Glass (dir. M. Night Shyamalan, 2019) – Vigilante David Dunn tracks down the mentally afflicted Kevin Wendell Crumb in an attempt to stop his next murder.
Verdict
The grounded slow-burn of Unbreakable meets Split‘s psychological terror in Glass, a brilliant culmination of M Night Shyamalan’s highly inventive trilogy.
Review
In its concluding minutes, Split introduced M. Night Shyamalan’s most ambitious twist in his long-running career. His latest antagonist Kevin/The Beast (James McAvoy) is revealed to be sharing a cinematic home with David Dunn (Bruce Willis), the indestructible protagonist of his brilliant early film Unbreakable.
At first glance, the two disparate characters in the same universe seems an outlandish idea, which makes Glass a particularly gutsy sequel. And while Unbreakable earned (deserving) plaudits following its lukewarm early days, the bold move also assumed mainstream interest in a cult classic that is by now close to two decades old.
But M. Night Shyamalan’s huge bet pays off, especially when he raises the stakes by going in unexpected directions. Against expectations, the first meeting of the two characters never gets to end in a hero versus villain showdown, when both quickly end up under lock and key.
Clearly, M. Night Shyamalan has no intention to build towards an epic battle, as would a typical comic book film. Instead, his character-driven threequel takes his time to revisit the philosophical themes of his preceding work, continuing to deconstruct the superhero genre through the beliefs of his first antagonist Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson).
In face of the reluctant hero and villain, Glass continues his questions on the inherence or nurture of good and evil. Barring his willingness for sacrifices in search of answers, his character almost serves as a stand-in for Shyamalan, asking, What makes us who we are?
Psychiatrist Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) plays the Devil’s advocate, contending that these so-called powers are but a harmful delusion of grandeur. Yet if this belief makes them more, is it then wrong to dismiss these differences as simply being ill or deluded? Why do we stand in awe of the extraordinary depicted in fiction, but readily dismiss the strengths of the ordinary in reality?
An introspective plot meets a moving resolution for Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy), who reunites with her attempted killer Kevin. Their bond comes dangerously close to implied Stockholm Syndrome, if not for their heartfelt empathy on display. As Kevin and the Horde, James McAvoy’s tough portrayal of 20 personalities has nothing on his ability to evoke genuine sympathy for his dominant.
The emotional drama was however accompanied by a divisive conclusion to the trilogy, which involved more than a few unnecessary footnotes. Some sudden, heavy-handed revelations did not work, while others change the very essence of the characters too late in the game.
Even so, Glass undeniably displays high originality and thought that has been rare in a genre known for its trove of tropes. The result is not only engaging in its many surprises. The commentary on the superhero comes off especially timely in this decade, when demigods and metahumans dominate the cinema more than they ever did at the start of the noughties.
It took me a while to collect my thoughts after seeing this one. I really enjoyed the story and how the merge of the two movies worked, but I wasn’t keen on the ending at all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t like the ending either. There were one too many reveals cramped into the final minutes, I was half expecting a connection to yet another Shyamalan movie. 😂
LikeLike
YES! Glad to hear from someone else who enjoyed this. I had hoped to see it again before it left theaters. I think it’s a lot smarter than people gave it credit for.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It definitely is! Not everything worked, but I do appreciate M Night Shyamalan’s originality, and how he never opts for easy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If the various takes I’ve read of it are any indication, Glass is quite the love-it-or-hate-it film. Then again, I wonder if Shyamalan just built up so much of a bad reputation over the years that people are willing to bash his works without actually analyzing them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Shyamalan does get so much undeserved flak. Personally, I think he has turned the corner with The Visit. And Glass, if nothing else, is a breath of fresh air, especially for a sequel. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
A lot of what I think about this movie is what Often Off Topic said. It took me a little while to gather my thoughts, I liked the way the movies were merged, but didn’t like the ending at all.
I walked out of the theater and feel the same way now- I didn’t like the movie, but I loved the movie. Oddly, it’s very strong feelings both ways.
It was too much of a slow burn and like you said Jade, some of the revelations about the characters came too late and just failed to work for me. But as far as the movie went, looking back I found myself drawn into it, wanting to see what would happen next and being surprised at every turn of the corner.
At the end of the day, even with the terrible ending, I’m happy I got to hear “First name Mister” in the theater.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely. My love for its novel story conflicted with my huge disappointment with the ending, especially as a huge fan of Unbreakable. There were some good ideas in there too, just poorly executed.
And agreed on that line! I just loved how Mister Glass embraced his invented persona entirely. If only we got to see more of these characters, before they were so unceremoniously killed off.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will catch it on dvd but no rush. I heard about the ending and it seems like again his ambition exceeded his writing skills
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think so too! Shyamalan is actually a brilliant writer-director when he doesn’t run wild with the twist endings. 🙂
LikeLike
This is a type of movie that definitely has a “division” amongst moviegoers. Some like it, while others didn’t like it at all. Personally, I’m the former. Granted it wasn’t M. Night’s best works, but it was definitely nowhere near his worst. It somewhere in the middle.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed. M. Night has made some weak films, Glass is certainly not one of them. Its ideas were compelling, to say the least. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, that’s usually a lot of M. Night’s problems. His ideas are always good and compelling, but lack proper / cinematic execution. Glass is one of the movies. A lot of potential and lofty ideas of superheroes, but it follows through on some of those intentions.
LikeLike