Glass is a 2019 comic book thriller set after the events of Unbreakable and Split.
Who would have ever thought that Unbreakable would become a trilogy? That movie came out 19 years ago, and it was still a great thriller that felt like an intriguing superhero origin story! Also, we didn’t even expect Split to be a sequel to Unbreakable, which was something the director M. Night Shyamalan planned all this time. Many people have been waiting to see the characters David Dunn (Bruce Willis) and Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) back on the big screen, and they’re finally here! Even fans have been excited again to see James McAvoy’s brilliant performance as Kevin Wendell Crumb who has many different personalities. As the final instalment of the trilogy, we now have Glass, and it will probably be a divisive film for many moviegoers out there.
Taking place after the events of both Unbreakable and Split, David Dunn and Kevin Wendell Crumb have been captured by police officers, and they are sent to a mental hospital where Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) has been interested in working with people who claim to have superhuman abilities. It’s also the same place where Elijah Price/Mr. Glass has been locked in for more than a decade, and he has a plan of his own that will ultimately change their lives.
To start off, McAvoy is the best part of the entire movie. He’s one of the few actors who likes to play different characters in his career, and he always shows a lot commitment in his roles. Every time he portrays a different personality, you’re convinced that they’re all separate people in one living body. Willis is also good in his role, but unfortunately he gets sidelined at times. His arc isn’t all that developed, and you wish the movie would concentrate on him as well. Jackson as the mysterious Elijah Price is also great, and he definitely adds a lot of depth to the film, which certainly helps Glass become a grounded and intriguing comic book flick. Paulson’s character is undeniably interesting, but she tends to be really clichéd sometimes. You understand why she wants to study this particular group of people, but then her reason doesn’t make a lot of sense during the finale.
The first and the second act are really fascinating, and you get deeply invested in the narrative. Sadly, the third act really stumbles. It’s supposed to be an epic finale, but some moments are just downright stupid that don’t really add anything to the story. Shyamalan is known for having twists in some of his films, and you understand why he likes doing that. However in Glass, some twists are quite irritatingly redundant in the end. This is definitely an ending that fans will either like or dislike, so that’s up to you.
Glass isn’t really a fulfilling conclusion to a trilogy, even if it still has some enjoyment in it. With an interesting premise and great performances, it’s hard to imagine why the last act would be such wasted potential. This is one of those movies with an ending that compromises both the narrative and the characters, and it’s an underwhelming feeling. The first and the second act are what fans have been interested in seeing, but sadly the finale will just leave you unfulfilled. To sum it up, Glass could have been so much more.