Split

M. Night Shyamalan burst onto the cinematic scene with audacious plot twists in The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs, but his next few movies were disappointments. Shyamalan returns to form in Split, in which psychologically disturbed Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy) kidnaps three high school girls. According to his compassionate therapist, Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), he suffers from DID (dissociative identity disorder), manifesting 23 different personalities with a 24th, the Beast, about to surface. Imprisoned in a subterranean bunker, his terrified teenage victims are popular Claire (Haley Lu Richardson), her bestie Marcia (Jessica Sula), and disconsolate Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy), the latter a loner whose deeply disturbing backstory is gradually revealed. While Claire and Marcia try to escape, Casey cautiously chats with their captor, particularly when his personality surfaces as prattling Hedwig, a 9-year-old boy who feels menaced by his elders. With Kevin's other personalities—including take-charge Dennis, orderly Miss Patricia, and flamboyant fashionista Barry—the girls don't stand a chance, having been told that they're “sacred food” for the Beast when he arrives. While McAvoy shines, not all of this really works, although it is still a mostly suspenseful, supernatural thriller. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (15 min.), a “making-of” featurette (10 min.), behind-the-scenes segments on “The Many Faces of James McAvoy” (6 min.) and “The Filmmaker's Eye: M. Night Shyamalan” (4 min.), and an alternate ending (2 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a flawed but engaging film.] (S. Granger)