Kevin has been diagnosed with having 23 different personalities, one of which decided to kidnap three teenage girls who must try to escape before the 24th personality is released.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The latest film from M. Night Shyamalan has been promoted in a very big way, we have had the creepy trailer for months now and his films always manage to generate plenty of hype. I will admit that I have not been the biggest fan of his work and it is very hit/miss and often too clever for itself in the end.
In this film we have James McAvoy really going for it and taking on the many different roles within one role. If that makes sense, as he has to play many different characters and sometimes at the same time. It really is very impressive to see him go for it in different ways and I think he really does deserve a lot of credit for that.
I guess it is difficult to review a film that really leaves everything until the end to have either a big twist or a big reveal as that means it moves along towards that from the very start. I will admit that I thought it split the tension from the girls being trapped to seeing the man with Dr. Karen Fletcher who is pretty much the only person who is willing to help. Talking to the different personalities and getting to know them, she can even sense which one she is talking to.
As the emails get more frequent making emergency appointments she gets the idea that something has happened. That one of them has done something which is not good at all. I guess that is something that helps us as viewers try to understand how serious the situation really is. I found her to be the most engaging and best character in all honesty as she explored the many personalities.
Casey was the main teenage girl that we got to know and her story is pretty awful and just makes you pity the other two girls who just think she is strange and a freak. She is so much stronger than they could ever be. The flashbacks, one in particular is pretty horrendous in all honesty and horrible to hear/see. I am sure you will know which one I mean if you have seen the film. I thought it was risky to have this type of thing going along with the rest of the film but it does all have a place.
While I cannot say that I loved or massively enjoyed the film, I was taken in by it and wondering just what was going to happen next and how many of the “people” we were going to meet and see through McAvoy. I managed to avoid everything on Twitter with mentions of the film, but after seeing it and being utterly confused by the ending was afterwards pleased it was all explained. I would never have known what it actually meant.
It does take a slower build up approach than you first expect considering the kidnap is the very first scene, and we have already watched it so many times in the trailer. As with any film like this we are given some teenage girls who are not likeable at all and we don’t actually care what happens to them, which was such a good job we were given Casey to really support!
A film that has really put me on the fence as at times I thought this is really good and the way it’s going. Then it took a crazy turn and I then thought it was actually pretty pathetic. So I guess it has a strange balance? Please let me know what you thought of this one!
Nice, I liked the ending and without going too much into spoilers i think it is what actual ‘superhero’ films could learn from. we just recorded a podcast on the show and it got a mixed reception from the team so i can see why people did or didnt enjoy it as much as me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
With the ending, I had no prior knowledge . . . If that makes sense lol
LikeLike
i think that is what the problem is, its almost a nod to fans of his work rather than fans of this film
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah I was like what on earth or going on, straight on my phone after haha. Think I need to catch up!
LikeLike
i had to explain to the person i saw it with too, slightly off topic do you ever appear on podcast or would you be interested in being on one?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh I’ve never been asked before! I guess I could give it ago if people can understand my dodgy Geordie accent haha
LikeLike
we have a nice mix already, we have two Americans from east and west, me the southern and a midlands girl.
I know you are good on your Oscars and in a couple of weeks Sunday 19th Feb we are doing an Oscar prediction show if you are interested in giving it ago. otherwise i can send you a list of other subjects we are looking to cover.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That sounds good to me!
LikeLike
we usually record through skype and at about 5pm (early morning for Americans) if this is ok i can look to set up and send you rough notes of the show in a couple of weeks time
LikeLike
Young women kidnapped and tortured by deranged man … hmm-mm … pass.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They aren’t really tortured but can understand why you would pass. I won’t be watching it again!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A very chilling movie for sure. Nice review.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah took a different turn to how I expected. Although the ending was totally lost on me!
LikeLike
I loved it! I am a big fan of James Mcavoy and I thought he was brilliant here. Im not too sure about the end? not sure it needed to happen that way? I thought the film stood up on it’s own.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah I think that is something that totally made this film then feel less as I had no clue what the reference/link was all about. McAvoy was very good, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the direction it took.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah I think it should be a stand alone film.I think the ending should be a personality rather than what it turns out to be
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah I was actually leaning towards Casey being another personality, which I personally think would have been an unreal twist!
LikeLike
Caseys story could have been developed a tad more.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought the film was pretty good and much better than I had expected. I thought it was effectively mysterious, creepy and unnerving. Jame McAvoy’s performance was stellar and the ending, took me by surprise in the best way. It was definitely a slow build up and some of the flashbacks felt like the interrupt the flow of the main action but overall it was a solid film and I’m curious to see where Shyamalan.
LikeLike
I meant to say *I’m curious to see where Shyamalan goes with his future films if he continues in this upwards trajectory*
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah that could be interesting, but I think that means I will have to make sure I have seen them all just incase he links things together again!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad to hear it isn’t a total bomb. I really want M. Night Shyamalan to get back to doing solid thrillers. I’ll definitely be checking this one out but probably will wait for DVD/Blu-ray.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah I wouldn’t rush to the cinema. But if you have seen most of his work, I think you will appreciate it a lot more than I did!
LikeLike