1/2
USA 2016
Opening January 26, 2017
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Writing credits: M. Night Shyamalan
Principal actors: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Jessica Sula, Haley Lu Richardson
When Denis (McAvoy) kidnaps Casey (Taylor-Joy) and her two class mates (Sula and Richardson) and locks them in a basement, the frightened teenagers only slowly comprehend what is happening. Denis is really Kevin, but also Barry, Patricia, Hedwig and many more. Denis is only one of all together 23 personalities inhabiting Kevin’s Mind. The girls are struggling to cope with this difficult situation but Casey remains focused and is determined to survive. Through all this Dr. Karen Fletcher (Buckley) has a suspicion that something is not quite alright with her patient and is guessing that Kevin’s more vicious ego Denis is slowly gaining domination over the other 22 mostly friendly personalities. As an expert in the field of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), she is trying to help her troubled patient and is looking to get to the ground of the many emails she is receiving from the help-seeking suppressed personalities. Denis is convinced, that the evolutionary 24th, to this point unknown, personality, will emerge. He calls this ego “the beast” and is preparing his arrival with the Egos Patricia and Hedwig. The catastrophe is underway and neither Karen nor Casey can prevent it from coming.
M. Night Shyamalan’s newest accomplishment is declared as a horror thriller and combines everything we feared and loved in The Sixth Sense, The Happening or The Visit. A very realistic threat is spiced up just by a pinch of supernatural and makes this film a brilliant piece for lovers of suspense and thrillers. ()