Split is a Hit!
January 30, 2017
Kevin Wendell Crumb. The name itself gives you chills if you’ve already seen the movie, Split. It is a film about a young man who carries twenty-three personalities inside of his body, with the twenty-fourth being revealed by end of the film. The movie follows his journey as his four most powerful and evil personalities begin to completely take over him. Kevin, the main character, is overpowered by his alternate personalities Patricia, Hedwig, Dennis. These three personalities work together to kidnap three young girls in effort to provide food for Kevin’s twenty-fourth personality, The Beast.
Split is rooted in pain and mental trauma, and its influence on mental illnesses such as the one Kevin has. The main character, Kevin Wendell Crumb, developed his many personalities as a result of his abusive childhood experiences. Split is enjoyable because of the true message behind it. It is a story about a struggling man who loses himself in the process of coping with his pain. He unconsciously develops new personalities to defend his crippled psyche. Fans of psychology and cognitive processes will find the movie to be superb. Not to mention the remarkable acting skills portrayed. James McAvoy played twenty-four distinct personalities, all being able to be separately detected . If he doesn’t receive and Oscar for this, crowds will be in an uproar.
Some movie goers, however, has indicated their indifference to the movie. Vivica Price ‘17 said “I loved the movie but I believe you had to have knowledge of his background and his condition to fully understand why this happened to (Kevin), and the same for (the girls he kidnapped). Make sure your know you psychology before seeing it!” Some agree with her opinion. The movie grazes over topics of mental illness that many just don’t understand. The main character has dissociative identity disorder that some people mistake for schizophrenia. Critics have praised the film but others are disturbed and have resorted to boycotting the film due to their belief of a poor portrayal of mental illness. Overall, Split’s incredible actors, powerful message, and shocking story line makes it one of the top cinematic releases the theaters have seen in some time. Splits director, M. Night Shyamalan, adds another critically acclaimed movie to his already dazzling list of films.