass and be thoroughly disappointed.
1 / 2 directing & technical aspect
.5 / 1 story
1 / 1 act I
0 / 1 act II
1 / 1 act III
1 / 1 acting
.5 / 1 writing
1 / 1 originality
0 / 1 stays with you
0 / 1 misc
6 out of 10
This movie is really great regarding the rest of the SF production. It's very original, while being plausible.
And for me, James Mc Avoy is the best actor of this century.
This movie was so well executed and planned out!
I was somewhat exasperated at times by this film, but it was better than The Happening. Very low bar I know.
The concept of the character is pretty cool. Though not the first time the subject is done, it has some great ideas in it. And its implementation is just magnificent.
McAvoy is truly astonishing. You can clearly see the different personalities. The attitude, the voice, the mimics, everything changes. Of course even if you're told about 24, you mainly really see 4 plus 4 small extras. I ouldn't have minded a little more, but the whole 24 would obviously have been too much to handle for the viewer (and probably for the actor too).
Dr Fletcher character is pretty good too, and her interactions with Kevin's personas result in very interesting scenes. Casey is ok I guess.
However that's it. Apart from the character and McAvoy's blazing interpretation, the script is pretty boring. The whole abduction thing, meh. Casey's flashbacks are done in an interesting way though.
As for the usual Shyamalan's twist, nope. I see people calling it a twist, but come on. Would you call 6th sense ending a twist if Bruce Willis a bleeding hole in his head in half the scenes ? It's the same thing. It's clearly stated several times that the Beast wants perfect untouched souls, that the two (two not three!) had been chosen because they never had any problem for anything in life, that damaged people are the best. And if you hadn't gotten it by then, after the scene where she plays "animals" with the uncle, what more do you need ??? Of course the Beast wasn't going to kill her.
As for the post-ending scene, well, If I had not already known about Glass before seeing it, I would have gone crazy. Aven if it's really REALLY badly done. "It's like that guy in a wheelchair a few years ago". What ? How is it remotely like that ? Who would make any link between the two ? Specially after 10+ years. That makes no sense. Just Dunn seeing it in a bar without any comment would have been much better. Though maybe the people who thought of the ending as a twist would have missed it and just thought "Oh hey, that's Bruce Willis." ? I wonder.
Casey background history can reveal possible ending, but I don't wanna spoiler the movie. Nevertheless its a good movie.
I've finally come around to re-watch this movie, after it has been sitting on my shelf for nearly a year now. I first saw this movie in a sneak preview - it was a movie that I would have wanted to watch anyways, so I was happy to get a head start, and I really enjoyed it. By now I think everybody knows that this movie is finally the long awaited continuation of Unbreakable (2000) which was not communicated and came as a surprise for all - unfortunately I was the only one to realize that at the cinema hall, screaming "Oh my god, this is Unbreakable" while everyone else looked puzzled. The story, however, is totally detached from Unbreakable and if it wasn't for the ending scene, you wouldn't have known it, as this one does not tie in any of the other characters and stands on its own:
When wanting to leave from the birthday party, the birthday girl Claire and her two friends Marcia and Casey get abducted by a strange guy. The girls are locked into a cellar and don't know what to expect, as their kidnapper seems strange and mentally unstable. And so a struggle for life and death begins.
I've originally rated this 8/10 after watching it at the cinema, but while re-watching it, I believe that this movie even got better. It was interesting in three ways:
First, now knowing that this movie is a sequel to Unbreakable, this movie has so many parallels that seem so obvious. Yet, I did not see them watching the movie the first time, and maybe wouldn't even have realized now, if I hadn't watch those movies back to back.
Second, re-watching this movie I figured out so many more interesting aspects I did not get at the first glance.
And third, even though I now knew the entire story, this movie was still so thrilling and captivating that I really felt of pushing my initial score up a bit.
It really is a great movie, it has so many interesting aspects, a really fascinating premises, and a really great story telling, pacing, it's wonderfully shot with a really great camera and has a great score. This becomes so clear right at the beginning of the car scene, which is so ingeniously done. Everything in this movie seems perfect already - but we haven't even yet talked about the actors and while all are great, there are of course two that stand out. First, there is "The Witch"-Star Anya Taylor-Joy, and her performance is absolutely stunning - her performance is absolutely believable, and she can convey so much just with her facial expression: fear, frustration, disappointment, but also her cleverness, the way she portraits that she is a fighter and a survivor. I feel like her performance isn't actually not valued as much as it should be - and the reason for that is of course James McAvoy, who gives his absolute best performance of his career: A DID patient with 23 prominent personalities of which we actually get to experience 5 in greater detail. He does that so stunningly well, that you can actually always tell, which person he is, right now. Of course there is some help in a number of scenes where the clothing changes - but there are also a number of scenes where he switches personalities in-scene, and even those are absolutely stunning It is a real pleasure to see him change his voice, change his accents, even change his entire facial expression from one moment to the other - that is some extremely high level acting that only few could master. It's incredible that M Night Shyamalan knew how to pick 'em and cast the perfect guy for this incredibly demanding role.
