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Split (2016) is one of those very long term movies on my bucket list, after only watching Unbreakable (2000) I was still pending to watch the two other movies on the trilogy by M. Night Shyamalan who is actually a filmmaker that can make you or break you, most of the time is a hit but sometimes his movies leave disappointed or at best with mix feelings. He had some bad performers like The Happening (2008) and The Last Airbender (2010) but Split was a significant change for him back in the day, showing his ability to create a movie that will make you uncomfortable and twitchy but at the same time you w remain entertained without been terrifying. This mix of intense storytelling is brought to life through James McAvoy who had a phenomenal performance, now that I have watch it I think this is a must watch if you are a fan.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4972582/
- Platform: AppleTV+
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This movie feels like a masterclass in building tension through psychological horror, a trait that Shyamalan has been working on over the years. The movie production along with its cinematography has very crisp visuals that enhance the claustrophobic atmosphere of the underground lair where much of the story unfolds. The pacing is well balanced keeping a sense of urgency without feeling rushed, this kept me engaged even when the plot moves at a slower pace, the movie knows when to push hard or just coast to the next scene until you are ready for a dopamine refill.
One of the aspects of this movie that really stands out is what is called DID, Dissociative Identity Disorder, I had the idea what it was but had to look it up jajaja, its the classic Multiple Personalities but on a more fancy way to say it. This gives Shyamalan the opportunity to nose dive into themes like trauma and psychological complexity of the characters. The film doesn't shy away from heavy subject matter but it handles it with a level of sensitivity that won't create a ton of controversy. The plot does splinter into multiple threads that keeps you guessing and wanting more from the story, this complex situations mix with McAvoy talent is the main aspect makes it worth watching next to other actions who did awesome like Anya Taylor Joy.
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The movie centers around Kevin a man suffering from dissociative identity disorder, played by James McAvoy, he has 23 distinct personalities each with its own unique qualities. The story begins with the abduction of three teenage girls, Claire, Marcia, and Casey by Kevin's most dominant personality, Dennis. As the girls try to escape they encounter have to face multiple of Kevin's personalities, including the obsessive compulsive Dennis, the flamboyant fashion designer Barry and the menacing Patricia, very twisted if you think about how complex Kevin was that the sex gender barrier was none. During this hole time, Kevin's therapist Dr. Fletcher becomes increasingly concerned about his condition, sensing that something is very wrong and about to happen, but it already did.
The girls been young, they thought they could outsmart Kevin or any of his personalities, at times trying to trick him but its like you are in a room full of people who you can't see but they all listening and some been very focus on the situation at hand. Casey, one of the girls who has her own troubled past, shows to be the leader of the group, using her survival instincts to try to make it out. Through flashbacks, we learn more about Casey's backstory, which parallels Kevin's in its themes of trauma and coping mechanisms, reasons why she though had an edge that could put them on the same level. The story goes back and forward with scenes of Dr. Fletcher's sessions with Kevin, providing insight into his condition and the mysterious "Beast" a 24th personality that is feared by all the others, just imagine the inner conflict that everyone else on Kevin's mind fear the Beast.
Under this kind of situations, the person who suffer from this personalities tend to have physical manifestations, either their voice, face, you can tell there is someone else with you in the room as they kept switching, but this time around in the movie I think was way more exaggerated with some personalities require insulin, while others possess supernatural strength, a blend of psychological and supernatural elements adds complexity to the film, making it more than just a straightforward thriller.
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The ending of the movie ties everything together not only the setup for a sequel of Split and the entire narrative, but it also makes it feel like there is something way bigger brewing back doors, something much bigger. The twist is very satisfying as I previously describe how Casey thought she could some how sync with Kevin based on her traumatic past, it is the case when the Beast comes out he spare her life after recognizing she was someone who in some way matches his interest or the situations he has gone through, although it was not the case for Claire and Marcia who Kevin's 24th personality, the Beast had no mercy for them. From his point of view they were considered impure according to his twisted ideology that to me is still not clear enough, I could only assume because they made fun of Kevin and didn't have empathy to him.
After the movie ends there is this scene that reveals Split is in fact is a sequel to the movie Unbreakable, back in the day this was just pure speculation or say for someone who have never seen Unbreakable then you would not know for sure. On this after credit scene there is people watching a news report on Kevin and all of the sudden the camera points to Bruce Willis, flashback to his role on Unbreakable, his role as David Dunn a man who has been tracking down Kevin. Overall the ending of the movie is mainly a glimpse of Shyamalan skills to setup storytelling full of suspense and emotional surprises, both the ending that connects this two movies with an upcoming one and how the movie shows people who can relate to each other based on traumatic past experiences can still survive.
I have to confess I'm a bit bias on this movie because I truly enjoy Jame McAvoy work, in my opinion a very very underrated actor and this time we can see the shape shifter inside him, a skill that lives inside, making him able to put up with multiple or I would say almost any kind of role they put him in.
The movie might seem a bit basic and predictable when it comes to the ending, how only one of the girls make it out but this is the type of horror movies I enjoy, many may not even consider it horror because it lacks the classic scare jumps and demonic possessions but Kevin himself was a demon, a man possessed with 24 personalities, one different from each other with a peak point that was the Beast, the movie is the perfect example of psychological horror that is my favorite type of horror movies, have to give it an 8/10 and would totally recommend it.
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