Movies Like Split

Frequently asked about Split

Common questions people search for, with answers written by us at MoviesPack.

• How many personalities does Kevin Wendell Crumb have in Split?▾

  Kevin has 23 distinct personalities, or 'alters,' that share his body, all managed within an internal system overseen by his therapist Dr. Karen Fletcher. A 24th personality, known as 'The Beast,' emerges over the course of the film. The dominant alters seen most often are Dennis, Patricia, Hedwig, and Barry, who fight for control of 'the light,' meaning conscious control of Kevin's body.

• Why does Kevin kidnap Casey and the other girls?▾

  Dennis and Patricia, two alters who believe in the coming of 'The Beast,' kidnap Claire, Marcia, and Casey as a sacrificial offering. The Beast's doctrine is that 'the impure' — people who have never suffered — must be consumed to make way for a new, stronger evolved human. The girls are chosen because Dennis and Patricia view them as untouched by real pain.

• Why does The Beast spare Casey at the end of Split?▾

  When The Beast sees the self-harm scars covering Casey's body, he recognizes her as 'pure of heart' because she has truly suffered, having been sexually abused by her uncle since childhood. In the film's logic, suffering grants spiritual purity and strength, so The Beast declares her 'different' from the others and lets her live. This is the movie's central thesis — that the broken are the evolved.

• What are the flashbacks with Casey and her uncle about?▾

  The flashbacks reveal that Casey's uncle John molested her starting on a hunting trip when she was a small child, and continued abusing her after her father's death left him as her guardian. These scenes establish why Casey is withdrawn and antisocial at school, and crucially set up the climax where her trauma scars cause The Beast to spare her. The final scene implies she may finally report the abuse now that authorities are involved.

• How does Split connect to Unbreakable in the final scene?▾

  The final diner scene cuts to a news report about 'The Horde,' the nickname locals are giving Kevin. A man at the counter remarks that this reminds him of another superhuman criminal from years ago, 'Mr. Glass,' and the camera reveals David Dunn (Bruce Willis) from Unbreakable. This twist retroactively reveals Split takes place in the Unbreakable universe, setting up the sequel Glass.