Somehow, and I have no idea how this happened, but somehow it totally escaped my knowledge that M. Night Shyamalan had a new movie out. I tend to like his movies even when other people don't like them (hello, "The Village" and "Lady in the Water") but some of them even I couldn't stand (goodbye, "The Happening"). I almost feel like he gets too caught up in the formula of his movies, where everything is about the twist at the end, so he throws the rest of the movie away because the twist is the only important part. It's like he doesn't know that the REASON "The Sixth Sense" was so shocking was because people cared about his characters and the story behind their struggles. The plot matters too, dude. Focus on the story, the first hour and a half of the movie, not just the "gotcha" in the last 20 minutes. All in all, though, I've liked his movies more often than I haven't, so I'm excited to give this a chance.
I really don't want to give too much away (read: anything) but the story centers on three teenage girls who are abducted by a guy with split personalities. Now if you know me, you probably know that I don't like the way most media portrays "multiple personality disorder," more accurately known as "dissociative identity disorder" because it's usually played for laughs or for dramatic affect, so accuracy gets chucked out the window in favor of the most sensationalized bullshit that's not even within shouting distance of what the condition is like for real people. I bitch about it a lot. I don't think it's too much to ask that the filmmakers have some idea what the hell they're talking about before they use a real mental illness as the main plot point in their movie.
I will say that of all the portrayals of dissociative identity disorder that I've seen, this one does come the closest to the behavior and experiences of the people I know who actually have the disorder. It was nice not being so pissed off by the acting that I was unable to concentrate on the movie through the clouds of my rage. James McAvoy is a good actor in general, so I shouldn't be surprised that he plays the role so we'll, but I'm so used to seeing movies screw this plot up that I forget there's any other option. Anna Taylor Joy is a pretty good actress, too. She was the best thing about the movie "The Witch" that I saw last year for the challenge, and it's nice to know she's not afraid to star in more horror movies. Scream Queen status is just around the corner for you, lady, and I have to say it looks good on you.
So how does this movie stack up in the end? Is the whole as good as the sum of its parts? Can I answer these questions without spoiling the whole movie for you? Let me try. First, I have to say that this movie shares a lot of similar ideas with other movies that I love, in that the messed-up characters are the most interesting. "The broken are the more highly evolved," as this movie says. I will also say that while I have generally enjoyed most of Shyamalan's movies, there is one that will always be my favorite, and this movie gives a nod to that movie at the end, which makes my heart do a happy dance. Stay tuned after the "end," because there's more to come.
I mean, I'm not sure what else to say. This movie is twisty and weird, and honestly I could tell you right now how it ends and I'm not sure that would spoil it for you, only because what makes this movie good for me is watching it play out, watching good actors act their asses off. If I read the script, I'd probably throw it across the room at the end and demand my money back, because it's ridiculous, and yet it works for me, much the way 'Lady in the Water" did. That one didn't even really have a twist ending in the strictest sense, just a kind of fairytale story that worked in a way watching it play out that I don't think it would have worked any other way. I'm not sure if I've answered the question of whether you should watch this movie or not, but I'm glad that I watched it.
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