Split (2014, Short)
Starring Austin Hayden, Shian Denovan
Directed by Andy Stewart
One morning, an unnamed young man (Hayden) awakens to discover a gigantic, pus-filled boil growing on his chest and multiple text messages on his phone from a worried friend desperate to get in touch with him. As he staggers around his flat, we come to see bright memories of everyday activities that the man enjoyed with his girlfriend (Denovan) – their vivid visual representation evident of a happier time in comparison to the darker, grey outlook on his current activities.
It would appear that something bad has happened, and it’s cost him his relationship. Tossing and turning in the night, he’s forced to run to the bathroom to vomit, where he subsequently gives the boil on his chest a squeeze – to expectedly gooey ends.
This proves to be the beginning of his breakdown, as his affliction gathers pace resulting in graphic, assured manner, sending him down the road of total decomposition.
What stands out most about Split is the physical effects work. It’s absolutely stellar. Grotesque, squirm-inducing, and exceptionally realistic-looking, the makeup and prosthetics are genuinely toe-curling. As his condition worsens, the man finds his fingertips swollen into bulbous, pus-filled balls which squirt their contents when pressured, his fingernails come off, and in one particularly hideous sequence an entire section of skin comes sloughing away.
Suffice to say, this is not a film for the weak of stomach.
And that is not an idle warning.
Visually, Split is very well shot and edited but does seem to drag out a few sequences to unnecessary length. This is perhaps partly due to wanting to get the most out of Hayden’s convincingly tortured and pained performance, but combined with the intended grim tone, it leads to the odd moment of standstill pacing, where the need for something new becomes evident just slightly too earlier than that arrives.
Still, there’s a genuine story to be found here amidst the astounding grotesquery, and it allows for a few different ways to approach what happens. Could the unfortunate soul have contracted something with his philandering? Has squeezing the boil and subsequently lying around like a recluse led to the mother of all untreated staph infections?
Of course, most effective (and intentional) is the approach of a metaphorical treatise on the nature and effect of guilt and regret, reinforced admirably by a sombre, minimalist score and convincingly pained and distraught performance by Hayden.
Dealing with the same kind of content as 2012’s odious and grubby Thanatomorphose in a much superior manner, Split is a very strong entry by Stewart and co. It’s pro-grade stuff, and the effects work is staggering. Just don’t watch it if you’re feeling queasy or eating a meal. Seriously.
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Film
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