20 Horror Movies WAY More Successful Than Anyone Expected
12. Split
M. Night Shyamalan's early work was magnificent, which is why his fanbase gave him the benefit of the doubt when he tossed out the occasional dud. But after churning out absolute slop like The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth, it seemed like the Oscar-nominated auteur had lost his touch.
For this reason, Split was shaping up to be another turkey. The psychological thriller follows a teen, Casey (played by a pre-famous Anya Taylor-Joy), who is abducted by James McAvoy's Kevin, a DID sufferer with 24 personalities. Intriguing premise aside, former fans of the director had been let down too often to have any faith in this project.
But unlike much of Shyamalan's work, Split wasn't bogged down by inconsistent performances, AI-sounding dialogue, or distracting cameos. Instead, it told a tightly-written story, which was accentuated by Taylor-Joy's career-making performance. And even though the antagonist could've been goofy, he's the best part by far, thanks to McAvoy's utter conviction in the role.
Due to its $9 million budget, it seemed like Shyamalan was playing it safe with Split, though he had nothing to worry about, since Split brought in $300 million, becoming one of the biggest films of his career.