Kevin Wendell Crumb, a murderer with multiple personalities is confronted by David Dunn, a man who has abilities. When both are captured by authorities, the end up in a psychiatric hospital being treated by Dr. Ellie Staple, along with Dunn’s former adversary Elijah Price…
Superhero films. Just about every film company is trying their hand at making them and if there is one constant, it’s that they have people in elaborate costumes, often in visually stunning sets and for the most part, story-wise offer little in the way of general surprises, with perhaps 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War being an exception with it’s ending.
When Christopher Nolan made his Dark Knight trilogy, he tried to do things differently, in presenting a more ‘realistic’ take on Batman, although the last film, The Dark Knight Rises was closer to more traditional comic book stories than realism I thought, even though I thought it rounded the trilogy out well.
But it takes true skill to create a truly real world take on superheroes, without using established comic book characters. When M. Night Shyamalan wrote and directed the film Unbreakable in 2000, he made a superb film that took a slow, but deliberate look at the making of a hero in the real world. Shyamalan didn’t make his follow-up next, making assorted films such as The Village, Signs, After Earth and The Visit in the yeas that passed, until 2016, when he made Split. That film, about a disturbed man with multiple personalities was terrific on it’s own. But a moment late in the film, showed it was set in the same world as Unbreakable. For fans it was a moment of excitement. For Shyamalan, it was setting up the finale to his trilogy, long in the planning.
So, with two great films already in the series, could the final one, Glass, successfully conclude the story? Or would it, as most final films in a trilogy end up, be the weakest of the series?
What’s definitely clear watching this film, is that those expecting a epic conclusion to the trilogy may be disappointed. Aside from a terrific early confrontation between David and ‘The Beast’ (Crumb’s murderous personality) and the last act, this, like the other two films is much more interested in characters than action. That’s not to say the action isn’t well shot or done, but Shyamalan is steadfast in approaching the story in his own way as he did with the first two films.
As a result, the film focuses on the events the the hospital as Dr. Staple tries to convince each of them they are in fact not ‘super’ but just normal people. The scenes in the hospital are well done and as she tries to end what she calls their delusions.
As well as David, Kevin and Elijah, the main characters, also returning are Casey, who survived an encounter with the Beast, in part by bonding with another personality inside Kevin’s body, David’s son Joseph, who helps David as he patrols the streets and Elijah’s mother, who still loves him, despite what he did. While they do add depth to the story and film, it has to be said, while they have roles to play in the film, they are perhaps underused, as the film does focus more on the leads.
The cast are first rate. Bruce Willis is an actor whom I felt has been phoning in performances over the past few years, but this is his best performance for some time. Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah, or Mister Glass as he wants to be known is also terrific. Sarah Paulson as the Doctor is also first rate. There are also good performances too from Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark and Charlayne Woodard, even if they are underused here.
But, as in Split, this is James McAvoy’s film. Playing a character with so many personalities must be difficult, especially when they can change in the same scene, but McAvoy is stunning. It’s worth perhaps noting that he gets lead billing on the film, perhaps as a nod to how he’s the films most important asset.
The score from West Dylan Thordson is good. The cinematography by Mike Gioulakis (who worked on the brilliant It Follows) is first rate and the production is well designed by Chris Trujillo.
But as good as the cast and crew are, this film belongs to it’s writer and director. M. Night Shyamalan has crafted a terrific story, one that ends the story well, although it has to be said, like most Shyamalan films, he’s a prisoner to himself.
While the final act confrontation is well done, Shyamalan can’t help himself and throws in a late plot twist that in truth I don’t think fully worked, although it is an interesting idea in the concept of so-called real world superheroes. But then, as is often the case, Shyamalan can’t end it there, giving us an epilogue of sorts that while working does perhaps drag the film on longer than perhaps it needed to be.
But aside from this I loved the film. At a time when superhero films rely on CGI and try to up the scales and threat on each film, to see one that goes the opposite way, little to no CGI and in effect downsizing it’s scope, Shyamalan has delivered what I think is a very good ending to his Superhero trilogy.
I think the lack of epic scale in the film may disappoint many. There will be those who will feel let down because of that. For me, the way this film plays out isn’t a surprise in truth. Shyamalan was never going to go ‘big’ here. And for me the film is so much better for it.
Glass may not be the film everyone hoped for and like a number of Shyamalan’s films will divide its audience.
Me? I really loved it.
Rating: 4/5
Overal Rating
