A decade ago, Anya Taylor-Joy was largely unknown outside of horror circles. Then M. Night Shyamalan’s Split arrived — and everything changed. The 2016 psychological thriller didn’t just launch Taylor-Joy into the mainstream; it became one of the most talked-about genre films of its era. Now, in 2026, it’s finding a whole new audience on streaming, and the film holds up in ways that genuinely surprise people watching it for the first time.
The timing of this renewed interest is no accident. With Taylor-Joy now one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces — following The Queen’s Gambit, Furiosa, and Mad Max — viewers are circling back to see where it all began. And what they’re finding is a film that remains tense, unsettling, and deeply compelling, even after repeated viewings.
Split is currently drawing strong streaming numbers on Apple TV+, giving it fresh visibility among audiences who may have missed it the first time around. For a film that turns ten years old, that kind of staying power is rare.
What Made Split Such a Defining Psychological Thriller
Split centers on Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man with 23 distinct personalities who kidnaps three teenage girls. James McAvoy plays Kevin — and essentially plays more than two dozen characters within a single film. The performance is extraordinary by any measure, shifting between personalities with a fluidity that still draws audible reactions from first-time viewers.
Taylor-Joy plays Casey Cooke, one of the kidnapped girls. What separates Casey from the typical horror-film victim is her psychology. She’s observant, controlled, and quietly strategic — a character defined by what she doesn’t say as much as what she does. It was a role that demanded nuance from a relatively new actress, and Taylor-Joy delivered something that felt far beyond her years of experience at the time.
Shyamalan had spent years trying to recapture the magic of The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. With Split, he didn’t just recapture it — he built something new. The film works as a pure thriller, but it also functions as a character study, a horror movie, and — for those who stayed through the final scene — a stealth sequel to one of his earlier works.
Why the Film Still Resonates Ten Years Later
The question worth asking isn’t just whether Split is good. It’s why it continues to pull people in when so many thrillers from the same era feel dated.
Part of the answer is McAvoy. His performance doesn’t rely on the tricks that tend to age badly — there are no dated cultural references baked into the character work, no reliance on technology or social media as plot devices. The film is fundamentally about human psychology, and human psychology doesn’t expire.
Taylor-Joy’s performance is the other anchor. Casey Cooke is a character who survives through intelligence and emotional endurance rather than physical strength, which gives the film a different kind of tension than most thrillers. You’re not waiting for a chase scene. You’re watching a psychological chess match play out in real time.
Shyamalan’s direction is also leaner and more confident here than in some of his mid-career work. The confined setting — most of the film takes place in underground rooms — forces the story to rely entirely on performance and atmosphere. It’s a creative constraint that pays off.
The Streaming Surge and What It Means for Taylor-Joy’s Legacy
The fact that Split is performing strongly on Apple TV+ in March 2026 says something meaningful about how streaming has changed the way audiences discover films. A movie that opened in theaters in January 2017 is now reaching viewers who were children when it came out — or who simply never got around to watching it.
For Taylor-Joy specifically, this kind of catalog resurgence reinforces her status as one of the most consistently compelling screen presences of her generation. Audiences who found her through The Queen’s Gambit or her recent blockbuster work are now tracing back through her filmography, and Split is often the first stop.
| Film | Year | Role | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split | 2016/2017 | Casey Cooke | M. Night Shyamalan |
| The Queen’s Gambit | 2020 | Beth Harmon | Scott Frank |
| Furiosa | 2024 | Furiosa | George Miller |
That trajectory — from a Shyamalan thriller to a Netflix phenomenon to a prestige blockbuster — is unusual. Most actors find their audience in one lane. Taylor-Joy keeps crossing them.
What New Viewers Should Know Before Watching
If you’re coming to Split fresh in 2026, a few things are worth knowing going in.
- The film is a standalone experience that works entirely on its own terms — no prior knowledge of Shyamalan’s other films is required.
- McAvoy’s performance is the centerpiece, but Taylor-Joy’s quieter, more restrained work is what gives the film its emotional core.
- The final scene lands very differently depending on whether you’re familiar with Shyamalan’s broader filmography — but it works either way.
- The film deals with trauma and psychological distress in ways that are handled with more care than most genre films of its type.
- Split was followed by a direct sequel, Glass, released in 2019, which brought together characters from multiple Shyamalan films.
Ten Years In, the Film Earns Its Place
Not every film that gets called a “modern classic” actually holds the title on rewatch. Split does. The performances remain extraordinary. The tension hasn’t softened. And as an early showcase for what Anya Taylor-Joy could do on screen, it remains essential viewing — not just as a historical footnote, but as a genuinely great psychological thriller that deserves its renewed moment in the spotlight.
If it’s been sitting in your watchlist, this is the reminder to move it to the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch Split right now?
Split is currently available for streaming on Apple TV+ as of March 2026, where it has been drawing strong viewership numbers.
When was Split originally released?
Split was released in January 2017, making 2026 approximately the ten-year mark since its debut.
Who stars in Split alongside Anya Taylor-Joy?
James McAvoy stars as Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man with 23 distinct personalities, in what is widely considered one of the standout performances of his career.
Who directed Split?
Split was directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who also wrote the screenplay.
Is Split connected to other films?
Yes — Split is connected to Shyamalan’s broader universe, and was followed by a direct sequel titled Glass, released in 2019.
Why is Split trending again in 2026?
The film’s current streaming availability on Apple TV+ has introduced it to new audiences, particularly fans of Anya Taylor-Joy who discovered her through more recent projects like The Queen’s Gambit and Furiosa.
Leave a Reply