Split
Universal Pictures | Release Date: January 20, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 48 Critics
Positive:
30
Mixed:
14
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperJan 18, 2017
With the chilling, creepy, bold and sometimes bat-bleep absurd Split, the 46-year-old Shyamalan serves notice he’s still got some nifty plot tricks up his sleeve and he hasn’t lost his masterful touch as a director. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyJan 18, 2017
Split is funnier, campier, and more freewheeling than anything its writer-director has done — slightly overlong, but reminiscent of Brian De Palma films like "The Fury" and "Femme Fatale" in its refusal to be boring. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangJan 19, 2017
Split doesn’t just revive Shyamalan’s career; it resurrects his brand. Read full review
80
EmpireKim NewmanJan 16, 2017
This psycho-thriller showcases an awards-worthy performance from James McAvoy. Shyamalan papers over plot-holes with dry black humour and well-judged suspense, and — as always — holds back some surprises. Read full review
80
Total FilmNeil SmithJan 16, 2017
This is a Shyamalan movie through and through. And it’s his best in some time, thanks to a magnetic McAvoy. Read full review
80
Screen InternationalTim GriersonNov 17, 2016
Split is a highly effective, nerve-shredding horror movie that makes the most of its claustrophobic setting, familiar setup and psychological gimmicks Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeNov 16, 2016
Shyamalan’s goal is to keep us guessing, and in that respect, Split is a resounding success — even if in others, it could have you rolling your eyes. Read full review
80
The GuardianJordan HoffmanSep 27, 2016
Split goes all-in on McAvoy slipping from persona to persona, and luckily he’s got the acting chops to sell it. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeSep 27, 2016
The director ties themes together at the end with more finesse than usual, letting a couple of meaningful visuals speak for themselves where he might have thrown in a line or two of explanatory dialogue. And as for that final twist, it's a doozy. Read full review
80
ScreenCrushBritt HayesSep 27, 2016
Although occasionally heavy-handed, Shyamalan’s latest is his most considerate and effective film in years, with a startling emotional core. Read full review
78
The VergeBryan BishopJan 19, 2017
The results aren’t flawless, but Split is nevertheless a tense, exciting thriller anchored by a stunning performance by James McAvoy. And it may just restore Shyamalan fans’ belief in the power of the twist ending. Read full review
75
Tampa Bay TimesSteve PersallJan 24, 2017
Split is a tidy example of lurid understatement, its themes ripe for nastier treatment than Shyamalan offers, grindhouse stuff served with vegan restraint. Read full review
75
MTV NewsAmy NicholsonJan 21, 2017
Split has to satisfy both audiences that believe in trigger warnings and the camp crowd that just wants to see McAvoy pull the trigger. And so, Shyamalan trickily asks us to redefine victimhood. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireJan 20, 2017
Split is more lean and taut in its narrative and pace than we’ve seen from Shyamalan lately. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerJan 19, 2017
The problem with Shyamalan’s spin on dissociative identity disorder is that for all the dissociation, why are all 23 identities cool with locking terrified girls in a basement? Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter TraversJan 19, 2017
This might have degenerated into a cheap gimmick if not for the way Shyamalan lets us inside the childhood trauma that pushed his tormentor into multiple personalities. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerTirdad DerakhshaniJan 19, 2017
A remarkably weird and wonderful exercise in psychological terror featuring a virtuoso performance by Scottish actor James McAvoy. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubJan 19, 2017
Always watchable, and occasionally great. And that’s probably more than even the most forgiving former Shyamalan fan ever thought they’d see again. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshJan 19, 2017
While McAvoy is known for his dramatic roles, and as the young Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" franchise, he's delightful when let off the leash and allowed to show off his loud, campy, unhinged side. Read full review
75
The PlaylistAlison WillmoreJan 19, 2017
[Shyamalan] still knows how to manipulate an audience with an original story, and with “Split,” we don’t mind him pulling the strings again. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineHenry StewartJan 18, 2017
Split is personal and outlandish, with questionable themes, riveting plotting, somber storytelling, and elegant construction. Read full review
75
USA TodayBrian TruittJan 18, 2017
What resonates more is his more subtle exploration of how people deal differently with trauma and the power of connection. That message — and a captivating McAvoy — will stick with you long past the thrills of a cool twist. Read full review
75
Consequence of SoundMarten CarlsonSep 27, 2016
Shyamalan ingeniously places his leading man front and center, where McAvoy amuses and horrifies as the cliché plot points sometimes stumble. Read full review
70
TheWrapRobert AbeleJan 19, 2017
It’s made with campfire-spooky care rather than an abiding need to impress you with his gifts. Read full review
70
TimeStephanie ZacharekJan 19, 2017
Split is compulsively watchable. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzJan 18, 2017
