I still remember the first time that trailer for the movie split popped up on my feed. It was late 2016. M. Night Shyamalan was in that weird "is he back?" phase after The Visit. Then, James McAvoy appeared on screen wearing a primary school yellow sweater and a nervous, childish grin. Within two minutes, the internet was losing its collective mind. It wasn't just a horror teaser. It was a promise that one of Hollywood’s most divisive directors might actually have found his groove again. Honestly, the trailer did more for the movie's box office than any massive billboard campaign ever could have. It felt dangerous.
There is a specific art to the way Universal handled that first look. You start with three girls in a car—standard thriller trope—and then Kevin Wendell Crumb enters. He sprays something. Everything goes black. But the trailer doesn't stay in that basement. It pivots. It introduces us to "Patricia" and "Hedwig." Watching McAvoy's face transition from a stoic, terrifying kidnapper to a nine-year-old boy in a matter of seconds was a masterclass in acting that basically sold the ticket right then and there.
The Psychological Hook of the Split Trailer
People forget how much the trailer for the movie split leaned into the clinical side of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) before diving into the supernatural stuff. It used Betty Buckley’s character, Dr. Karen Fletcher, to ground the whole thing in some sort of faux-reality. She talks about how the brain can change the body’s chemistry based on which personality is in control. It’s a real-ish concept pushed to a comic-book extreme.
That groundedness is why the ending of the trailer works so well. When you hear the mention of "The Beast," it feels like a genuine threat because the movie has spent the previous ninety seconds convincing you that these "alters" are distinct, powerful entities. Most trailers reveal too much. This one revealed just enough of the "horde" to make you wonder how many of the 23 personalities we’d actually get to see.
Why James McAvoy Was the Only Choice
Let's be real: without McAvoy, this movie is probably a direct-to-VOD disaster. The trailer highlights his range in a way that feels almost like a theater audition. You see the rigid posture of Dennis, the obsessive-compulsive kidnapper. Then you see the soft, lisping innocence of Hedwig. It’s unsettling. It’s also kinda impressive how he uses his eyes to signal a switch before he even speaks a word.
Critics like Peter Travers later pointed out that McAvoy's performance was the glue. If you watch the trailer closely, the editing mimics the fragmentation of Kevin's mind. Quick cuts. Overlapping voices. Shifting perspectives. It’s chaotic but controlled. It makes the audience feel as trapped as Anya Taylor-Joy’s character, Casey Cooke.
Breaking Down the "Beast" Reveal
The marketing team was actually pretty smart about the "Beast." In the original trailer for the movie split, we never actually see him. We see the reaction to him. We see the veins bulging in McAvoy’s neck. We see him scaling a wall in a blurry, low-angle shot.
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- The mystery of the 24th identity was the primary "water cooler" talk.
- The trailer focuses on the concept of "The Horde."
- It subtly hints that the girls aren't just being held; they are being prepared.
The pacing of the teaser is erratic in the best way. It starts slow and methodical, then ramps up into a frantic montage of screaming and running. It doesn't use the typical "Inception BWAAA" sound effect that every movie used back then. Instead, it uses high-pitched strings and the sound of heavy breathing. It’s intimate. It’s gross. It’s perfect.
The Twist That Wasn't in the Trailer
Here’s the thing about the trailer for the movie split: it lied to us. Not in a bad way, but in a "Shyamalan way." If you watch that trailer today, there is absolutely zero indication that this movie is a secret sequel to Unbreakable. Not a single frame hints at David Dunn or the color theory used in the 2000 classic.
That’s why the movie blew up. People went in expecting a standard kidnapping thriller and walked out realizing they were watching the birth of a supervillain origin story. The trailer was the ultimate misdirection. It focused on the horror of the basement so we wouldn't look for the comic book DNA hiding underneath.
The Controversy and the Reality of DID
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. When the trailer dropped, it wasn't all praise. Several mental health advocacy groups, including those representing people with DID, were worried. The trailer paints a picture of a "monster" living inside a person with a mental health condition.
Is it fair? Probably not. Is it a common trope in cinema? Absolutely. From Psycho to Primal Fear, Hollywood has a long history of using fragmented identity as a shorthand for "scary." The trailer for the movie split definitely leaned into those "Jekyll and Hyde" vibes. However, Dr. Fletcher’s dialogue in the movie (and the trailer) tries to frame it as "human potential" rather than just "madness." It’s a thin line to walk, and the trailer dances right on the edge of it.
Cinematic Techniques Used in the Teaser
If you’re into film theory, the cinematography in the trailer is actually quite fascinating. Mike Gioulakis, who also shot It Follows, uses very tight framing. The camera is always just a little too close to McAvoy’s face. It creates a sense of claustrophobia. Even when they are in "open" spaces like the car or the office, the angles are skewed.
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The color palette is also worth noting. Everything is drab, grey, and ochre. Then you see the bright yellow of the raincoat or the stark white of the bathroom. It’s a visual language that signals something is "wrong" with the environment. It feels like a cage, even when there are no bars visible.
What Users Get Wrong About the Split Marketing
I see a lot of people online claiming that the trailer spoiled the movie. Honestly, it didn't. It spoiled the setup, sure. But it didn't spoil the survival. It didn't spoil Casey’s backstory—which is arguably the darkest and most important part of the film. And it definitely didn't spoil the Bruce Willis cameo.
A good trailer is a "vibe check." The trailer for the movie split passed because it promised a return to form for a director who had been in the "director's jail" for a decade after The Last Airbender and After Earth. It proved that Shyamalan didn't need a $100 million budget to be effective. He just needed a basement, a talented actor, and a creepy idea.
Next Steps for Your Split Rewatch
If you're planning on revisiting this movie or watching it for the first time after seeing the trailer, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch for the Wardrobe: Each personality has a specific color or style. Pay attention to how Hedwig wears his clothes versus how Dennis wears his. It tells you who is "in the light" before they even speak.
- Look for the Unbreakable Connections: Keep an eye out for the name "Glass" or references to the train crash from the first film. They are buried deep, but they are there.
- Analyze the Symmetry: Shyamalan loves symmetrical shots. Notice how the girls are framed in the basement versus how Dr. Fletcher is framed in her high-end apartment.
- Check the Credits: Don't just turn it off when the screen goes black. The transition into the final scene is one of the best "stings" in modern cinema history.
Once you’ve finished Split, your next logical step is to jump straight into Glass (2019). It brings the whole trilogy together, though it's much more of a "comic book movie" than the self-contained horror of Kevin Wendell Crumb’s basement. Just remember that Split works best when you view it as a character study that accidentally turned into a franchise.