Does Split have an after-credits scene, a final M. Night Shyamalan surprise hidden after all the credits have completed?
For moviegoers heading out to the suspense director’s return to the big screen, it could be an important question. Shyamalan is known for his twist endings, so there’s a good chance that the action extends all the way to the very end — after all the credits have rolled.
For those not familiar with the cinema trope known as the after-credits scene (also known in some circles as a stinger or credit cookie), it’s a short scene tucked all the way at the end of the credits. In films that are part of a series, these scenes usually give a preview of the action to come or introduce a new character. That’s their utility in the Marvel series, where audiences see not one but two post-credits scenes for each installment.
In comedies, the scene is usually used to throw in a final joke or a call-back to one of the ongoing jokes from the movie.
The cast & crew enjoying the premiere of #Split in NYC. See it in theaters Friday! pic.twitter.com/g1m46Um0S1
— Split (@splitmovie) January 19, 2017
But thrillers have been a bit more iffy on the use of an after-credits scene. This genre sometimes uses the scene to offer one final twist or offer a new perspective on the ending, but just as often just goes without.
[WARNING: Potential Split spoilers are ahead.]
So, is there an after-credits scene in Split?
The answer appears to be no. There has been no mention of an after-credits scene in any early reviews, and sites that keep track of which movies have after-credits scenes have nothing listed for Split.
Early screeners of the movie said the same — there is nothing after the credits have finished rolling in Split.
POST-CREDITS STING WATCH. There is *NO* post-credits sting on Split.
— Matthew Turner – see pinned tweet (@FilmFan1971) January 17, 2017
But that doesn’t mean Split is without a twist, and those who saw early screenings note that the suspense goes right up to the very last second before the credits roll.
So Split was a solid effort and James McAvoy is fantastic. But I did not care for thar last small twist right before the end credits
— JuandaVision (@juanmadpelicula) January 19, 2017
Even without an after-credits scene, it appears that Split will find a big audience in its opening weekend and beyond. Though M. Night Shyamalan has fallen off in his most recent films, Split has earned some good early reviews.
Find out what he is capable of… #Split is in theaters tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/61Uwvg0KhK
— Split (@splitmovie) January 19, 2017
The movie follows three women who are abducted by a creepy, mysterious man played by James McAvoy. They find that he is harboring split personalities — 22 in total — and have to find a way to unlock his secrets and escape his lair.
Time movie reviewer Stephanie Zacharek noted that in the director’s past movies, audiences had to “follow Shyamalan’s meandering breadcrumb trail to the big reveal.” But Split is a bit different in that the entire movie isn’t meant to build up to a twist ending.
“But there’s one thing you can say about Shyamalan’s movies: He truly believes in our innocence, to an almost touching degree. Maybe that’s why his latest, Split, sort of works. It doesn’t demand too much from us in the suspension-of-disbelief department, and the whole thing doesn’t hinge on a clamorous bang of a surprise ending. (The surprise is maybe more of a clink.)”
So even if there’s not an after-credits scene in Split, audiences can be content in seeing the best-reviewed movie from M. Night Shyamalan in more than a decade.
[Featured Image by Blinding Edge Pictures]