Split follows Kevin, a man who possesses 23 distinct personalities. Some of which are male and some of which are female, some of which are young, and some of which are old, some of which are homosexual and some of which are heterosexual, some of which have OCD or require insulin for diabetes, and some of which are really rather volatile and dangerous. But, as of late, only 3 personalities have had command of Kevin's body and they are preparing for the arrival of a 24th, the one they call The Beast. And as an offering to The Beast Dennis has kidnapped three girls; Casey, Claire and Marcia.
James McAvoy is a Master at his craft and the star of this film through and through. Though he doesn't portray all 23 personalities, the ones that Shyamalan focuses on are deeply developed; Barry (a gay fashion designer), Dennis (the leader who has extreme OCD) and Hedwig (the nine years old who loves Kanye). The individuality of each character is so intense that at one moment you can loathe McAvoy and the next you feel almost sympathetic towards him.
Ana Taylor Joy plays the one of the three girls that we get to know the most and she delivers the second best performance in the picture. From her interactions with Hedwig to calmly having lunch with Patricia she is on her A-game. Never once does she faultier in her performance and, honestly, at the end she is 100% on par with McAovy.
Last, but not least, is Brad William Henke who does a phenomenal job in a supporting role as Uncle John. Even though his role here is small, he packs in the performance when he hits the screen and adds another layer to the already thickened plot. The way he plays lovable, likable evil is mesmerizing and really is more essential to the story than most realize.
Split is a must see and will, most likely, go down as the horror movie of this year. If you enjoy genuinely good horror that keeps you on edge, then this is the cream of the crop.
Rating: 9/10
Rich Stile @TheDevilsEyes1