Home > Categories > Movies > Thriller > Split review
Writer/Producer/Director M. Night Shyamalan returns with an original thriller that delves into the mysterious recesses of one man's fractured, gifted mind.
Though Kevin (James McAvoy) has revealed 23 personalities to his psychiatrist, there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others.
Compelled to abduct three teenage girls, Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him - as well as everyone around him - as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.
Product reviews...
One of the most intense thrillers I have ever seen. Even from the opening sequence I was left extremely tense and actually freaked out how easy it is to kidnap someone today. As the movie progressed I found I had sweaty palms and feet and I could not relax at all. It is psychologically thrilling and disturbing. James McAvoy gives a cultivating performance, his ability to act in such a different manor in the same scene is amazing to watch and he does it with such conviction you can not help but be impressed, even if he is a psychotic psycho. Actually the whole cast was fantastic and can not be faulted, nor can the script.
Being a M. Night Shyamalan movie we had expected a major twist at the end, as he has previously done with such movies as the Sixth Sense and The Village and although nothing major occurs I found the whole movie is a giant twist and you find yourself admiring how amazing the mind is. How one identity can have diabetes when another can speak with an accent or another has to wear glasses it is truly impressive how these 'identities' really do take on a complete new character all to themselves and how the mind works with the belief in something being real. I was surprised to learn that this is the sequel to Unbreakable with Bruce Willis and there is a third movie on the agenda.
After the kidnapping occurs you see one of the girls being wheeled in on a stretcher and I figured it was going to be a torture/slasher film like Hostel or Saw but it is so much more and it really messes with you afterwards. I really did not expect a lot from this movie and I was left pleasantly surprised. Nothing is what it seems and although I don't think we needed the 'Casey' backstory as it does not add a lot to the movie, it explained a lot of her behaviour. I think, I would of liked the other two girls to have stepped up a bit more to the plate.
The DVD offers extra's with an alternative ending. I am glad they went with the one they did it felt lighter and fitted the movie more. There are deleted scenes which I agree they made the right decisions in it and there is an in-depth look at James McAvoy and some of the characters that he played. A truly gifted talent and I am not sure anyone else could of played the part as well.
I can not praise this movie enough, it is fantastically made and the acting is amazing. If you like thrillers that leave you tense and a little scared then this is the movie for you. It is not a huge thinking movie but one you can just sit back and watch as you can never guess who will walk through the door next. It leaves you a little scared as to the people we share this world with.
Random listing from 'Movies'...
On the remote New Siberian Islands in the Arctic Ocean, hunters search for tusks of extinct mammoths. When they discover a surprisingly well-preserved mammoth carcass, its resurrection becomes the first manifestation of the next great technological revolution: genetics, and it may turn the world upside down.
Part of the 2018 DocEdge Cinematic Festival - see http://docedge.nz/ for more details.
All trademarks, images and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective companies.
KIWIreviews is an independent entity, part of the Knock Out News Group. This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of kiwireviews.nz and are protected under New Zealand law by the "Honest Opinion" clause of the Defamation Act of 1992. KIWIreviews accepts no liability for statements made on this site, on the premise that they have been submitted as the true and honest opinions of the individual posters. In most cases, prices and dates stated are approximate and should be considered as only guidelines.
"Proof that God doesn't exist: If God created the earth for mankind, why is it that we can only live on a less than a quarter of it?"
anonymous