Trailing Off: "Split" (2017)

James McAvoy in Split

Welcome to the weekly column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. Coming every Sunday (it's called Trailing Off for a reason), I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.

Trailer in Discussion

Directed By: M. Night Shyamalan

Written By: M. Night Shyamalan

Starring: James McAvoy, Haley Lu Richardson, Anya Taylor-Joy

- Preamble -

There is an easy notion to make with saying that M. Night Shyamalan WAS a good director. You can't exactly argue against this if you just go objectively. His Rotten Tomato scores for his movies have been mostly on a steady decline. With exception to The Visit, most of his later films have all shown up at The Razzies in some capacity. It's tough to be Shyamalan, largely because everybody keeps making fun of you for wasting your potential. True, he has done decent work on Wayward Pines, but there hasn't been a great change of tide in the past few years to suggest that yes, this is a writer/director worthy of our time. In fact, I would be on the wagon of saying that he's mostly been at a low point since After Earth was arguably not even enjoyable in a "so bad it's good way."

Then why do I care in the slightest about Shyamalan's career and believe that he can have a resurgence any time now? The answer is simple. I feel like the director has been secretly aware of his critical mistakes and has decided to become adventurous outside of traditional studio systems. While I haven't seen it yet, The Visit looked promising on the grounds that it was a found footage movie on a lower budget (for Shyamalan anyways). The reviews were pretty good and I have all intention of watching it one day. 

To me, part of the fun between The Visit and his next film Split is that there's a sense that he's trying again. He may not succeed, but there can be passion seen in films that challenge the director whether in story or style. For me, Split looks rather fascinating on the grounds that it's an original story in which Shyamalan tackles a very bizarre multiple personality case that may not be in the best hands (James McAvoy as an actor hasn't won me that far over), but could work with the right material. I hope that this is the moment where we remember why we liked Shyamalan and that we get a genuinely thrilling movie. Fingers crossed that the trailer can be good.

- Dissection -

It is somethings pretty difficult to assess a horror movie trailer based on limited footage. For instance, you have to be able to overcome the gimmick on display. In this case, it's hard to tell what will be genuinely scary and what is simply absurd. The idea of a man with multiple personalities to this extent is something that manages to fall both into menace and camp. By the end, there is a strong understanding of what the movie will be about, even if we don't see a whole lot of the personalities that will fill up the frame. For now, we get to see what is the presumptive peaks of McAvoy's performance. They aren't necessarily bad. They're actually quite good. It's just that without context, it's a little difficult to figure out if this will be a worthy venture.
That is part of the beauty of Split's first trailer. You're not entirely sure what the ride will be. Unlike most horror films, to conceptualize a third act is a little more difficult than suggesting that someone lives or dies. Shyamalan, someone who has been both praised and reviled for twists, has the chance to make a film that could pack a shocking twist that reflects his great writing. If nothing else, it will hopefully help to elevate the somewhat unknown cast to noteworthy performances. There's a lot of mystery at hand, and it's nice to have for a  trailer made by someone who was openly mocked for so long.
In fairness, I do think that Shyamalan's style is sometimes warranted. His famously short lived Night Chronicles series where he pitched a story to directors who fleshed out the work produced the underrated Devil, in which a small group of people aboard an elevator had to determine who the devil was. It wasn't by any means as great as The Sixth Sense, but it did manage to reflect the joys of watching a director play in a comfortable field. Now that he's had some time away from higher concept movies, I do honestly wonder what Shyamalan has in store, and I do hope that it's actually good. It's why I keep supporting him, even though I haven't liked one of his movies in quite some time.

- One Sentence Sell -

M. Night Shyamalan has a nice twist up his sleeve as he makes a thriller about a man with way too many multiple personalities.

- Trove or Trash -

TROVE

I am unsure yet if I have faith in the final product, but that trailer really does make you start to optimistically question what you just saw.