Split (2016)
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense) and starring James McAvoy (X-Men: Days of Future Past) and Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), Split is the unexpected sequel to Unbreakable and the explosive supervillain origin story of The Beast… or Dennis, or Patricia, or Hedwig, or Barry, or any of the 23 distinct personalities that simultaneously manifest Kevin Wendell Crumb’s body.

3 teenage girls are abducted by a calculated kidnapper and wake up imprisoned in a nondescript room. Claire and Marcia desperately make futile attempts at escape. Casey, largely despondent, instead chooses to observe their kidnapper’s activity – eventually discovering that he suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder. Kevin’s different identities, which completely change everything from his personality and mannerisms to body chemistry, range from a hyperactive nine-year-old with a lisp to an orderly middle-aged woman with OCD. However, the events of the entire movie cautiously build up through hushed comments to his mysterious, yet-unleashed 24th identity – The Beast. Worshipped and feared by the other identities within him, The Beast is said to have powers beyond any other creature on the planet, and his true, sinister intentions with the girls are slowly revealed.

Split begins like a simple escape-the-kidnapper movie, but very quickly its dark and complex undertones are realized. McAvoy’s absolute tour-de-force performance playing two-dozen characters at once is infinitely rewatchable and genius at the least. Taylor-Joy’s equally talented portrayal of Casey made the tense, hesitant interactions between Casey and Kevin a chilling spectacle. Every word spoken and every sound from the expertly creepy score is creating unbearable suspense towards the ending – which is shrouded in mystery, but really, it has been there… all along.

It’s highly recommended. 

Thank you for an awesome review Griffin! – Mrs. Long

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Haley Joel Osment, Bruce Willis, and Toni Collette, The Sixth Sense is Shyamalan’s first international smash hit, and rightfully so. Featuring some of Willis’ best cinema work accompanied with a stellar performance of then-child actor Haley Joel Osment and some of the most iconic scenes and lines in Hollywood history, The Sixth Sense is a must-see contemporary thriller classic.

Cole Sear is a troubled young boy whose unusual behavior spikes the interest of skillful child psychologist Malcom Crowe. Cole’s peculiar tendencies and intelligence eerily remind Crowe of one of his former patients, something that unsettles and intrigues him into further investigation. However, both Cole and Crowe are hiding their own secret – whether they are aware of it or not.

The Sixth Sense creates and retains an atmosphere suffocating with psychological tension, fitting for the movie’s volatile, supernatural undertones. Terrifying, emotional, and featuring a twist ending that will leave you speechless, The Sixth Sense has the ultra-rare quality of staying with you for days, months, or the rest of your life.

Thanks again for the great review! – Mrs. Long

The Coldest Game (2019)
1 hr 40 min

The Coldest Game is directed by Lukasz Kosmicki. It is set during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, and centers around a chess game between the American and Soviet teams in Warsaw, Poland. Josh Mansky (played by Bill Pullman), the American player, is an extremely intelligent college maths professor with only one problem – alcoholism. He is depended on alcohol to slow his brain down, as his brain often moves at a fast pace. T

The movie had a lot of potential. I went into it very excited as I love spy thrillers with all their twists and turns. Unfortunately, The Coldest Game just didn’t achieve that. The actors were amazing, but the plot was simply not interesting enough. There was a lot of room to dive deeper to create an even bigger impact, but this was not accomplished.

Though it was not the best movie, I would recommend it to people bored and just looking for something to watch. If you are searching for a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat, this isn’t the one.

Rating: 3/5

Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!

Thank you Simran! – Mrs. Long