Review: 'Split' holds no surprises

Secret ending? No.

Running time: 117 minutes (~2 hours)

“Split” is a horror-thriller that is a spiritual successor to “Unbreakable”.

The film is about a dissociative identity disorder patient who has multiple personalities. When the personalities discover that there is a more powerful personality that is physically stronger than them, they scheme to release this personality through a series of kidnappings.

“Split” is directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars James McAvoy (Kevin Wendell Crumb), Anya Taylor-Joy (Casey Cooke), Betty Buckley (Dr Karen Fletcher), Haley Lu Richardson (Claire Benoit), Jessica Sula (Marcia), with a cameo by Bruce Willis (David Dunn). It is rated PG-13.

“Split” had a great trailer and a premise that showed such promise. It was a movie that you thought would have a gripping story, dramatic twists, and a breathtaking performance by McAvoy. It also started as an intense, emotional story that devolved into a run-of-the-mill thriller with everything playing out exactly as you’d imagine. It’s not a terrible movie by any stretch, just a disappointing one.

Highlights

An interesting spin on the premise

By default, any film about multiple personalities is generally interesting, since seeing the different facets of a person appeals to us on a personal level. “Split” takes this premise and ramps it up to the extreme with 23 different personalities. It’s already an interesting premise, and by adding a new perspective to it, the film becomes truly engaging… at first.

Letdowns

You don’t empathise with the different personalities

McAvoy just isn’t convincing enough to make you feel for the different personalities that he portrays. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that they can’t have backstories or tragic pasts (or rather, that they share the same one). While you can differentiate him in his different personas, you don’t sympathise with any of Kevin’s (McAvoy) personalities. It’s difficult to root for any one character as a result.

Relies too much on coincidences and contrivances

The problem is that most of what happens is a matter of characters stumbling upon the right information by chance, instead of getting it through their own efforts. The plot doesn’t explain any of these instances, and just throws them at you as given facts which don’t make sense.

The big reveal is underwhelming

Most of the film is devoted to the unleashing the big reveal. The issue is that it’s either done in shadow, or we see the results instead of the actual actions. It’s all too clear that these are camera tricks or stuntmen, because you never see McAvoy’s face when those feats are displayed.

Too many jump scares

For a horror film, jump scares are perfectly normal. They’re almost to be expected. But for a psychological horror film, which is what “Split” is, they feel like cheap tricks to mask the lack of actual psychological tension. There are just too many jump scares for this to feel like a clever manipulation of emotions.

“Split” is all right but not spectacular.

Should you watch this if it’s free? Okay.

Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? No.

Score: 1.9/5

“Split” opens in cinemas:
– 19 January, 2017 (Singapore)
– 19 January, 2017 (Malaysia)
– 18 January, 2017 (Philippines)

Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter. He's also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. He Tweets/Instagrams at Optimarcus and writes at marcusgohmarcusgoh.com. The views expressed are his own.