Split The Movie Essay

Split is a 2016 thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The movie follows Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man who faced abuse as a child and now suffers from dissociative identity disorder. Kevin lives with 23 different identities, with “Barry” being the main. Throughout the film he exhibited a power struggle between the identities, with “Dennis” taking over as the lead. In the beginning of the film Dennis kidnaps Claire, Marcia, and Casey, who were leaving from a birthday party. Dennis is shown as a neat freak, using a cloth to move trash, open doors, and do other tasks. Patricia was the next identity to show face, with a mostly calm-mannered, motherly personality. She fed the girls and brushed their hair, giving them flowers. The

Another point to be made is that people with DID are not inherently evil. This film showed Kevin’s DID in an extreme light, portraying DID as a violent disorder. According to Mass General Brigham, “people with DID are no more violent or dangerous than the general population” (McLean Hospital). The article also states that due to their histories of childhood trauma, many people with DID feel frightened and avoid drawing attention to themselves.
In modern society there is a stereotype that people with DID bounce around between identities, and that was shown in this film. While he has 23 identities, 24 including The Beast, only 8 identities fronted over the course of the movie. At the end Casey brings Kevin to the front, starting a power struggle to send him back. This is when the audience sees Barry, Orwell, and

A concern is how it portrays DID in a violent, negative light. If it were to be rethought it might be important to consider how the real-world disorder is portrayed on screen. Split did not dig into Kevin’s current familial relationships. Throughout the film his history of abuse was mentioned, giving a glimpse into what happened.
The movie sends the message to the general population that people with DID are dangerous and completely unstable. With the increasing social media presence over the past few years creators with DID and other mental disorders have shared their stories and experiences, giving a truer look into the disorder.
This movie would not be suited for younger viewers with the level of gore at the end and the mature themes throughout. This film may cause a child undue stress and fear, so it would be best to stick with older viewers. I did not learn much from this film, because it did not really dive into DID or give details, instead focusing on the period of time that the girls were held