This tense psychological thriller is now free to stream ‣ Diverse Daily

We all love big-budget action and sci-fi movies, but sometimes, smaller-scale films are worth watching for their character-driven plots and claustrophobic settings.

Split is a nerve-racking 2016 thriller made on a shoestring budget that took the world by storm thanks to its unique plot and outstanding performance by James McAvoy, who plays multiple characters. It made a whopping $278 million on a 9 million budget and was responsible for director M. Night Shyamalan’s late-career resurgence.

The movie starts with three teenage girls who are abducted and imprisoned in an underground. The person responsible has dissociative identity disorder, which means he has 23 unique identities, all with unique traits and personalities. Some of these personalities are stronger than others and determine who is in control of his mind and body at any one time.

Split becomes a cat-and-mouse game as the imprisoned girls are trying to find a way to escape while dealing with their captor’s vastly different personalities, which provide clues to his past, and weaknesses to exploit. They must act fast because time is running out, and their captor is waiting for a new and more brutal personality called “The Beast” to make its appearance and rid the world of the impure.

This tense psychological thriller keeps the audience guessing until the end and is a masterclass in tension and creepy atmosphere. James McAvoy anchors the movie in what many consider a career-best performance. He effortlessly drifts between his character’s unique personalities, like a little boy, a menacing man, and a middle-aged lady, and gives each distinct ticks and behaviors. Anya Taylor-Joy shines in one of her early roles as a captive girl who must use all her wits and intelligence to survive.

notable shows: Kitchen Nightmares, Merlin
notable movies: Clueless, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, How to Train Your Dragon, Mean Girls, Star Trek
Premium Subscription: Yes, $13.99 per month
Originals: No
Live TV: No

YouTube is one of the biggest internet video platforms of them all, with news content, viral videos, niche fandoms, and everything in between.

Split is streaming for free on YouTube

Ad-free viewing options are also available

YouTube posted Split on its platform, and you can watch it for free with ads here. You can also catch it on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV if you want an ad-free experience.

If you prefer physical media, you can buy Split on Blu-ray or 4K UHD from Amazon.

Other intense thrillers are also available for free on YouTube

More tense movies you can try

If you like Split, you can try these other exciting thrillers available on YouTube. 12 Monkeys is a Bruce Willis time travel movie in which he’s sent to the past to discover the origins of a virus that’s wiped out most of the human race. It’s available here to watch for free on YouTube. You can also try The Purge, which is about a family who must survive the night against intruders in their house on the one night of the year when violent crime is legal. You can watch this Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey thriller here on YouTube.