M. Night Shyamalan has a history of putting himself into his films. These cameos usually range from “why are you in this scene” to “well at least you didn’t completely screw it up” to “huh… there’s Night, that’s cool”. The amount of belief and self-confidence one must have to not only make movies that are universally polarizing, but then also subject yourself to scrutiny over 2 minutes of trying to act when that is not what you do is to be admired. Just as much as Glass is to be admired for eschewing the superhero spectacle in favor of the personal and spiritual.
Glass is the final chapter of the Unbreakable trilogy that started back in 2000. It brings together the first film’s David Dunn (Bruce Willis) for a final super-powered showdown with antagonist Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson) and “The Beast” Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), the supernatural man with 24 alternative personalities introduced in 2017’s Split.
Unbreakable was an initial disappointment amongst audiences, receiving a “C” cinema score due to being too slow and somber. But over time, moviegoers grew to appreciate the film as a before-its-time grounded look into the personal ramifications of becoming a superhero. While Unbreakable was a victim of being just ahead of the Comic-Book Movie boom, Glass is the effect of the (glorious) gluttony of caped-crusading marvel.
Similar to its predecessor, Glass creeps along at a slow burning pace, packed with wordy expositions and narrations of what comic-book trope is currently being played out amongst our trio of real-life comic-book characters. But instead of lulling viewers to sleep, this fits perfectly with the (good) M. Night audience expectation of a creepily building tension that clutches you to its gripping dialogue, intense score, and absorbing cinematography. Having seen the two previous entries helps to appreciate the aesthetic that these three films have built. It turns the film into a giant chess game, where every word seems to be carefully selected to throw you off of what you think may happen, make you eager to hear the next conversation, and guess which character is three steps ahead of the other.
Sarah Paulson, as psychiatrist Dr. Ellie Staple, is the main culprit of the lengthy expositions and was perfectly cast to deliver them. Her entire aura keeps you hanging on to every single word, intriguing your curiosity on whether her intentions are pure or nefarious. Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis fall right back to their roles as if they have lived with them for these past 19 years, and James McAvoy is Oscar worthy in his return to what must be one of his favorite characters to portray. All 15+ alters have their own unique personalities and distinctive body language. His ability to transition from one alter to the next with ease and authenticity is a tremendous feat that should rewarded accordingly.
All of these aspects come together to portray a story that delves into what one’s self-belief can amount to. The journey to reaching one’s full potential is filled with doubt, failure, successes, and years and years of trying to understand your own true self. When that potential is reached, it is a satisfying closure to a trying path. The only place left to go is to share that light you have reached with those around you. Glass mirrors this path with its heroes and villains (you decide who is who by the end) clashing in an emotionally and physically taxing plod towards a finish. It will be divisive, it will be debated, it will be discussed, but in the end, Glass delivers a fulfilling story that gratifyingly completes the personal story introduced 19 years ago. I am giving Glass 8.5/10 of McAvoy’s 24 Kevin Wendell Crumb alters.