Review: Split (15)

The abductor’s distinct personas supplant one another without warning, establishing a tense psychological battle for internal supremacy, which runs parallel to the hostages’ fight for survival. As dramatic set-ups go, Split is ripe with suspense, and Shyamalan’s script veers in unexpected directions, including one tantalizing sequence that will draw gasps from fans of his earlier work.

A flashback framing device to a childhood hunting trip is far more predictable and the twisted morality of closing scenes, which attempt to justify who deserves to die, leaves a slightly bitter taste in the mouth. Far sweeter is Glasgow-born lead actor James McAvoy’s tour-de-force portrayal of an emotionally damaged man at war with himself.

In one powerhouse scene, he ricochets between several personalities, capturing with aplomb the fierce battle raging inside his antagonist’s head.

Split is a return to confident form for Shyamalan, who has never quite lived up to the dizzying promise of his Oscar-nominated third feature The Sixth Sense.

On general release