Split (2016)

I'd say Split is the best M. Night Shyamalan film I've seen since The Village in 2004, though I also hear good things about his previous film The Visit (2015) which I have not yet seen. In Split one can certainly feel Shyamalan's signature style and mood, though applied to sufficiently different subject matter to impart a renewed sense of freshness. The plot concerns a man with multiple personalities ( a miniature showcase for James McAvoy's talents) who kidnaps three teenage girls from a mall parking lot and holds them in an industrial basement environment for purposes other then what you might at first think. Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson, and Jessica Sula play the girls, with Taylor- Joy the lead and standout performance of the three. There is also a converging subplot concerning McAvoy's therapist played by Betty Buckley, very different from her part in The Happening.  Not perfect but still good and intriguing, and there's a pay off at the end that is worth the wait. ***1/2