After watching the trailer for the most talked about thriller movie of the year, I knew I would see it on opening night. “Split”, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, reached theaters Jan. 20, one of the first big films of the year. It follows the story of three teenage girls who are abducted from a parking lot by Dennis, one of the 23 personalities of Kevin Crumb (played by James McAvoy) who suffers from dissociative identity disorder.  

As the girls are locked in a room together, they slowly unravel the multiple personalities of Kevin. Casey, the outcast of the group, tries to convince the non-violent personalities to let them go and attempts to befriend one of the personalities, Hedwig, a 9-year-old boy who warns them of “The Beast”, a personality yet to be revealed. Through thrill, suspense and even humor, the characters of the movie draw the audience in.  

Although the plot had great potential for a memorable movie and the casting was great, it was a bit of an upset. It seems as if they simply tried too hard. In many scenes, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be freaked out. The idea of “The Beast” and its different superhuman-abilities was a bit far-fetched for my liking. Knowing his work, I expected more out of Shyamalan and a better ending.

Rotten Tomatoes gave “Split” a 74%, a rating that I feel is fair. I give it three out of five cardinal heads.