Movie · 2017 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 57m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 4.8/10 (2.3M ratings)
Kevin has 23 distinct personalities. The 24th is about to be unleashed.
Overview
Though Kevin has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher, there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey, 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.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.8/10
IMDb: 7.3/10
Letterboxd: 3.51/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
Metacritic: 63
TMDB: 7.3/10
Director
M. Night Shyamalan
Production
Blinding Edge Pictures, Blumhouse Productions
Cast
James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, Betty Buckley, Izzie Coffey, Brad William Henke, Sebastian Arcelus, Neal Huff, Ukee Washington, Ann Wood, Robert Michael Kelly, M. Night Shyamalan, Rosemary Howard, Jerome Gallman, Lyne Renee, Kate Jacoby, Peter Patrikios, Kash Goins, Roy James Wilson
Curator Review
Verdict
A tense, high-concept thriller anchored by James McAvoy’s showy, shape-shifting performance and a strong survival setup. It’s not flawless, but the psychological hook, claustrophobic suspense, and final-act escalation make it an easy watch for genre fans.
Best for
psychological horror fans
viewers who enjoy contained survival thrillers
fans of actor-driven performances
people curious about twisty M. Night Shyamalan movies
Skip if
you want grounded realism
you dislike melodramatic dialogue or big twists
you prefer horror with more explicit gore than psychological tension
you are sensitive to depictions of trauma and abduction
Overview
Split works best as a pressure-cooker thriller: three trapped girls, one unstable captor, and a story that keeps shifting as different identities take control. The setup is efficient, the suspense is often effective, and the film gives James McAvoy a wildly demanding role that he attacks with real commitment.
Worth noting
What lingers most is the movie’s sense of unease and its fascination with fractured identity, control, and survival. Anya Taylor-Joy gives the film a cool, watchful center, and the cat-and-mouse dynamics inside the bunker are more compelling than the broader mythology.
Bottom line
It’s also a very M. Night Shyamalan movie in the sense that it is bold, pulpy, and occasionally awkward. Some viewers will find the ending overblown or the dialogue clunky, but if you’re in the mood for a slick, oddball thriller with a memorable lead performance, it delivers enough to recommend.
Top Letterboxd reviews
carina (2★) · 9257 likes
totally not related to the movie at all but I was pissing myself when the guy behind me in the theater said "oh my god this guy is the faun from the chronicles of narnia" about mcavoy. OF ALL MOVIES
Griffin (2.5★) · 7624 likes
“Wait, please! I wanna hear your Kanye West albums!”
Chills.
Felipe F. (3★) · 7105 likes
Anya Taylor-Joy looked straight into the camera and said "pee on yourself" and I think I did.
#1 gizmo fan (4.5★) · 6313 likes
FUCKING ANYA TAYLOR-JOY RUNNING AROUND IN THAT OUTFIT MADE ME GAY
kaiden (4★) · 3628 likes
james mcavoys performance in this movie is top tier cinematic excellence.