Did you get so drunk that you did something completely out of your character? Maybe you texted your crush, or maybe you danced like you were on the set of “La La Land”, or maybe you had a fist fight at the bar, or maybe you ended up in a prison cell and you had no idea why you were there. Now imagine you did all of this in a single day when you were sober. Sounds crazy right? But Kevin Wendell Crumb played by James McAvoy in “Split” would have been glad if he had done those crazy things only. 

From Kevin a fragile personality, to obsessive-compulsive maintenance man Dennis, to playful 9-year-old Hedwig, to sophisticated Patricia, to flamboyant fashionista Barry, to teenage diabetic girl Jade, to the Beast who has superhuman strength, McAvoy plays a man suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder who has 24 different personalities and the most interesting part is that all 24 of them have their own different physiology. I still wonder how McAvoy didn’t win an Academy Award for his portrayal of this troubled soul. 

Most of the movies which deal with a complicated subject like Dissociative Identity Disorder hardly do justice, but this gem by M. Night Shyamalan will keep you engaged till the very last frame. This movie is darkly funny but also unexpectedly sad. At one point we come to know Kevin hasn’t been on his conscience for 2 years. 

The story unfolds as Kevin Wendell Crumb who had an abusive childhood while living with his mother with an OCD later on creates one after another alter ego to protect himself. He kidnaps 3 teenage girls as a horde; his 24 personalities are preparing the girls for a sacrifice to the beast, 24th personality with superhuman strength.  

Split shows how painful life can be of a person who suffers from Dissociative identity disorder. When 2% of the world population suffering from this disorder are fighting their battle in the both front; with the society and with themselves continuing their struggle, the rest 98% of us can know about the condition, reach out to them and try to help them; As every story matters.

Birat Dahal