7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Kevin, a man with 23 different personalities, is compelled to abduct three teenage girls. As they are held captive, a final personality—"The Beast"—begins to emerge.
Starring: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica SulaHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 67% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A new M. Night Shyamalan movie is almost always an event, but not always for the same reasons. The director draws more attention than most of his peers, in large part because his career, to this point, seems split between three distinct timeframes. First, with The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs, it was "Wow!" and "How is he going to top that? Then with The Village and Lady in the Water, it was "This will be his comeback film!" And lately, with The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth, the response has been "Oh, how the mighty have fallen." He made a mild comeback with The Visit, though that movie seemed to mark the beginning of the "nonchalance" phase. It's been ages, it seems, since Shaymalan was really on top of his game back in the late 1990s. But every movie has to be an event because there's truly not many better pure filmmakers out there. He's been a victim of poor material (much of it from his own hand) more than he has been poor craftsmanship behind the camera. Can his latest Psychological Thriller, Split, possibly bring audiences back into the fold, or have they had one too many bad-vibe visits to House Shyamalan?
Split was digitally photographed, but a movie of this type would seem better suited to film. As it is, it's very slick and smooth and clean whereas a grittier texture might have enhanced it a bit more. Nevertheless, the digital image is excellent, glossy sheen and all. Clarity is outstanding and detailing is about as good as one will find in 1080p. The source can render some elements, like the roughly textured walls in the holding room, a little inorganically smooth, but there's no mistaking the inherent complexity to skin and clothing textures, in close-ups for sure and even in various midrange shots as well. Every pore, wrinkle, bit of stubble atop McAvoy's trimmed head, and stitch and fray on clothes are accounted for and clearly visible. Colors are pleasantly neutral, contrasting some bright shades against the well lit but still dank and dreary location where the girls are held. A few flashbacks offer some punchy fall leaves, the Hedwig persona wears a jacket with bright yellow shoulders, and various environments around the film, including a therapist's office and a restaurant, offer a satisfying splash of nuanced and well saturated color. Black levels hold very deep and help define a number of scenes. Skin tones are slightly pasty but never too far out of the ordinary. Very slight noise is visible in a few places, but overall Universal's transfer is a major winner.
Split features a standard-issue DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It as dynamic as can be, offering a nice range of subtle cues and intensive low end effects alike. Music is impressively wide and well defined throughout the range, but the low end certainly dominates, and in the final act in particular. It can go a little unkempt, harsh, and deep-throated by design, resulting in a very effective and chilling incursion into the listening area that all but penetrates the bones. The low end support, however, is the highlight, with many diverse and deep sounds pounding the stage in the final act. There are some interesting support effects throughout, inducing the deliberately tinny, hollow sound of a girl's heavy but hushed breathing as she hides in a small locker in chapter six. A few shotgun blasts offer a satisfying concussive boom, not quite to the level of reality but deep enough to please. Dialogue is a mainstay and delivers front-and-center and with excellent clarity and prioritization.
Split contains an alternate ending, deleted scenes, and three featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy
are included with purchase.
Split isn't quite a return to the very top of Shyamalan's game, but it's his best film in some years and portends the comeback a filmmaker of his talents deserves. The movie is smart, edgy, and finds a nice balance between spoon-feeding the audience and keeping things interesting, surprising, and unique. McAvoy is terrific, the sound and cinematography are wonderful, and the movie maintains engagement for the duration, culminating in what is arguably the best twist yet in an M. Night movie. Universal's Blu-ray is of a high quality as well. Top-shelf video and audio are accompanied by a few supplements. Highly recommended.
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