The traditional “double/doppelgänger” does not usually consist of multiple apparitions. The movie Split, however, gives one man 24 different identities. However, it’s important to know that this man, Kevin Wendell Crumb, has split personality disorder. James McAvoy, who portrays Kevin Wendell Crumb, also portrays the other 23 personalities of Kevin Wendell Crumb. Among these are Hedwig (a 10 year old boy), Patricia (an orderly, older woman), Barry (a young man with a deep understanding of fashion and design), and Dennis (a man ridden with OCD). The concept of the movie Split is so captivating because it is uncanny.
Split begins when Dennis kidnaps Casey Cook and two of her friends. Throughout the first half of the movie, it is unclear why Casey and her friends are held hostage, but there’s definitely an eeriness about it. We are introduced to Patricia, Barry, and Hedwig. If you have watched this movie, you know how confusing it is to see different versions of James McAvoy’s character appear on the screen to check in with the girls. We ultimately learn that Kevin Wendell Crumb, the main character, is being kept out of the “light” by his other personalities. The “light” is whenever a personality takes over a body. However, the reason for this is because Kevin would disagree with the emergence of the beast, the 24th personality. The beast itself is the most uncanny element of Kevin and his personalities. It’s almost like he becomes superhuman. He has the ability to climb walls, bend metal bars, and even eat human flesh. The strangest thing, however, is that he only targets those who have had no struggles or hardships in life. The whole concept of the beast is uncanny, but then again, so is the concept of one man having 24 different personalities who vary in gender and age.