Student Film Reviews

Film reviews from theaters, couches, and film festivals

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1. Katrina Storton 11.23.16 / 11pm

   I saw this film at the AFI fest as well and was thoroughly pleased with it. It is very similar to his past horror/thriller films like The Visit, The Sixth Sense, Signs and Unbreakable (by the way, did you catch that nod to Unbreakable?). I felt the film was very well done and the budget is not as low as you’d think. As M. Night said after the film, he is used to working with a low budget, so even though he was given a very large budget for the film, he used it sparingly. Most his money went towards the actors and the special effects for “The beast”. Very well executed film and I look forward to seeing it again when it comes out in January.
2. Hanna Olsson 02.01.17 / 11pm

   I recently just saw this film in hopes of it to be as suspenseful and thrilling as the trailer made it seem. After seeing the film, it did pull through on my expectations. This film has such an interesting concept that definitely messes with the mind and makes you wonder about this disorder and if it could be real or not, and I found that the most scary part. I did not realize the movie was filmed on a low budget, but whatever the budget, the idea and concept of the movie was executed in a very creative way.
3. Laurine Lambert 02.02.17 / 1am

   Great review. I also saw this film last week in the cinema, I agreed its a great film with a dark twist! Not a dark twist but just like you said with the lighting mostly. I didn’t even know that the director is from Stuart Little thats so completely different! The actors are so good. I totally recommend more people to watch this movie, its still in the cinema!
4. Finso Gyaltsen 02.02.17 / 9am

   Good to see him come back with half decent film, especially after his streak of those movies, I didn’t watch the movie, but you’re review makes me feel like it might be worth watching.
5. Nodoka Kobayashi 02.21.17 / 10pm

   I watched the trailer of this film and I decided not to watch it because the man wearing skirt is just creepy and I saw the girls’ face with full of fear. I wondered why the man seems to be calm, but it makes sense that he has 23 different personalities. I would like to watch it if it is not much bloody than other thriller films.
6. Doreen Nguyen 03.07.17 / 9am

   I have always said that a great movie is one that makes you feel, care for the characters and that grabs your attention from beginning to end. Split achieves all of this. I personally expected a fun twisted horror movie but I ended up surprised once I left the theater. I left feeling empty, shocked and really amazed.
   “Split” is one of these movies that even with the trailer showing a lot of important parts, that does not take away the amazing experience of this movie. Apart from effective scares and a creepy dark vibe, Split provides a story that feels fresh and unpredictable, keeping you at the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy deliver exceptional performances on every scene. The chemistry between these two actors is seen from the very first scene.

   Split really proves that a horror movie can be more than just blood or scares if you put together a great cast, a strong story and great direction.
7. masonf24 03.10.17 / 8pm

   I just recently saw this film and was very impressed by not only the creativity, but the overall concept. As the movie progresses, it only gets more exciting and intense. It was a mysterious, twisted horror about an antagonist with 23 different personalities that takes three girls hostage, which I thought was a very interesting concept. The fact that he was constantly changing personalities kept the movie exciting. Overall, this movies was an unpredictable thriller that left left the viewer at the edge of their seat the whole time.
8. Jacob Taylor 03.11.17 / 7am

   This film Split, directed by M. Night Shyamalan was fantastic. This review really focuses on what the movie is all about. I really enjoy psychological thrillers similar to many Shyamalan films. Shyamalan is truly an artist at his work. His work is so unique, but he does have small glimpses of other artists through inspiration of their work. I see Hitchcock-esque qualities in the way this film was shot and how suspense built during certain scenes. The actors in the film are also amazing. The storyline held my interest throughout and really turned out to be a great film. Lastly, the cinematography also helped with making the feeling of the entire movie more sinister and dark, which I also enjoyed. I have and will recommend this movie, as it is really a great film that has a great storyline and strays from the common mainstream action movie-type film.
9. Beatrice Buitrago Holgersson 03.12.17 / 2pm

   Having watched Split I could not agree more with your review! It is such an intense thrill and suspense with a pretty interesting story line of the mentally ill Kevin deciding to kidnap girl that, in his mind, are too fortunate. James McAvoy does a great job with the different personalities he has to portray and switches both voices and body language flawlessly; it is almost surreal to watch. The use of wit and humor in between tosses the audience between suspense and relaxation, never really knowing what to expect. The ending is a pretty big surprise and goes beyond the mystery of what Kevins problem really is, after watching it in whole I felt almost robbed of the end to the story and in my mind it would have been even more interesting if this was not a physical condition but instead it is all in his head. The mind twisting story line makes me think of other movies like Shutter Island where you never really know what it reality and what is constructed by the human mind.
10. Morgan Wybrecht 07.12.17 / 4pm

    I am not much a fan of scary movies, but I really enjoy psychological thrillers and Split was one of the first films I went to watch in theaters in a very long time. At times, I was covering my eyes awaiting the release of the building suspense, but the entire time I was thoroughly intrigued and entertained by the attitudes and behaviors of James McAvoy’s character. It was interesting to see how the three captured girls interacted with McAvoy’s many personalities, turning them against each other and really personifying the disease and showing the power of mental illness. As the movie progresses, it is fascinating how the antagonist changes from the kidnapper, who is harmful to the girls, and becomes the 24th personality which is harmful to everyone that comes in its contact.
11. Zechariah Banks 07.15.17 / 10pm

