Split

Split is an original psychological thriller from Writer/Director M. Night Shyamalan, which delves into the mysterious depths of one man's fractured mind as a terror unlike the world has seen prepares to be unleashed. Kevin Crumb's (McAvoy) fractured mind has revealed 23 personalities, but one remains dangerously submerged, set to materialize and dominate the others. Kevin reaches a war for dominance among all those that rage within him, threatening his stability and impacting the survival of everyone around him. (Gary Reber)

Special features include an alternate ending (HD 0.32); nine deleted scenes (HD 14:37); the featurettes The Making Of Split (HD 09:50), The Many Faces of James McAvoy (HD 05:38), and The Filmmaker's Eye: M. Night Shyamalan (HD 03:40); upfront previews; and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 2:39.1 1080p AVC picture exhibits an overall soft feel to the imagery, yet close-up resolution is quite detailed in facial features, hair, clothing, and object texture, such as the rough walls in the holding room. The color palette is neutrally natural with rich and warm hues, even in the dark and dreary interior scenes in the basement location the three girls are held in. Fleshtones are naturally hued throughout. Flashbacks and some outdoor segments, as well as the therapist's home office, are far brighter in color hue and lighting. Contrast is well balanced with deep blacks, and shadow deletion is generally good, though, at times a bit undefined. Digital noise is slight and not offensive, but overall the imagery is clean. This is a rather dreary picture and perfectly complementary to the storytelling of a multiple-personality male with a psychological disorder. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is often dynamic, with a strong .1 LFE presence that works nicely to provide a low-bass foundation, especially bursting into intense energy that spreads through to the soundfield in the final acts. The music score is effectively haunting as well and occupies a wide and deep soundstage that extends to the surrounds. Atmospherics are effectively realistic to sonically define the confinement, particularly nuanced sounds. Sound effects, such as shotgun blasts and a train, and other bursts of actionable energy, are dynamic sounding. Dialogue is consistently intelligible with good spatial integration throughout. This is an emotionally intense, creepy soundtrack with at times an excellence of holosonic® envelopment. (Gary Reber)