A Split Decision

[silverscreenselect]

We saw Split yesterday and it's a welcome return to form by M. Night Shyamalan, whose work over the past decade has ranged from mediocre to terrible. It's not perfect (the middle part can be a bit slow), but it's easily his best since Signs. It's an old fashioned horror movie, one that relies on atmosphere and gradual building of tension (rather than cheap gotcha jump cut scares). Shyamalan also realizes that what you don't see is scarier than what you do (and also helps preserve a PG-13 rating). And, it's got a terrific performance (or, more accurately, performances) by James McAvoy as a man with multiple personalities that occasionally come and go in the midst of a speech.

And it's got a twist ending, one that (a) I'm not going to spoil, and (b) it's impossible to guess, even if you know there is a twist ending coming (which is why I didn't feel bad mentioning there is a twist ending). But you have to wait until literally the last pre-closing-credits 30 seconds of the film to have any inkling that it is coming.

[Bob Juch]

If it's his best since Signs, it must be terrible!

[Pastor Fireball]

But was it better than The Happening?

[Bob Juch]

But was it better than The Happening?

Well there was one outstanding actress in The Happening.

For some reason the pay cable channels have a glut of Shyamalan's films this week: The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Lady in the Water, The Villiage, The Visit, and Signs.