Split Review & Trailer Ending Explained
The Split trailer is a great example of how to entice a viewer. ‘Split‘ would have to be one of my favorite films to come out of 2016. The reason I love Split so much is that it combines a serial killer theme with everyday crime fighting. That means more compelling characters in the long run and a little something for everyone. Most people would agree that its predecessor ‘Unbreakable’ was not as strong as the sequel but both movies were great entries into the comic book realm of superhero fandom. This Split review explains the ending of the movie and also lists who’s inside Kevin Crumb.
- Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan,
- Produced & distributed by Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions,
- Released in 2016
Split Review Plot and Storyline
Split is listed as psychological horror and stars James McAvoy as Kevin Crumb. With him are Anya Taylor-Joy (Morgan 2016), and Betty Buckley (Carrie 1976.)
The story starts as three girls are kidnapped by a man diagnosed with 23 personalities. It’s Dennis who gets into the car they are waiting in and ferries them to a hidden location. All of the people the girls meet inside Kevin Crumb, hear them talk about a 24th entity. The one they refer to as The Beast. Can they escape before The Beast is given time to emerge?
Which Alternates for Kevin Crumb Do We Meet in Split?
The Horde
The Horde is the collective name given to the personalities who work for The Beast. There are those that want The Beast to be the dominant entity with an ultimate grand plan in mind. Each person talks about being allowed in ‘the light’ almost like that of a stage to have control of the outside body.
There are those that want Kevin to be the dominant personality and those that think they are more powerful if The Beast is allowed to thrive. It’s at this precipice that there is a war between the two sides. Good vs Evil in one person.
Kevin Crumb
Kevin Wendell Crumb is the core personality of the Horde. Due to his overwhelming conscience, the other personalities spend their time pushing him out of the way. It could be assumed that Kevin inherited DID from his father who is seen in the last film Glass in a flashback, reading a book on multiple personalities.
Dennis
Dennis is the first person we meet. He is serious, has OCD about cleanliness and order, and meticulously kidnaps Casey, Claire, and Marcia. Dennis takes them to his home after knocking out Claire’s dad who was about to drive them home after a party.
He is also a bit of a perve and likes to watch girls dance. Dennis is known for having an extreme temper and often explosive fits of rage. He was created by Kevin in reaction to his mother’s abusive punishments as a child. Some of these punishments have given him an extreme obsession with being clean.
He is proficient in manipulation, as seen when he pretends to be Barry while in therapy. His OCD gives him away and Dr. Fletcher realizes something is amiss and creates a scenario that Dennis cannot overlook.
Barry
He has a flair for design and fashion and believes that Dennis and Patricia are completely unstable. Barry is not a dominant personality though and is often pushed aside by the two. In Split, Barry champions Casey’s well-being and tries to convince the other stronger personalities of an alternative to hurting her. Until Dennis began pretending he was Barry, Barry was in therapy with Dr. Fletcher, the most.
Patricia
It’s probable that Patricia is The Beast’s commander in charge. She cites being the person to ultimately hand control over to Him when the time comes. As the ringleader of many in the group, she demands authority and has no issue with making threats to get what she wants. She is even able to subdue someone like Dennis by quashing his plans of perversion with the girls due to the fact they have a higher purpose than to be messed with.
She revels in the fact that she can be overly nice to the captives while playing into their fears, giving them ‘fun facts’ about animals in the wild. A precursor to their fate, Patricia feels like she is better than everyone else, except The Beast.
Hedwig
Hedwig is nine years old but due to his subservience to most of the other personas is allowed to hold the prime position often. Through his fear and reverence of both the Beast and Patricia, he could be seen as both the lookout and the snitch for whatever happens. A special bonds form between Casey and Hedwig, one which ultimately causes a loophole for the girls to get inside information.
