By Anne Kehl, Managing Editor
Let me just start by saying I was very excited to see “Split.” I had seen multiple commercials for it, and received rave reviews from a few close friends.
Now, let me tell you the outcome you might not expect: I was appalled.
The movie begins with the conclusion of a teenage girl’s birthday party. The blonde, stereotypically popular and put-together birthday girl, Claire (Haley Lu Richardson); her forgettable, but noticeably strong friend, Marcia (Jessica Sula); and Claire’s father (Neal Huff) talk about Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy), a broody, dark-and-dangerous sort of character, who Claire pity-invited to her party.
The girls offer to give Casey a ride home, to which she initially protests, but eventually gives in. As they’re getting in the car, a strange man (James McAvoy) enters the vehicle and sprays their mouths and noses with a strange gas, rendering them unconscious.
This scene touches on the theme of politeness vs. safety. Making a big deal of others’ mistakes is considered very offensive and impolite, especially when it is a woman pointing out a man’s mistake. This is why the girls don’t defend themselves effectively. It would be viewed as remarkably rude to shout at this man to get out of their car if it was an honest mistake. He takes advantage of their courtesy.
The three girls awake in a small, bleak room with two beds and an adjacent bathroom, which is where they spend the majority of the film. Shortly after waking, the man who took them appears at the door in the same clothes he abducted them in — black pants, a tight, grey button-up and thin black-framed glasses. He introduces himself as Dennis.
He proceeds to take Marcia out into the hall, telling her to take off her clothes and dance, and she urinates herself.
At this point, if you hadn’t seen commercials for the movie, you would think this was a film commenting on child kidnapping and sexual assault. It is banking on the fact that the viewer had previously viewed advertisements detailing the plot of the movie. The director had to be clean out of ideas to bet on audience members to already know the storyline. Furthermore, as you’ll read later, the movie takes a wrong turn and the adverts essentially mean nothing in terms of what the movie is really about.
Later in the evening, they hear a girlish voice and the sound of heels clicking in the hall, and they cry for help. The same man, once called Dennis, opens the door in a maroon sweater with a silver pendant around his neck, a long black skirt and heels. He reintroduces himself as Patricia and reassures the girls that Dennis will not hurt them because they serve a “larger purpose.”
This, of course, is where it gets complicated. The girls discover that he dresses and acts as more than one person, not to mention gender.
As the movie continues, it is discovered that “Dennis” takes on 23 unique personas, only about four of which play a significant role in the movie.
I was actually glad that they decided to focus on a few characters in-depth rather than shallowly introducing all of them. The ones they did concentrate on were impressively magnetic and gutsy. I also admired the choice to show little tidbits of the other personalities in his video diaries assigned to him by his therapist, rather than completely ignoring the rest of them.
This was interesting, because one personality, Dennis, abducted her, and another showed her where to find the keys to unlock her room.
The next day — as I can only assume because time is very elusive — another character appears. It’s the same man in a yellow and black puffy jacket, black sweatpants and tennis shoes, except this time he sits cross-legged leaning on the door frame with a new twinkle in his eye.
This character is without a doubt my favorite. He is extremely dynamic and similar to what an actual child acts like. His acting performance while portraying the personality introduced later, Hedwig, showcases McAvoy’s vast command of emotion, temperament and personality. He injects himself with a little bit of purity that you only really see in small children.
He describes himself as a spunky, curious, 9-year-old boy named Hedwig. Hedwig seems innocent and caring, but also thirsty for new knowledge and power. This is the first time we hear mention of “the Beast.” Hedwig, as an important guide to the plot, later alludes to the motives of Patricia and Dennis, as well as the girls being sacrificed to this Beast.
The next personality we meet is Barry, a flamboyant, seemingly gay fashion designer. He is in his therapist, Dr. Fletcher’s (Betty Buckley), office, showing her some new sketches. She seems a bit distrustful, however, and accuses Barry of actually being Dennis, the more malevolent and violent personality. He denies it, of course, and the conversation continues.
This scene was particularly interesting to me, not only because of how increasingly obvious it becomes that Barry really is Dennis, but because Dr. Fletcher looks completely unafraid. She is simply fascinated. However, this scene was problematic for some of the same reasons.
Dennis’s presence is beyond conspicuous. He performs his ticks — adjusting the candy bowl and using his handkerchief to touch things — so many times that it is really the only thing he is doing. This glaringly exhibits the director’s or writer’s vision for the ending of the film, where Dennis takes over all of the personalities, not just Barry’s, and thrusts the Beast into the light.
Later, Dr. Fletcher is seen giving a lecture about the correlation between psychological changes in personality and biological changes in the body. She talks about how allergies and sleep cycles correspond to specific personalities. Different personalities cause the subject’s body to materially change.
This is the exact moment where the movie was destroyed for me. I knew how the movie would end and wanted my money back. They took a movie that was advertised as a psychological thriller, placing the observer inside the mind of a man suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and replaced it with a sci-fi-fantasy narrative of a man suffering from DID who transforms into a physical monster. I’m not sure whether I’m more disappointed with the stigma placed on mental illness or the predictability of the ending.
It turns out I was right. We find out that the man’s real name is Kevin Wendell Crumb. He turns into a literal beast, with pure black eyes, bulging muscles, popping veins and a thirst for blood. His house is under a zoo, and his Beast personality is modeled after the animals there.
In the opening sequence, I was hopeful. I thought that maybe after the decades of abusing mentally ill people for the entertainment of the masses, this would be different. I thought it could shed a light on the inner struggle and strength of those who don’t think like everyone else, and maybe even acknowledge the very real disorder that many struggle with today.
But no, it depicts mentally ill people as literal monsters and animals. It also, like many movies coming out recently, glorifies and excuses child abuse. Similar to the storyline in the “50 Shades” trilogy, the main character is abused and abandoned as a young boy, thus turning into something much darker because of it. In the case of “50 Shades,” this creates a controlling and manipulative businessman who enjoys inflicting pain on others, while in the case of “Split,” child abuse transforms a deranged child-stealer into brawny freak when he gets angry.
Despite the beyond disappointing plotline, the shining light in this film is McAvoy. He fearlessly and convincingly portrays every role, using every ounce of his talent — from the smiley, spirited Hedwig to the menacing, vicious Beast. His brilliance almost overcomes the shortcomings of the plot in a way I have never seen an actor accomplish.
However, overall, this movie was a colossal disappointment. While it was technically well executed, it was mis-advertised and remarkably predictable. I was impressed with the acting, but all in all, the storyline, or lack thereof, and the absence of a conclusive ending left me feeling the same way I felt after finishing the last season of “Dance Moms”: disgusted with both the screen and myself for sitting through it.
Two out of five stars.