M. Night Shyamalan, arguably one of the most prolific and peculiar directors in living memory, shocked viewers worldwide with his latest blockbuster picture “Split.”
“Split” follows a senior in high school named Casey Cooke, portrayed by Anya-Taylor Joy, and her interesting dynamic with her captor, Kevin Crumb, a troubled young man along with his 23 other dissociative identities that reside within him, played by James McAvoy. The two main identities “Dennis” and “Patricia” hope to create a 24th identity known only as “The Beast” and want to offer the girls to him as living tributes.
The film delves into the mind of a truly troubled man. Crumb’s circumstances made it so the only way to cope with his issues is to create separate personalities to suit his individual needs. As these needs grew in number, so did his personalities, and the more these personalities split, the less control Crumb truly had.
This disorder is not completely based on fiction, however. While not nearly as dramatic as in the movie, Dissociative Identity Disorder is a real condition, though rare. DID is a mental disorder that typically involves a diagnosed patient depicting two or more separate personalities or “identities.”
Shyamalan is infamous for all his movies having a surprising and irregular twist towards the climax, and this film is certainly no different. The film takes a dramatic turn towards the end, shifting its atmosphere from a creepy thriller to a borderline horror film. The film is truly Shyamalan, harnessing all the elements that have made his style of directing famous. The eerie, creepy and at times, hilarious nature of the movie create an environment that only McVoy and Shyamalan could create together.
Rotten Tomatoes gave “Split” 73 percent and imDb gave it a 7.5/10.
“Split” was released on Jan. 17 and is estimated for DVD and Blu-Ray release in April of 2017.
by Brandon Hussey
