Long-time readers know the drill, but here’s a quick refresher for the uninitiated: while I don’t do reviews per se here on the blog, I do occasionally write recommendations–which (okay, I’ll admit) are like reviews, but always positive.
Today I’d like to recommend the movie Split, the new thriller from M. Night Shyamalan. Yes, it’s been out for a few weeks already, but it wasn’t until I’d heard glowing reviews from multiple sources that the movie jumped from “check it out if shows up on Netflix” to “see it while it’s still in theaters or regret it FOREVERRRRRR.” I caught it last weekend, and I’m glad I did.
The less you know about the plot, the better, but just so you know what you’re getting into, here’s the premise: A guy with multiple personalities kidnaps some teenage girls. Wackiness–horrific, shocking wackiness–ensues.
That’s it.
It’s a small, tight movie. (I mean really tight. It’s claustrophobic at some points.) There are only a handful of actors, and their performances are all impressive. James McAvoy, as the kidnapper, is brilliant as he flips from one personality to another. (I’m not surprised. It’s the sort of role actors love to do.) Anna Taylor-Joy, as one of the kidnapees, brings a lot of depth to what could have been a very two-dimensional character. And Betty Buckley is great as… a character who doesn’t show up in the trailer, so I’ll just keep my mouth shut.
Like many people, I was a big M. Night fan until The Village… then completely gave up on him after The Happening. But after hearing good things about The Visit, and now watching Split, for the first time in years, I’m looking forward to what he does next.
(And yes, there’s a fun bit at the end. I wouldn’t call it a twist, but it’s… a fun bit.)
