"Split" is Proof We Have the Old M Night Shyamalan Back

I, like so many others, was skeptical when I heard news of the new M. Night Shyamalan film. For years he’s been disappointing film goers of all kinds, and with the release of the likes of The Last Airbender it became questionable who his target audience even was anymore. It almost began to seem as though he had lost sight of who he was, as though he wasn’t even the same director responsible for classics like The Sixth Sense. The announcement of Split failed to excite me, and though the premise seemed fascinating I refused to get my hopes up, especially with a trailer that provided enough room for one to imagine the film hastily devolving into another laughably bad mess like The Visit did. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. In fact, Split was so good that there were many instances in which I had to remind myself that I was in fact watching a film by the same man who made After Earth and The Happening.

The premise to Split is simple and not unlike that of an episode of Criminal Minds. Three teenage girls are kidnapped by a man who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, in which he lapses into dissociative episodes and switches from personality to personality. Unsurprisingly, the film has garnered some controversy for tackling subject matter such as mental illness and portraying the mentally ill as a villain, however upon watching the film I can say that it does so with respect to those suffering from D.I.D. and rather than shunning victims of abuse who find themselves afflicted with mental illness it instead shows sympathy, particularly through the use of a character who helps the audience view those afflicted with D.I.D. as humans rather than movie villains muttering to themselves in dark corners. Unfortunately, the efforts at writing a film which cautiously handles having a villain with D.I.D. without transforming those who suffer from it in reality into villains as well is in vain when it comes to audience members who refuse to think deeply and will instead allow the film to guide their assumption that people who suffer from the illness are all to be avoided.

Bearing that in mind, the film itself is phenomenal. Shyamalan utilizes dizzying camera angles and clever use of space in each shot to a degree that can’t be compared to even his best work (except, perhaps, Unbreakable), it’s visually stunning from beginning to end and there is heart put into every frame and shot of the film. The story is told through clever usage of dialogue and an amount of depth which has been missing from film, both in Shyamalan’s filmography and in the thriller genre as a whole. Flash back sequences are utilized expertly and visual cues are given in a way that communicates concepts to the audience without ever having to spell things out. The dialogue, however, does sometimes slip into being a bit unimpressive. However, this is mainly in the beginning of the film, particularly the sequence visible in the trailer in which one of the teenage girls calmly informs their captor that he’s in the wrong car. That single instance aside, the film is fantastically acted and well-written.

Perhaps the best part of the film as a whole is the performance given by James McAvoy, who is an absolute blast to watch on screen and seems to be having the time of his life playing so many different characters in a single role. Surprisingly enough, he is such a talented actor that there are instances in which he can switch from character to character seamlessly, without wardrobe changes or any sort of physical differences, and still be easily recognizable as whoever he is meant to be portraying – all because he’s just that skilled at what he does.

I really cannot recommend Split enough, it’s a fantastic film and you should absolutely see it while it is still in theaters so that you can fully experience the beautiful and dizzying camera angles paired with its eerie music and stunning visuals. Split is currently playing in theaters and you should see it as soon as possible.