Why is there a petition to remove Split from Netflix?

Split is a film released in 2017 and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, it is the sequel to the cult film Unbreakable. Three years later came the sequel: Glass. Despitethe public and critical success of these works, some mental health advocates criticize the portrayal of these diseases in Split.

Split : an international success

M. Night Shyamalan's film stars actor James McAvoy. He plays the role of a man suffering from dissociative identity disorder with 24 personalities. The film was a huge success at the box office. It grossed more than $278 million worldwide. Critics even go so far as to describe it as one of the director's greatest works.

Why this petition?

However, despite all this praise and numerous nominations, Split is now the subject of controversy. A petition has even been set up to remove the film from Netflix. According to mental health advocates, Split misrepresents people who actually suffer from personality disorders. A hashtag has been launched, #GetSplitOffNetflix, it accompanies the petition calling for the removal of the thriller on Netflix. The petition details the reason for this request:

This film inaccurately represents disorder in many ways. Exaggerate the rarity of the disorder, insinuate that those affected are capable of complete physical metamorphosis and, most importantly, highlight the false stigma created in Hollywood, introduced by films like Psycho, that people with DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) are more likely to be violent, or will somehow cause harm to others.

The petition now has less than 1500 signatures, but the hashtag is gaining momentum on social networks. Opinions are very divided on the web. For now, the streaming giant has not reacted to this campaign. This is not the only film that has been the subject of controversy in recent days. Gone with the Wind demonstrated it recently as well as Aliens: the return, considered culturally offensive because Marine Vasquez was not played by a Latin American person, but by the actress Jenette Goldstein.