10 Most Polarising Movies Of 2017

Many had dismissed M. Night Shyamalan as a one-trick pony long before Split came out, but some found more to enjoy than an 11th-hour twist in his latest movie.

James McAvoy was roundly praised for his performance in a challenging lead role which required him adopt multiple personalities, each one unique and radically different from the last. Shyamalan, meanwhile, was hailed for being one of the first directors to dedicate an entire movie to a supervillain's origin story.

There are positives to draw from Split, no question, but some fans and critics felt the twist-obsessed filmmaker ultimately brought nothing new to the girls-in-peril trope, a compelling, layered protagonist and standout lead notwithstanding.

That's essentially what Split is when boiled down to its essence: an old-fashioned exploitation flick, and some clearly held that against it more than others.