Anya Taylor-Joy Meets James McAvoy in This Blockbuster 117-Minute Thriller
M. Night Shyamalan's "Split" has arrived on Netflix, marking a return to horror following an extended period away from the genre. The thriller stars James McAvoy as a man with 23 distinct personalities who kidnaps a teenager (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her classmates, holding them captive as a dangerous 24th personality threatens to emerge. The film features strong performances from its leads and represents part of the director's creative comeback following earlier commercial disappointments.
McAvoy replaced Joaquin Phoenix just weeks before filming began, creating 24 distinct personalities through varied voices, mannerisms, and physical movements. Taylor-Joy delivers a nuanced performance as a survivor with her own traumatic past, drawing on experience from her breakthrough in "The Witch." The film's climax reveals it as a "stealth sequel" to Shyamalan's 2000 film "Unbreakable," with Bruce Willis' character making an appearance, a connection that later led to the trilogy conclusion "Glass."
- Netflix releases M. Night Shyamalan's horror thriller Split with James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy
- McAvoy portrays a man with 23 distinct personalities; he replaced Joaquin Phoenix weeks before filming
- The film reveals a surprise connection to Shyamalan's 2000 film Unbreakable in its final scene
New here? Start with this
"Split" is a psychological thriller about a man with multiple personalities who kidnaps a group of teenagers and holds them captive. The film centres on the emergence of a particularly dangerous 24th personality, beyond the 23 already established. Director M. Night Shyamalan made this film as part of his return to thriller and horror storytelling.
James McAvoy stars as the kidnapper and portrays 23 distinct personalities through varied voices, mannerisms and physical movements. Anya Taylor-Joy plays one of the captured teenagers, a character carrying her own traumatic past. McAvoy took on the role just weeks before filming began.
The film contains a plot twist revealing it as a secret sequel to Shyamalan's 2000 thriller "Unbreakable." This connection was later developed further in the 2019 film "Glass," creating a trilogy. The movie marked a turning point in Shyamalan's career as he worked to rebuild interest in his filmmaking.