Cinematic depictions of the psychological disorder colloquially referred to as a split personality can rarely be taken seriously. Dissociative identity disorder is ripe for the horror and thriller genres, and this is the route that M Night Shyamalan takes in his latest film Split, in which James McAvoy plays a psychotic with 23 separate personalities.
Mostly taking place with the confined interiors of the home of Kevin Crumb (McAvoy), the film begins with the kidnapping of three girls, Casey Cooke (Anya Taylor-Joy), Claire Benoit (Haley Lu Richardson), and Marcia (Jessica Sula). As they attempt to escape their incarceration, Clair and Marcia shrink into the background. The real battle of wits takes place between Casey and Kevin’s various personalities, one of which is Hedwig, a nine-year-old boy who is vulnerable to her charms. The back-and-forth between Casey and Kevin is engrossing, and the missed opportunity to escape keeps the stakes mounting. However, not enough happens over the 117-minute running time to defuse the suspense that Shyamalan builds up so adroitly.
The film works as a mostly taut psychological thriller, and Shyamalan maintains an even tone, refusing to go over the top. However, he over-explains the plot by giving psychologist Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley) a crucial role. While McAvoy is menacing in the more violent personalities, there is not enough variation in his performances to distinguish them from each other.
After years in the wilderness, making films that failed to live up to the promise of The Sixth Sense (1999) and Unbreakable (2000), Split is a semi-return to form for Shyamalan. There are scenes of true horror and gore to be worth the price of admission.