    Split was a film that put me on the edge of my seat through out the whole film. What made it even scarier than a normal horror film is how real most of the concepts of issues the main character had, and how people in real life have split personality disorder. The one part that screwed with my mind was when he turned into the monster and killed the girls and the old lady that tried to help him. The ending was interesting since the main enemy prevailed and didn’t actually get killed or caught. But overall this thriller and the interesting concept of having split personalities changing your body into a sort of superhuman made a very intense film.
12. Madison Dilbeck 07.25.17 / 1pm

    I really enjoyed your review! when I saw this film in theaters I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next. I loved all the different personality’s the character consumed. I love how you explained things I did not even know about the film like that it was low budget and also shot in 3rd person. I truly understand the movie in different ways now. Great review!
13. Justin Robbins 10.12.17 / 2pm

    This movie was exactly what I expected after seeing the trailer and finding out it was an M. Night Shyamalan film. The movie is a whirlwind of emotions, with so many characters coming from just one person. The acting, in my opinion, is phenomenal; especially the role that involves essentially 23 different people combined into one person, which is no small task. What most interested me throughout the whole movie was that this is a real disorder that real people deal with. I couldn’t help but think about people in the real world dealing with this and how hard it must be on them and the people they are close with. The lighting, setting, and music all help create an eerie and edge-of-your-seat type of feeling; coupled with the physiological craziness, this movie is thrilling and mind-bending.
14. Jaehee Han 10.13.17 / 1pm

    Very good review. Personally, I really like to watch horror/thriller movies so I really enjoyed watching the movie “Split”. I liked the concepts of the movie and the story line, but I think the best part of this movie was Kevin’s (James McAvoy) performance. He has 23 different personalities and every time he switches his personality, it seemed so real and thrilling to me. I think he achieved this effect by mostly his facial expression, his gesture and his voice tone because his main few personalities are very unique and very different so they have very different voice tones, facial expressions and gestures. Overall, I think it was pretty good movie and I really enjoyed watching it.
15. Deicy Mendoza 10.13.17 / 5pm

    After reading your review film of Split (2017), it makes me want to watch the film. Although I am not a huge fan of horror/thriller movies, your review convinced me. Like you mentioned, lighting plays an important role in horror films. Lighting helps set the mood and gives the viewer a perspective of what could happen next. Furthermore, I think the reason why the director chose to put silence scenes in Split (2017), is so it can leave the viewer in suspense. Apart from watching the trailer, I feel like this film is unpredictable and the main character’s multiple personalities gives the viewer a look of how mentally twisted his mind is. Thank you for a great review and making want to watch the film now!
16. Daniel Gustafsson 11.09.17 / 11am

    Good review. I too think it the film touches on very interesting ideas. I surely has an unique twist that wants you too think more about what the mind is capable of
17. George Sundin 10.19.18 / 11am

    Split is one of my favorite horror/thriller movies. It is not bloody nor scary but it builds a suspense through minimal use of soundtrack and the exploitation of authentic sounds, this makes the scenes more in-depth than regular horror flicks. In Split, you relate and sympathize with the antagonist Kevin which is odd for this type of film. The antagonist has a great scene when he wakes up from the different personalities and realizes what he has done and is doing. A great scene that deepens the mantra of the film. Films like Split do not have to have a big budget, as said, the huge paycheck should go to the actors who are really carrying this movie through the splendid interpretations of the script. It is one of M night’s finest works and I can’t wait for Glass to come out and get this Night universe spinning.
18. Nick Aguilera 03.06.19 / 9pm

    Split is by far one of the best thriller movies I have seen in a while. I think the character Kevin played the 23 different personalities very well showing the diversity in each personality. The director keeps you engaged through the whole film by the changes of 23 personalities, giving the audience a creepy feeling keeping them on edge. I had no idea that the movie was on a low budget because this movie was made so well, most thriller/horror movies I have seen are made poorly and are “cheesy.” This review couldn’t have been written any better.
19. Sophie Brack 10.11.21 / 2pm

    Split was one of my favorite thriller movies. His multiple personalities seem so realistic that you can not take your eyes off the screen. The storyline is so interesting as you begin to ask yourself questions on why he decided to kidnap the two girls. James McAvoy did a terrific job on being completely different people. Each different personality was so well done and the voice and outfit as well at the scenery changed which made it very surreal. This thriller is really well done as the storyline always has you asking questions.
20. Aiveen Gleeson 10.18.22 / 2pm

    ‘Split’ is a seriously phenomenal film that I think all thriller filmmakers should take note of. The way this movie managed to portray the most bizarre things all while still having such a calm, eery, and ominous vibe to it is what makes for such a unique and suspenseful watching experience. I remember after seeing this movie for the first time, I decided that James McAvoy was my new favorite actor. The way in which McAvoy embraced each and every one of the characters as if they were truly him was remarkable and made me sometimes feel like I wasn’t watching a movie but instead his life. This movie without a doubt wouldn’t have had the same effect without him. I like that you brought up the cinematic lighting as this was key to the film and its overall telling of the story. The lighting of the film is like another character in itself and that was definitely evident in ‘Split’.

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