In 2015, The Visit became a much-needed hit for director and writer, M. Night Shyamalan. Some have described him an inconsistent genius and despite a stellar early start, he experienced a huge career slump that nearly damaged his career. With The Visit, he went back to basics and lowered his scope to a create a tale of horror with a biting sense of humor. It was a hit with critics and made a stellar $100 million worldwide on a very small $5 million budget.
With Split, Shyamalan has continued his less is more approach and it proves to be even more successful this time around. Emphasis is on atmosphere and tension, something Shyamalan is quite good at establishing, and on a truly captivating lead performance from James McAvoy that makes the film worthy of a price of admission on its own.
The film opens with the abduction of three teenagers following a birthday party. Two of them, Claire (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia (Jessica Sula), are popular girls. The third, Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy), is an outsider. Their kidnapper is an odd and frightening man (James McAvoy) who, as we soon learn, suffers from a severe case of split personality disorder with 23 distinct personalities emerging. During the course of the film, we meet a few of them, including the dominant Dennis, the feminine Patricia, and the childish Hedwig. They refer to the coming of “the Beast”; Dennis claims the three girls have been captured to “feed” him. Psychiatrist Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley) surmises that “the Beast” is either a previously unrecognized personality or a fantasy.
The signature of most Shyamalan films is the inevitable twist. We have come to expect it in nearly all of his films and some have worked better than others. There isn’t a big twist in Split but there is a “oh, that’s pretty cool” reaction you get when it begins to wrap up. I think it’s fair to say that to appreciate it, you have to be aware of his previous work but I won’t reveal here which film in his universe you should really pay attention to because it takes a bit away from the experience. I think it’s a rather bold move to go this route because I’m sure most seeing it won’t see the connection (my theater was pretty dumbfounded while a few of us got it right away).
From a purely technical level, Shyamalan is in top form here. The way Shyamalan uses the camera in his best films has always been an homage to his mentor, Alfred Hitchcock, and that’s on full display for his latest film. His effective use of tension and suspense is evident during the abduction that sets up the main story. This screams of those chilling stories you hear on true crime TV and it’s startling in the way the film realistically depicts it. From there, Shyamalan feels confident behind the camera and crafts a film that is taut and lean in its execution. Even at nearly two hours, the film never drags and feels like it’s in constant forward motion.
James McAvoy is at the top of his game taking on multiple personalities that are so distinct that he should maybe get a lead and supporting credit for his role here. Whether it’s the more dominant Dennis or the child-like Hedwig, McAvoy never misses a beat. There’s no denying that there is some scenery chewing going on here, but it’s a performance that also showcases McAvoy’s great diversity and precision. He has to make changes both big and small, sometimes in the same breath, and it’s a wonder to behold.
His portrayal of this troubled soul is at times darkly funny in a macabre sort of way but also has moments of great sadness. He is menacing no matter which personality is in control, but the underlying childhood trauma that caused him to create these alter egos as a means of defense clearly still haunts him as a grown man. Flashes of vulnerability reveal themselves in the film’s third act, providing an entirely different kind of disturbing tone that plays a bit more realistically with the situation at hand. Some may balk at the idea of using abuse like this to sell a thriller and entertainment but it’s surprisingly never exploitative.
The supporting work is good for the most part but only one of the girls really stood out for me. Anya Taylor-Joy, who you may remember from The Witch and Morgan, shines in her role as the more shy one of the trio. Her wide eyes tell a story and show something more going on than what we may even know. She’s effective in gaining our sympathy and as the one who dares to get close to their captor and engage him in conversation, she proves to be the most interesting of the abductees. Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula are by no means bad but they’re kind of stuck playing stereotypical popular girls and it proves to be Shyamalan’s one misstep here. I suppose it’s ok to only care of one of the three girls but I wanted to invest in all of them. Betty Buckley, who plays a psychologist that has several sessions with our deranged antagonist, is also stuck a bit in a clichéd role but her turn proves to be more interesting to watch because their sessions provide us with some much-needed backstory. Their conversations are intense but also have moments of kindness that allow us to take a break from the brutality.
Also of note is that a PG-13 rating could usually kneecap a movie like this but Shyamalan presents the story so effectively that you almost feel like you’re experiencing something more harrowing than you’re seeing. It’s intense without having to show too much but by the end of it, you feel like you witnessed something truly depraved. That is how you make a truly effective thriller.
Shyamalan has seemed to find his love for making movies again. He’s not being held down by huge studio expectations (he’s back working with Jason Blum and the micro-budgeted kings of horror Blumhouse Productions on this one after their successful outing with The Visit) and he seems to remember what matters again. Tell a compelling story and use the tricks of your trade to turn expectations on their head. Split proves to be yet another step in the right direction for a talent that is proving to be much more consistent again.
Reel Talk gives Split 3 Reels
