Movie Review : Split

Not too far removed from "Silence of the Lambs" in terms of the depth of horror. It is a much more intense character study than the Hannibal films. The intent is unclear where Hannibal is more calculated and some of this uncertainty is what makes the movie more unnerving.   M. Night Shyamalan comes pretty close to breaking away from the Rubix cube like formula we find in most of his films and finally delivers a horror movie. He got scary with "the 6th Sense" but takes it in a more disturbing direction that could have easily gone the way of torture porn, which at times I hoped for. It was very reserved when it comes to the violence. In truth the movie really hangs upon James McAvoy's career defining performance that has changed the game as to how you will see him going forward. Insanity is a key component to his character who has a multiple personality disorder . We mainly see the more dominant ones.

Until the end he really doesn't use much in the way of make up to change personalities, in fact he might wear a woman's clothes , but it is all in how he uses the nuances of her personality to transform him self. He captures the energy and innocence of a child and really makes you forget about Professor X or any other of his roles. They get right to the dirty work and prove you don't have to waste too much time trying to make you sympathetic to the victims in order to make you feel the danger. Even the more don't go in the basement escape moments are fluid and make sense given the protagonists are mainly teenager's aside from his therapist.

One thing I feel separates great horror movies from mediocre is the ability to make the most out of beautiful shots and create something more compelling than a blood bath.  Shyamalan proves that "the 6th Sense" was not a fluke, and despite the movies pg-13 rating creates something that draws you in visually as well as emotionally. Sure it was a little cheesy to tie it into "Unbreakable". Some times the over the top transformations McAvoy makes are even a little funny though it is disarming to the character in the story being told. If you like the more suspenseful side of horror , I think this movie will be dark enough for you and if you like "psycho" characters then this is a must see.