It's simply a really great movie with superb acting, great story telling, a really good story to tell, a clever idea - it's the prefect package.
PS: If you get the BD, take your time and watch the extras as well - Shyamalan actually comments on a lot of things: There's an alternative ending, a huge number of deleted scenes and all of them are introduced and explained by a commentary from Shyamalan that also gives a lot of additional background context to the movie itself. And there are three behind-the-scenes featurettes that are all worth watching as well.
I can summarize Split in three words: Bizarre, Cool, Terrifying.
um 10 só pela atuação de James!
People say this is shyamalan’s rerutn to his masterpiece but it’s really not that great, the movie it’s self Is fine. Mcavoy carries the movie with his amazing acting.
It's like Shyamalan, tries too hard now, it was an OK movie, good enough where I didn't feel like I wasted my time watching it, but not good enough to seek out to watch again. The Unbreakable reference at the end was fun, wonder if there will be a sequel
split is a great movie
it is one of few amazing movies
I thought this movie was very moving. As a former psychiatric nurse in a state mental hospital, I can totally see the reality through the fiction. The human mind is both amazing and frightening at the same time
McAvoy deserves all the awards for his acting here. The transitions this man made so flawlessly left me speechless. Absolutely brilliant!
Shyamalan is back! One of the greatest of the year. Loking forward for the 2019 now. "Glass" is coming and it's going to be a great film.
If you are looking for a good psychological horror-thriller which will not leave any scars, this is the one. The second in the Unbreakable trilagy. McAvoy plays the role(s) with flair and certainly makes each personality his own. The performances of Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula as two of the victims are substandard, but I enjoyed Anya Taylor-Joy, as the third victim. The story of the girls trying to escape is interesting, with one of them trying to work with a certain personality when it emerges, to her benefit. The end is where the thriller moves to horror and was, for me, a bit of a disappointment. I felt it could have easily continued on the psyschological aspects. Another disappointment was the portral of psychological disorders; that sufferers were dangerous and no one gives a damn.
All in all, some great acting and a storyline which isn't going to make you leave the lights on.
Creo que mi gran problema con esta película es que Shyamalan ha escogido un trastorno mental para contar una historia. Particularmente pienso que por muy atractivo que parezca, las enfermedades mentales no deberían ser usadas para asustar a la gente. Creo que la psiquiatría tiene mejores historias que contar. Lamentablemente se perpetúan mentiras como la de que usamos el 10% de nuestro cerebro. Shyamalan en esta película nos dice que es posible que la mente altere la química de nuestros cuerpos hasta el punto de tener superpoderes. Una buena premisa malgastada en un guión bastante mediocre que medio se salva con las actuaciones de McAvoy y Anya Taylor-Joy.
James McAvoy acting is the best thing in this movie.
1 / 2 directing & technical aspect
0 / 2 story
1 / 1 acting
0 / 1 pacing
1 / 1 dialogue
0 / 1 living up to its genre
0 / 1 originality
0 / 1 lasting ability to make you think
0.......misc enjoyment point (+/-)
3 out of 10
The ending really got me because I watched Unbreakable movie just before this one today, what a goddamn coincidence!
I strongly recommend you to watch Unbreakable movie before watching this one
great movie a must see,,
loved it!!!
Loved this movie, brilliant shock moments and thrilling chills. Watch it with a group of friends. Recommend
Another solid thriller from Shyamalan. Interesting ideas lead by some great performances. It would've been a lot more effective if people didn't keep insisting on spoiling the ending for me. So I kept looking and waiting for it to happen, rather than just enjoy the movie.
McAvoy, great performance. The film, not so great. Also, what's with the low-budget Zoey Deutch?
Careful, there are three different movies from 2016 called Split.
Shout by Luigi RavagliaVIP 9BlockedParent2017-01-27T07:10:02Z— updated 2017-01-29T05:54:24Z
Split is... fine. McAvoy is excellent, as is Anya Taylor-Joy, but the movie around them often isn't at their level.
Then the final twist gives it a whole new life. As an Unbreakable fan, this movie is exciting more for the promise of things to come than for the movie itself. If Unbreakable was a grounded superhero origin story, Split is a grounded supervillain origin story. Will the next Shyamalan movie be the showdown?
I fear not many people will "get" the twist in the theater. Unbreakable is one of the less known, and most underrated, Shyamalan movies. Split will certainly reignite its cult following, and I'm genuinely excited for the future of the Shyamalan Cinematic Universe.
Nor Split nor The Visit are masterpieces, but they sure are enjoyable movies, that show a director that has learned from his mistakes and is getting back on track. And I'm rooting for Shyamalan.