Story by Grant Dillard, Staff writer
At the end of M. Night Shyamalan’s film, “Split” from 2017, it was revealed that it took place in the same universe as one of Shyamalan’s earlier films, “Unbreakable” from the year 2000. With that established, it was inevitable that another film further connecting the two films together would be released. Given that “Glass” is the ending to a series 19 years in the making, it’s safe to say that expectations for the film are fairly high. But does it live up to the hype?
Taking place roughly three weeks after the events of “Split,” the film starts out with the superhuman vigilante, David Dunn (Bruce Willis) stopping crime wherever he sees it. While out on patrol, Dunn ends up rescuing several teenage girls held captive by Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), the man with 23 distinct personalities responsible for numerous crimes. Both Dunn and Crumb end up being arrested and placed into a mental institution. There, they’re placed under the care of Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) who intends to prove that their seemingly superhuman abilities are simply no more than delusions of grandeur. But little does anyone know that Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) a.k.a. Mr. Glass, has plans of his own.
It’s important to know going in that despite revolving around the topic of human beings with abilities right out of a comic book, “Glass” isn’t the same kind of superhero film that audiences have gotten to know for the past several years. Unlike, say, any film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this film has slower pacing and focuses much more on story and dialogue, as well as including only two action sequences. This doesn’t mean that the film is boring by any means, as the story is still interesting and not hard to follow. But those looking for a simple action-packed superhero blockbuster will be disappointed if they go into “Glass” with those expectations.
Nearly two decades later, Willis and Jackson naturally slip back into their roles of Dunn and Price. This is especially satisfying, as Willis hasn’t exactly had the best track record in movies for the past few years, seeming bored whenever he’s onscreen. In this film, however, he commits to the role and does a great job. As for Jackson, while his character doesn’t play a major role until the last third of the film, he’s still chilling and devious as Mr. Glass.
As expected, McAvoy steals the entire show as Crumb and his multiple personalities. Not only are Dennis, Patricia, Hedwig, and his other established identities from “Split” still fun to watch, but audiences will also get to see several new personas that Crumb has as well. While they may not stand out as much, they still exemplify McAvoy’s impressive acting range. Admittedly, Crumb gets a bit more focus than Dunn and Price, which may be disappointing for those who have been wanting a full-on “Unbreakable” sequel for so long.
Casey Cooke (Anya Taylor-Joy), Price’s mother (Charlayne Woodard) and Dunn’s son, Joseph, also return from “Unbreakable” and “Split” respectively in supporting roles; each is given decent enough storylines to make them vital to the plot.
New to the series is Staple, whose story arc is fascinating. Her arguments as to how the abilities the main characters have are simply psychological issues instead of actual superpowers are very interesting, so interesting that some audiences may agree with Staple’s theories.
As is a tradition when it comes to Shyamalan’s filmography, “Glass” has its share of twists; specifically, in the third act. This is where audiences are most likely going to be, for lack of a better word, split, when it comes to personal opinions. Shyamalan certainly does a good job at subverting expectations on the film’s ending, but not everyone will like the directions the story goes in with its conclusion. There’s also one particular twist that may make sense at first, but it starts to make less sense the more one thinks about it.
Despite its faults in the final act, “Glass” serves as a satisfying conclusion to the Unbreakable/Split trilogy, and an interesting subversion from the traditional superhero film genre. It also acts as further proof that Shyamalan has gotten his groove back as a director after a slate of disappointing films. Hopefully, Shyamalan keeps this winning streak going with his upcoming films.