once a ray of light in the ending. The film is occasionally funny and aware of it and is not easily categorized. It is a subtle commentary on many many things, violence, abuse, human nature, relationships, sexism, modern society, the potential of a human being, racism, the idiocy of the average people, our traumas, madness, the virtue of patience, existential angst etc It is true that it is a horror movie about a sick person, which may not be politically correct but is a very old and common trope in horror flicks. It is also true that this film turns the trope on its back, presenting us a charming psychopath. He does unspeakable things, but he is not evil, he is beyond morality and he has an ambivalent point of view. The movie doesn't take sides. Murder is not a taboo in this narration, it may be an act of God or some creature close to him. The characters that surround the protagonist are also flawed in many ways and not very likable with a couple of exceptions . There are obvious and delightful references to Psycho and the Rocky Horror Picture Show. One thing is certain. This movie is not for people who always had it easy...

un-turn-away-able.Seriously impressive. I don't give 10's lightly.

led by Casey, are kidnapped by the troubled Kevin, who has a very rare case of 23 split personalities inside him. What follows is how the three girls try to escape from Kevin who himself is lowly having a mental breakdown. Sorry, I can't tell a lot about this movie as a small factor would spoil it.This movie couldn't have worked without James McAvoy. He has given his best performance in his whole career and stands out as one of the reasons to watch this movie. The cliché points in the movie are watchable just because of his phenomenal performance. His transition from a 'Norman Bates' type woman Patrica to a 9 year old boy Hedwig to other personalities are amazingLast but not the least, is the traditional "Shyamalan Twist". Trust me, this time your minds will be blown when you come to the conclusion. This twist doesn't match up to the "The Sixth Sense" one but it's a thrilling one. It's not some stupid twist like in "Signs". I won't forget that moment when someone behind me shouted out "WHAAAAT?!"."Split" isn't scary, it's tense. This movie shouldn't have been given a "horror" tag. A "psychological thriller" sounds better. Nevertheless, this movie is worth a watch. I'm giving a 8/10 with one extra star just for James McAvoyWelcome back, M.Night Shyamalan

of suspense and in some ways quite touching and meaningful, even if you do or don't like the final twists you'll be drawn in to this story and on the edge of your seat in more of a suspense mode. I wasn't sure if the film would go beyond a typical kidnapping film in the first five minutes but I can assure you its completely different to any expectations you'll have despite the director putting some of his more traditional touches on the film towards the end of it which really work in this case. I've always liked his earlier films as they often look at human conditions or flaws with imagination and some of his films have fallen short but he sounds like he's become more open minded and enjoying his work returning to form so well here and all I can say is well done, he has great attention to detail and gives his all. This is a great film if you want an original suspense/thriller go and see it. I was sorry to see a review that put this film down, those reviews are off the mark this time round in my opinion I hope there is more to come from the M Night daring to be different again, his lower budget work is outstanding and easily brings out his best storytelling. James McEvoy you've smashed it here and given you're all it was worth the risk, keep taking them! Having attended the Q&A he comes across a decent humble man which I would think gives his performances such resonance and skill. Also a great performance from Anya Taylor Joy she's a talent as well. Go see the see the film, especially in the threatre on a big screen it will have you on the edge of your seat.

hostile to them. It becomes obvious that the twenty-three personalities prepare for the emergence of a twenty-fourth personality called the beast that plans to feast on the teenagers' impure bodies. The three girls must find a strategy to escape before their lives will be in danger. At the same time, the psychologist of the man with the numerous personalities realizes that something seems to be wrong with her patient during their therapy sessions. Will the girls manage to escape and the psychologist find out the truth before it's too late?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. If compared to Shyamalan's last movie, some questions are though left unanswered and indicate a potential sequel to this movie. The restricted space in the basement, the calm and precise camera work, the gloomy light effects and the sinister soundtrack progressively increase the uneasy atmosphere of the movie.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. This unprecedented acting performance should be honoured with a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role next year. 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. She would also deserve a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role next year. 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. I think she would deserve a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress next year. Overall, the cast is really convincing and easily the best in the psychological horror genre since Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island".The only reason why this movie didn't get all ten points are a few minor lengths in the story telling during the first half of the film and the fact that the movie didn't come around with a stunning twist in the key of many of Shyamalan's previous works. Still, "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. This film should definitely be rewarded with awards and is one of the few Hollywood movies that actually deserves all the attention it gets.

fans will concur that Split isn't just a comeback either, rather a tactical setup of Shyamalan's very own cinematic universe. Put literally, the film is about a person with multiple personalities where each personality speaks collectively in full awareness of the rest. Although main character Kevin 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.If Edward Norton's dual personalities was chilling in his debut film Primal Fear, wait till you get a load of James McAvoy in what is simply an outstanding performance of versatility or should I say two dozen performances in one film? . More than just a demanding role to pull off, McAvoy's broad range in this film has also elevated what could have been a familiar antagonist into a nerve wrecking supervillain. Which is why Shyamalan's so called signature twist ending is almost astounding. To be honest there isn't an actual twist in the story, but the ending is an unexpected but seamless integration into a sort of trilogy that will have most viewers gob smacked. It's an inside joke and almost as if Shyamalan is asking if we have you been watching closely, but also an extremely rewarding Easter egg for every true fan of the man. Welcome back Mr. Shyamalan!