Split (2017)

The more recent work of director M. Night Shyamalan (The Visit, Lady In The Water) has been very hit or miss.  Thankfully, Split is a well made movie that marks a return to form for Shyamalan.
The film begins with the abduction of three teenage girls (Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, and Anya Taylor-Joy) by a mysterious individual named Kevin (James McAvoy).  We soon learn that Kevin suffers from DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder), a condition which has resulted in him exhibiting 23 distinct personalities.  While the girls try to escape their captivity, Kevin visits his therapist, Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley).  She does what she can to help Kevin, but it soon becomes clear that something isn't right when Kevin's 'others' begin to constantly contact her asking for help.  They are all worried about a mysterious 24th personality that is apparently much worse than any other, and is getting ready to emerge.
When I first saw the trailer for Split, it seemed too good to be true, from an acting standpoint.  As it turns out, I was right.  I wasn't counting, but there are roughly eight personalities we see portrayed onscreen by James McAvoy, rather than all 24, as we're led to believe.  This isn't to say that McAvoy delivers a bad performance, however.  His character ranges from coldly murderous to friendly, or even disarmingly funny, sometimes all within a few minutes of screen time.  Even a slight change in facial expression or posture alerts the audience to his changes in personality, which is extra impressive considering how often these changes happen over the course of the film.
McAvoy is helped immensely helped by a great supporting cast.  Betty Buckley is wonderful as Kevin's caring, but concerned therapist.  I appreciate that M. Night Shyamalan allowed this film to take its time in examining the psychological side of the story, rather than simply focusing on the teens in danger part of the story.  Anya Taylor-Joy is another standout as Casey, a quiet, but sharply intelligent young woman.  We receive much of her story in small flashbacks, and by the end of the film, we reach a fuller understanding of Casey's character, and what makes her the smartest one in the room.
Split is a well shot film with a perfect balance of mystery and tension.  While the story does dip into the fantastic for a moment or two, it never feels too unrealistic.  With some very strong acting to back it up, Split makes for a great piece of suspense with a few solid horror accents.

Inferno (2016)

Based on the best selling book by Dan Brown, Inferno is the latest entry in Ron Howard's suspenseful film series.  This installment finds Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) in an Italian hospital, victim of a mysterious head wound and amnesia.  Soon, a few pieces of a larger puzzle are revealed, as Langdon and his attending physician Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) are chased across Europe by police officers as well as agents of the W.H.O.  Add to this the mystery of a deceased billionaire with a dangerous philosophy, clues surrounding the work of the poet Dante, and a hidden biological weapon, and this becomes a recipe for danger-filled adventure.
One of the first things that struck me about Inferno was the departure in tone from previous films in this series.  The film immediately grabs you by the neck and shakes vigorously.  With some expertly done editing and makeup/effects work, Inferno displays a nightmarish world that is at once shocking and confusing, reflecting the current state of Robert Langdon himself.  After this, things calm down a bit, and we begin to see the different pieces of the puzzle that has been prepared for our hero.  Interestingly, this puzzle solving format only seems to last for about half of the movie.  After this, the characters become as puzzling as the clues that have been followed.  In fact, I found myself so wrapped up in piecing together the clues hidden in Renaissance paintings and art objects that some of the biggest plot reveals took me completely by surprise, which is exactly what this type of movie should deliver.  Director Ron Howard makes great use of authentic locations in the film, which makes for an incredibly beautiful viewing experience, as well as reinforcing the feeling of secret history being discovered.
For the most part, I found the cast did an excellent job.  However, I found the performance of Felicity Jones a little on the flat side.  It wasn't necessarily bad acting, but I felt that Sienna Brooks was simply there to facilitate the plot movement, and didn't feel like a fully rounded character to me.  That being said, the performance of Tom Hanks and the rest of the cast make up for it.  In particular, I enjoyed the work of Ana Ularu as a trigger-happy police officer, and Omar Sy as a determined W.H.O. agent.  Also, Irrfan Khan is worth a mention as the professionally dangerous company man, Harry Sims.
I don't remember the previous films in the series very clearly, so I'm sure a few moments were lost on me, but I still found Inferno accessible to an essentially new viewer.  There are only a few small callbacks, but it's enough to make one want to go back and watch the previous movies.  If you're into mystery, history, and suspense, Inferno is a perfect movie for you to check out!