Anya Taylor-Joy Carried M. Night Shyamalan’s Comeback Thriller, and It’s Streaming for Free Now
Although he was once hailed as a visionary who could serve as a new generation’s answer to Steven Spielberg, M. Night Shyamalan was in a serious downward spiral after a series of major bombs forced even his most loyal fans to question his talents as a storyteller. Despite the acclaim that Shyamalan had earned for his work on The Sixth Sense and Signs, the failures of bombs like The Last Airbender and After Earth nearly put him in “director’s jail.” While The Visit proved to be a modest success in which Shyamalan was able to return to his bone-chilling roots, it was the unprecedented breakout of Split in 2016 that officially launched his comeback. In addition to continuing an original superhero franchise by serving as a secret sequel to Unbreakable, Split proved that Anya Taylor-Joy was one of the best scream queens of her generation.
Who Does Anya Taylor-Joy Play in ‘Split?’
Split centers on the enigmatic kidnapper Wendall Crumb (James McAvoy), whose diagnosis with dissociative identity disorder means that over 23 different personalities exist within his mind. While many of these identities are more passive in nature, they live in fear of a mysterious, untapped personality known as “The Beast.” Taylor-Joy appears as the teenage outcast Casey Cooke, who attends a birthday party with several classmates, despite only being invited out of sympathy. Nonetheless, Casey and the other girls are placed in the same precarious position when they are all kidnapped and become aware of their terrifying situation when they meet the personality known as “Barry,” who allows the other figures to move in and out of their bodies. Although Casey is determined to escape by reasoning with her mysterious captor, she is also forced to reflect on the abusive childhood that has made her so wary of trusting anyone.
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Malek gave one of his most dynamic performances in the twisty mystery thriller.
Taylor-Joy was given a very difficult task in Split, because Casey is a character who is purposefully awkward and has a hard time expressing her emotions. While the fact that her backstory is not revealed in full until later on in the film may have made it difficult for the audience to relate to her, Taylor-Joy is able to hint at how Casey has picked up on survival skills that allowed her to avoid the traps set up by the various personalities. The film’s narrative is way more complex than a simple kidnapping story; ultimately, Casey and Wendall are able to relate to one another, as they have both become closed off based on the way that they were treated when they were young. The fact that Taylor-Joy portrayed Casey as a brave, yet empathetic “final girl” made Split far more interesting than many other isolation thrillers.
Casey Cooke Has a Powerful Story Arc in ‘Split’
Taylor-Joy’s performance was critical to one of the most controversial aspects of Split, as it is revealed that Casey has been sexually abused by her uncle, John (Brad William Henke), since she was a child. While the concept that this makes her and “The Beast” kindred spirits with one another may have generated some blowback, Taylor-Joy does an excellent job at showing how Casey’s repressed fear and anxiety have allowed her to pick up on nuances in behavior, ultimately ensuring her survival. Casey and Wendall connect because they both know what it is like to have their bodies taken advantage of, and have masked their feelings from those who claim to care about them because of shame. There are many ways in which this could have felt problematic, but Taylor-Joy, through a committed and compelling performance, was able to turn Casey into an empowering hero.
Split was a massive hit for both Blumhouse and Shyamalan, as it quickly made its low budget profitable and ensured the production of a sequel, Glass, which featured both Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson reprising their roles from Unbreakable. Glass offered Taylor-Joy the opportunity to expand on Casey’s character arc, as she becomes critical in developing the public’s understanding of superheroes. Although it may have been McAvoy’s incredible physical performance that was central to the marketing for both films, Taylor-Joy was essential in giving the audience a character that they could be emotionally invested in.
Split is available to stream for free on Tubi.
- Release Date
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January 19, 2017
- Runtime
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117 minutes
- Producers
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Jason Blum, Kevin Scott Frakes, Marc Bienstock, Steven Schneider, Ashwin Rajan
