- Everything extraordinary can be explained away.
And yet it is true.
- [Jacki] Glass, M. Night Shyamalan's follow up
to both Split and Unbreakable.
Works best when it's acting as a sequel to Unbreakable.
And at it's weakest when it's trying to tie in
the newer additions to the continuity.
It's filled with all the big idea's
that the director is known for.
But due to what feels like rushed execution,
strange narrative choices, and a shocking third act.
It's likely that fans of both Unbreakable
and Split are going to come away disappointed.
(invigorating music)
- [Ellie] David Dunn?
The only person to survive
that train wreck all those years ago.
- [Jacki] David Dunn has continued his life
as a vigilantly, with the help of someone close to him.
While that relationship quickly becomes one of
the strongest threads of the film,
his crime-fighting career itself is slightly lacking.
Some of Dunn's actions early on hint at
the slightly rushed
and often questionable decisions,
Shyamalan makes throughout the story.
- My name is Patricia.
- [Jacki] Despite it being called Glass,
James McAvoy is really at the center of this film,
With an over-the-top performance.
Which gives him plenty of time to showcase all
of Kevin Wendell Crumb's personalities.
- I'm Mary Reynolds.
Por favor, Senor
We almost got you Bro.
- [Jacki] Unfortunately,
Glass also shares Splits biggest flaw.
It's reliance on an incredibly problematic representation
of mental health
and more specifically dissociative identity disorder.
Though there is certainly a world where you
could make an affecting, scary,
and thoughtful film about a character with DID,
instead Glass just revises stereotypes.
- [Ellie] The three of you think
you have extraordinary gifts,
like something out of a comic book.
- [Jacki] Mr. Glass has always worked
as an interesting Loki-esque villain,
who is empathetic and interesting.
While that still holds true here,
this movie stumbles when it tries
to afford those same characteristics
to Kevin and the Horde.
The more Shyamalan tries to push the idea that all
the metahuman characters are inspiring simply
for having powers the less impact the message has.
As that message is presented,
we never really get an understanding
of why we should think
that Kevin represents anything other than his worst actions.
- I specialize in those individuals
who believe they are superheroes.
- [Jacki] Despite a major plot point being
Psychiatrist Ellie Staple's idea that
the characters potential mental health issues
cause their superhero delusions,
the film never truly explores that avenue,
and only ever presents the characters
as super powered archetypes.
Meanwhile Split's Casey Cooke returns
but is given an arc so counter intuitive
and baffling that it seems like a waste.
It feels great to see Samuel L. Jackson
and Bruce Willis return to the world of Unbreakable.
But where that film took joy in it's love of comics.
Here all the references are strained.
The core pair are both incredibly watchable though,
and it's undeniably fun
to see Glass and Dunn face off once again.
- That sounds like the bad guys teaming up.
- [Jacki] But this time
the stakes somehow feel much lower.
The drawn out pacing leads
to a third act which feels confused
and takes away from much of the impact
of both Split and Unbreakable.
Not only is it filled with plot holes
that contradict earlier parts of the film,
but it's big reveal feels almost sacrilegious.
And like it was done more for Shyamalan then for
the audience or the story.
It's not just the big surprise that leaves you wanting,
as the final act presents us with a couple of twists
that don't really make sense.
And also a tacked on ending which is corny,
and at odds with much of what we know about
the characters and the world they live in.
(invigorating music)
Despite a strong cast and interesting concept,
M. Night Shyamalan never quite manages to pull together
the two worlds of Unbreakable
and Split into one cohesive film.
Never sure whether it's a heroic super hero story
or a psychological thriller,
Glass feels more than a little scattered
and with it's uneven
and disappointing third act ultimately unsatisfying.
For more of our movie coverage check out our reviews
on Aquaman and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
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