Glass (2019) User Reviews

Almost what I wanted it to be but not exactly how I wanted it to conclude.

[NpMoviez · 6/10 · 19 April 2019]

I am extremely happy that the Eastrail trilogy exists, but I extremely sad about how it chose to go off. I will recommend it, but man, I feel so mixed about it.

Good : Shyamalan gives us a potentially great movie with some unforgivable flaws. The setting and the concept looks really incredible. Bruce Willis looked really good after a very long time. He cared for his role and was great as David Dunn. Naturally, James McAvoy gives an incredible performance as Kevin and the other personalities. Samuel Jackson kills it as Mr. Glass yet again. He is not in a role that we usually see him in, and he hasn't lost the touch in perhaps the most "against type" role he has ever done. The first act and how all the three lead characters are brought together is quite good. There are emotional scenes and deaths. All of them hit the perfect note for me. I was almost crying in those scenes. There were some characters I never wanted to see dying, but they do. I would've never minded if they were unrealistically resurrected, but they aren't. It's not a spoiler at all. It made me realize how well Shyamalan wrote and directed those characters and how amazing the respective performances were, and how much I liked each of them. Also, I loved how Shyamalan used some of the deleted scenes from Unbreakable in this movie.

Mixed : We got to see a lot of Kevin's identities than in Split, but I think the less was more in this case. McAvoy did a great job, but many parts felt as a forced spot for some random character to pop out. Anya Taylor-Joy gives a great performance, but we don't buy what she does due to a poorer writing and underdeveloped emotional weights. She does her job very well to elevate the material, and I loved what she did. But in the end, it wasn't so believable. Honestly, I don't think she was needed in the film. And finally I admire Shyamalan's guts to send off the main characters in the way he did. But, the way they went off didn't do a proper justice to them. The same thing could've been done in a much better way.

Bad : The most frustrating part would be the arc given to David Dunn. It was the most poorly done part of the movie. In particular, the way they sent him off was the most frustrating part of the movie. I can accept the way how the others were sent off, but not him. He deserved a lot better than this. It felt as if Shyamalan wanted to do it properly, but couldn't because of the budget or studio interference. And the last two twists. The first one was something I have seen in some horror films, and I have started to feel that such an interpretation is the most blant thing to do. The second twist involves Mr. Glass. The twist gives a feel good moment, but since it involves Mr. Glass, the terrorist who killed a lot of people, it didn't feel right in the direction they went. Lastly, there are some plot hole type of stuff there. The way they decided to control Kevin's personalities could've been avoided if he would cover his eyes. The way they use water as a "kryptonite" for Dunn was stupid and totally different from the one done in Unbreakable. Mr. Glass' plan seem to work perfectly, but it feels as if he knew how every single thing would turn out in the end, which is impossible. Also, there are some comic book panels which show the exact stuff that happen in Split, and makes a little to no sense. There are shots which tend to establish a link between Casey and Dunn, but I don't know how that worked.

Conclusion : Only I know how much I wanted to give it an absolute 10/10 and an A+. Sadly, I cannot do it. I read somewhere that it was supposed to be a 3.5 hour long movie. I am really eager to watch the Director's cut. It doesn't feel like the exact movie Shyamalan planned to do. It feels like a really great movie trimmed down. Not choppy editing. I feel as if the ideas that were in this movie were not completely explored. As a Shyamalan movie, it is in my top 5. It's way better than some other films he gave us, earlier this decade. But still, Sixth Sense and Unbreakable remain the ultimate greats he has given.

Rating.

Score : 6.7/10

Grade : B+

(Only I know how bad I am feeling to assign these ratings to this movie)

The signs are there

[Prismark10 · 8/10 · 4 April 2019]

You can get a sequel to one film. Glass is a sequel to two different movies that span several decades and different production companies. Split (2016) and Unbreakable (2000).

David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is the vigilante who plans to catch Kevin Crumb (James McAvoy) the man with multiple personalities including the Beast, who has abducted four cheerleaders. After a showdown both get captured and sent to Raven Hill Memorial hospital which has been adapted to keep them both locked in their rooms.

Also inside the hospital is Mr Glass (Samuel L Jackson) almost comatose filled with drugs and confined to his wheelchair because of his brittle bones. The man who killed hundreds to prove a theory that some people had extraordinary powers. The kind of powers you find in comic books.

Dr Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) has been sent in to show these three people that they are normal people, their abnormal frontal lobes making them think they have superpowers.