Orwell
Orwell is a historian who loves to compare situational events with references to points in history that he feels highlight an explanation. He never speaks plainly but rather hides his point inside overly complicated stories. It’s through Orwell that we learn The Horde does not comprise of all of the 23 personalities but rather a select group that strives to give The Beast power. He explains that not only is he not part of The Horde but he has concerns with their ultimate plan.
Jade
Jade is a teenage vlogger who loves to swear and has diabetes. Her frustration at being the only person who is not 100% healthy makes her feel victimized.
The Beast
The Beast is the 24th entity and the totalitarian protector for Kevin who created him when his father was killed. Each personality causes a physical transformation on the outside which is more clearly seen when taking on this persona. His muscles bulge and large veins appear. He takes on superhuman strength and his teeth become elongated. He has a penchant for human flesh and appears to be somewhat snake-like as his favorite method of killing is a stranglehold and squeezing his victims to death.
Who’s Inside Kevin Crumb?
Meet Most of Them in the Split Trailer
Through both the mention of their names and from pausing the film while they were listed on the screen, the following are all of his characters. Of course, there are some that we possibly never met but perhaps saw them without realizing.
Kevin Crumbs Alternates In Split
- Kevin
- Dennis
- Patricia
- Hedwig
- Barry
- Jade
- Orwell
- The Beast
Kevin Crums Alternates In Glass
- Norma — Also from the South, nothing else is known of her.
- Luke — From the South, Luke likes to announce the ends of movies.
- Mary Reynolds —Is Irish and has a twin sister, Mary.
- Ann Reynolds — Is Irish and has a twin sister, Mary.
- Mr. Pritchard — A professor of cinema, has a passion for 1950’s Japanese film. He appears to not be part of The Horde, wanting Kevin to be the dominant persona and feels the imprisonment is highly unjust.
All of Kevin Wendell Crumbs Alternates
- Samuel mentioned in Split.
- Rakel
- Felicia
- Ansel
- Jelin
- Kat
- B.T
- Goddard
- Bernice
- Polly
- Heinrich mentioned in Split
Split Review
This was the first of the trilogy that I watched. I was so enamored with the horror-laden comic book-dripped-stance this film takes I watched the first film days later. The film doesn’t play at all like something that would end up being the most fascinating glimpse into a comic book conception and instead starts with kidnapping. Not an extraordinary kidnapping either, but one committed by a man who seems to be suffering from Dissociative identity disorder (DID) and has 23 personalities.
It’s in this story we meet Kevin who is undertaking therapy and the roles of other personalities are brought to light and given an explanation as to how the whole split personality thing works. There are many films with premises that touch on this topic, but for me, this is the most intense portrayal. The most intricate and thought-provoking and also one that made me obsessed with James McAvoy. His performance in this role is absolutely incredible and I’m constantly astounded that he never received an award of any kind. If I were in charge, he would get one, but that’s just me.
Who’s More Dangerous? Kevin Crumb?
The three kidnapped girls all get acquainted with a few of the main people trapped within a seemingly benign yet scarily conflicting body. Not only do we have to sift our way through which of the personalities is the most dangerous but it seems as though they all cower to an additional character referred to as ‘The Beast.’ It’s with a name like this that low-lying fans of the Unbreakable film saw the more than obvious clues. There is even mention of the train which is more than a central focus in the first film.
I, however, did not pick up on any of the clues while watching this film. I watched this thinking it was a standalone movie. Trust me when I say I was excited to discover there was more to this film than meets the eye.
The Magician inside Kevin Wendell Crumb
Ever the magician of ‘look over there’ misdirection, Shyamalan keeps viewers invested in the mind of Kevin and his associated ‘disorder.’ A fascinating view of the relationships forming between Casey and a few of Kevin’s cast.
This film continues to be a favorite of mine and I wish I could watch it more times than I’ve been able to. Due to the extensive flashbacks and big-picture explanations of the following film Glass, you really can start with this one quite happily.
I give Split
4.75 give that man an Emmy out of 5