(spoiler free)
M. Night Shyamalan, master of the movie twist, dropped an absolute doozy on us all in the closing moments of his last film, ‘Split’, revealing that all along it was actually a secret sequel to ‘Unbreakable’, one of the directors earliest and most loved films. With this revelation came the announcement of a further sequel, ‘Glass’ creating a Shyamalan trilogy combining characters from these two critically acclaimed films, but would a hybrid of these narratives work?
Whilst of course up for debate, popular opinion would dictate Shyamalan’s return to form came with his 2015 horror/thriller ‘The Visit’. After this he went on to deliver one of the most exciting films of his career, the aforementioned ‘Split’ which really put his name back on the map. ‘Glass’ sees the cast and characters of that film as well as those from ‘Unbreakable’, which was released almost two decades ago, brought together in a narrative that puts the three main characters; Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), David Dunn (Bruce Willis) and Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy) centre stage at Ravenhill Psychiatric Hospital.
It’s such a treat seeing all of these iconic Shyamalan characters sharing the screen and the cast don’t let their director down at all. Although the film is called ‘Glass’ it’s McAvoy’s performance(s) that once again demands the majority of your attention, replicating what he did so brilliantly in ‘Split’. The rest of the returning cast are great too though and it’s remarkable to see so many performers from both films, but especially ‘Unbreakable’, reprising their roles. This brings with it a wonderful continuity giving the film an air of authenticity which just wouldn’t have been present with a new cast. ‘Glass’ showcases some new talent too and other than McAvoy’s scene stealing turn as Crumb it’s newcomer Sarah Paulson who proves most captivating. Paulson stars as Dr. Ellie Staple, the professional in charge of convincing her new patients that their supposed superhero abilities are simply a product of their own delusions. She slots into this already established group of characters effortlessly, oozing style and intrigue in abundance. It’s a shame that her first appearance in the trilogy couldn’t have come sooner!
As would be expected there is a lot going on in the story here and it’s really only for those who have seen Shyamalan’s previous films. ‘Glass’ opens well as we see the two worlds from his first chapters in this trilogy co-existing in the same narrative. It quickly develops into a fascinating investigation into the superhero claims of the main characters. Paulson’s Dr. Staple asks questions of the characters that audiences may have pondered themselves after watching both of Shyamalan’s previous films. This is a fantastic plot thread as Shyamalan really puts his other films under the microscope exploring all the different possibilities that they hold. The group examination featured in the trailers and posters is a real highlight of the film and a well earned sequence thanks to Shyamalan’s careful planning and execution of his vision. The third act is the culmination of a story nineteen years in the making and it’s an action packed finale full of jaw dropping revelations. At times the comic book narratives it mirrors are too on the nose and the exposition is over done. In addition to this ‘Glass’ does suffer from finale fatigue having real trouble knowing when to stop. However, aside from this the way in which it embraces its comic book genre is generally clever and for the most part a hell of a lot of fun.
Without the prior knowledge of what has come before ‘Glass’ audiences will most likely be left baffled and underwhelmed but for those loyal fans of Shyamalan’s work it’s a joy to witness. Whilst not as strong as either of the films preceding it, ‘Glass’ pieces together both previous narratives with skill and satisfaction delivering a Shyamalan story with all his best traits in plain view. It combines the palpable tension of the best horror movies with a compelling meta screenplay making it the conclusion to one of the most unique and exciting superhero trilogies of all time.
Written by Hamish Calvert
Rating – 8/10
Question: How do you rank M. Night Shyamalan’s superhero trilogy?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)
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