After that streak of deadly misfires it’s nice to see Shyamalan enjoying himself again. Read full review
67
The Film StageDaniel SchindelNov 17, 2016
The problem with its mystery setup is that, since we’re simply waiting for The Beast to show up, the revelations are less driving plot progression than they are filling time, and that “ticking clock” is arbitrary Read full review
63
LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenJan 24, 2019
The notion of a villain’s power being born of his own suffering is a comic-book staple that’s intriguingly reimagined from the ground up here, in a way that speaks to the originality that Shyamalan first brought to the superhero genre with Unbreakable. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTom RussoJan 19, 2017
It’s a movie eager to examine the stigma of mental illness and the dynamics of victimization, to a point. Past that, it’s just distressing, narratively convenient exploitation that gets by on the strength of McAvoy’s fearless, electrifyingly adaptive performance. Read full review
63
New York PostSara StewartJan 18, 2017
Unfortunately, you could probably improve Split by editing out everything around McAvoy and making it an experimental one-man show. Read full review
60
The New York TimesA.O. ScottJan 19, 2017
Split is lurid and ludicrous, and sometimes more than a little icky in its prurient, maudlin interest in the abuse of children. It’s also absorbing and sometimes slyly funny. Read full review
60
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottJan 19, 2017
If Split does one thing, it's to show that "The Visit" wasn't a fluke. If it does another thing, it's to make me intrigued to see what he has in store for us next. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsAmy RoweJan 19, 2017
Split smacks of the director’s past fare, and its suspenseful, scary tone recalls "The Sixth Sense." When Shyamalan embraces his identity as a horror director with a knack for surprises, more fun is had by all. Read full review
60
We Got This CoveredMatt DonatoJan 19, 2017
Split is never as clever or poignant as it thinks it is, but James McAvoy won't let it be forgotten, either. Read full review
60
The TelegraphRobbie CollinJan 19, 2017
while every detail matters, they don’t all point towards a kick-yourself climactic revelation. All you have to do is climb aboard, keep checking your blind spots, and enjoy the rackety ride. Read full review
60
Time OutJoshua RothkopfJan 18, 2017
Split trots out many of Shyamalan’s pet moves (it’s amazing how well we know this filmmaker), including his tendency to infuse genre nonsense with the deeper trauma of child abuse. Read full review
60
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlJan 17, 2017
McAvoy is impressive as he switches personalities, but never scary or moving; the script gives him many chances to exhibit virtuosity but too few for soulfulness. Read full review
50
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanJan 19, 2017
For all the outrageousness of Kevin’s alters, the movie falls oddly flat: less tantalizingly enigmatic “et cetera” than “blah blah blah.” Read full review
50
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldJan 18, 2017
You can see why McAvoy was drawn to the role — it’s as if he’s playing every character in a very populated if not particularly well-scripted play — and he demonstrates a shellacked creepiness that’s effective. But Shyamalan can’t find much else that’s new or appealing in this overlong girls-in-peril exercise. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenJan 18, 2017
As far as cinema’s long love affair with DID dramas goes, Split ain’t a half-bad contribution. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreJan 18, 2017
Shyamalan gets his chutzpah, if not exactly his mojo back with this solid and modestly thrilling thriller. Read full review
50
IndieWireJette KernionSep 27, 2016
Split avoids being entirely tedious thanks to McAvoy’s standout performance as he cycles through those personalities, sometimes from line to line. Read full review
42
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerJan 20, 2017
Shyamalan is a one-trick pony who needs to find a new rodeo. Read full review
40
The New YorkerAnthony LaneJan 23, 2017
In short, we are watching an old-fashioned exploitation flick — part of a depleted and degrading genre that not even M. Night Shyamalan, the writer and director of Split, can redeem. Read full review
38
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliJan 19, 2017
Unimaginative horror movies are a dime a dozen, but overlong, boring, unimaginative horror movies? Those are rare. However, in Split, that’s what writer/director M. Night Shyamalan has provided the early 2017 movie-going populace. Read full review
30
New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinJan 24, 2017
My loathing of Split goes beyond its derivative ideas and second-hand parts. Read full review
25
ObserverRex ReedJan 25, 2017
Unfortunately, Split is a preposterous bore that steals shamelessly from "The Search for Bridey Murphy," "The Three Faces of Eve," "Sybil" and Shirley Jackson’s novel "The Bird’s Nest," made by a man who has been spending entirely too much time watching "Law and Order: SVU." Read full review
10
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternJan 19, 2017
Split reworks some of the themes Mr. Shyamalan developed in the 2000 “Unbreakable” — weakness and strength, unstoppable power, a sense of emergent destiny. The film contends that people are purified by suffering. Having suffered through the screening, I’m still waiting for my purer self to kick in. Read full review
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