A psychiatrist attempts to treat David Dunn and Kevin Crumb,
unaware that Elijah Price plans to reveal superhumans to the world. ACTION/SCI-FI
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Glass (2019)Written and Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Starring James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard Sequel to 2017's Split |
I didn't think it was possible for me to be excited about an M. Night Shyamalan film again, but after he knocked it out of the park with Split, his career managed to achieve a second wind. He'd built a shared universe that nobody anticipated, revisiting the world he'd established with Unbreakable by introducing a villain every bit as strong as David Dunn (Bruce Willis). Glass was the film that would finally bring them together, with the sinister Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) acting as the puppet master. Though the film had some faults, mainly in its third act, it's an entertaining and grounded finale to a franchise that virtually came out of nowhere.
The film picks up a few weeks after the events of Split, with David having been moonlighting as a vigilante for the past decade. When he and Kevin Crumb (James McAvoy, in yet another unbelievable film-stealing turn as Kevin and his host of personalities) are arrested and brought to a mental hospital, a specialist (Sarah Paulson) tries to convince them that they are not superhuman, but sick and disturbed. The film does drag a bit here due to a lot of expository dialogue and backtracking, but the performances outshine everything. Plus, the epic showdown between David and the Beast is nothing short of satisfying, even if it is cut short by Shyamalan's strangest twist, which makes sense in the context of the story but I wish had been previously established or hinted at. I won't spoil, but you'll know what I mean when you see it. For the third act of a secret franchise twenty years in the making, Glass ultimately did not disappoint. It was an engaging thriller that built on characters we've grown to love and hate over the past two films. McAvoy continues to prove he's one of the most underrated and talented performers in Hollywood, while Willis and Jackson both bring their A game. The film is obviously a lot more fun if you've seen both Unbreakable and Split, but it stands on its own as a grounded superhero film anyway. |