Split (***)

It shouldn't come as a surprise that M Night Shyamalan continues to make films. Regardless of critical opinion, he somehow manages to build an impressive box office draw no matter how unimpressive his films turn out to be. In 1999 when he debuted with 'The Sixth Sense' there were people who said he would be the next Steven Spielberg. Looking back at that idea, there have got to be some pretty significant people rolling over in their graves to think that such a comparison was ever made. Regardless of my thoughts, and regardless of past works, it must be said that 'Split,' as silly as it is, still works on many levels as an intriguing thriller.

The movie begins with the kidnap of 3 girls (Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, and Anya Taylor-Joy) from a parking lot in broad daylight. When they wake up in a windowless room, they soon begin to see the danger of their situation. Not only are they being held by a man (James McAvoy) with vague intentions, but he displays one of many personalities; some helpful and some dangerous. The chances of escape are slim.

Right away, we have a flawed concept. We identify the hero of the story, the shy girl named Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy, who also appeared in 'The Witch' earlier in the year). Through endless flashbacks we see her tortured childhood, scene after scene of a small girl and her deranged uncle. Shyamalan attempts to draw sympathy with Casey and leaves the other two girls as little more than props with no clear character or motivation. Why have 3 girls at all? Kevin, as we learn the real kidnapper's name is, is in constant communication with his psychiatrist Dr Karen Fletcher who treats his split-personality disorder as though she is diagnosing a witch in the 16th Century.

There's a novelty that comes with the film and Kevin's personalities, and it's with a surprising amount of conviction that McAvoy pulls off a difficult task: making us believe him regardless of the silly script and silly words they speak. We learn he has 23 personalities (ranging from a sort of kinky nun named Patricia to a small boy named Hedwig) that come in and out and communicate to the kidnapped girls through locked door. Hedwig is a fan of Kanye West and is curious about kissing girls. Another personality named Dennis has obsessive-compulsive disorder and keeps a close eye on the cleanliness of the bathroom.

Yes it's Shyamalan so there is a twist of sorts. Whether or not you buy the ending is up to you. It comes in the final moments of the movie as patrons of a diner watch the news and react to the idea of a man living with multiple personalities. In the theater I saw it, most people didn't understand what happened. I don't blame them. The twist requires an audience's prior knowledge and history of the director's films. It's a preposterous setup and makes little sense in the context of the film, and yet die-hard fans will say they are now excited to see what M Night Shyamalan does next. That's a twist in itself.

I can only praise the film for McAvoy's performance, which is unbelievably clever and worked out. The movie overall is a rough cut of something that could have been much more effective, perhaps with a different director or a tighter screenplay. When we see McAvoy on screen, it's almost makes up for all the other issues. When he's absent, the story falls apart. If that's not great acting I don't know what is.