M. Night Shyamalan after his initial success with movies like The Sixth Sense and later flops such as The Happening. He went back to basics and re-invented himself through low budget independent horror/thrillers. It culminated in the critically acclaimed Split.

In Glass, Shyamalan pits Dunn against the Beast but it is also a tease. The film is called Glass. Watching and waiting is Elijah Price/Mr Glass. He has woven a web, his body is weak but his mind is sharp. That is his superpower. His past actions has led to the present and he envisages a comic strip superbattle.

Shyamalan has made the movie he wanted to make. The pace is deliberate, it alludes to comic book conventions but without taking the Marvel Films route. I thought it was wonderful even if the movie had faults.

If you liked Unbrakable and Split, you will enjoy this one too

[arabnikita · 7/10 · 16 January 2019]

This is not a superhero movie or an action packed sci-fi flick, this is a psychological thriller with people having supernatural abilities...or do they really have these abilities and are they really supernatural?? Just like in Unbreakable and Split, you will have your doubts and theories but in the end it all ends up going in another direction and then another one.

M. Night Shyamalan tries his best to keep the movie closer to real life than to fiction by essentially eliminating special effects or any kind of CGI. Keeping a steady pace from the opening scenes until the credits, he fills the movie with clever dialogues that bridge the gap between the three movies and adds gritty action to keep the audience engaged. Overall, this fuses into a picture with a 2000s Old School feel about it that cant be seen in too many movies nowadays.

James McAvoy is absolutely incredible in his transitioning between different personalities which happens a lot more than in Split. Sarah Paulson brings a new character and Sam Jackson with Bruce step right back into their old shoes. Cinematography is solid with an effective use of colors and in the music department Shyamalan took a page out of Nolan's last movie. M. Night is a 50/50 director and this movie lands on the good side with a couple of twists at the end that make you wonder if this is the end or just the beginning.

Watch both Unbreakable and Split and if you enjoy them then go for this one. The movie wont make sense if you dont see the previous two.

movies.shmovies on instagram

The underwhelming closure of what could have been a brilliant trilogy

[vinylvanilla · 6/10 · 27 January 2019]

I can describe Glass as an entertaining experience, but not solid enough to be an appropriate closure of the Unbreakable-Split-Glass trilogy.

While I can see what Mr Shyamalan wanted to do, I don't think he managed to deliver with the characters and the plot the necessary complexity to answer all the questions the audience raised in the previous two movies. Many things have been left unanswered especially about Kevin, while David Dunn is just a shadow that doesn't do much in the movie.

The real star in this movie is supposed to be Mr Glass, but not much about his past is told, either. Everything is absurdly summarized in a way that, in the end, we don't really know - or care - about who Mr Glass or Kevin were. There isn't enough character development or closure going on here.

Sarah Paulson's talent was wasted on a character who could be played by anyone. She is a brilliant actress but the character was poorly written and brings nothing new or dramatically useful to the plot.

Cinematography is fine just as the pacing of the movie. Like I said, it is entertaining, definitely - and perhaps it will please the audiences who are used to the almost shallow plots of superhero movies. But if you were expecting a more deep and challenging story about humans with supernatural powers, you will be disappointed.

In the end, Mr Shyamalan couldn't make a superhero movie, and couldn't make a deep, mind-bending metaphysical movie either. He merely brushed over both worlds, but didn't dive deeply into either of them. It is a pity that a plot that had potential and that showed up to be brilliant in "Split" had such an underwhelming and unremarkable closure.

Underrated by the Critics, but Too Talky & a Little Bit Messy

[Yee_Reviews · 7/10 · 17 January 2019]

Good: The acting across the board from the main cast: James McAvoy, Samuel L. Jackson, and Bruce Willis are great. However, like in "Split" McAvoy is definitely the standout portraying so many personalities one after the other is fascinating to watch. Although the setup is great and intriguing, it feels glossed over to get to the main plot. Shyamalan's direction with camera angles and shots also standout and help capture the scenes along with the color scheme as seen in the other movies. I appreciate the overall theme of the movie and the message Shymalan is trying to tell, but suffers in the end and pacing...

Bad: As a film that started off with "Unbreakable" and supposed to be the long awaited sequel to it, Bruce Willis' character does not have much depth and is more on the sidelines. There is a lot of talking and some parts definitely drag making the film feel longer than it actually is, however even with this not much seems to develop and happen.

Overall: The film is getting bashed way too hard by the critics, but overrated by the audience. The film's tone is more like "Unbreakable" than "Split" with more talking and a few action scenes here and there.

3.5/5

1/2 Of It Was Good But Mostly Disappointing

[MekkaMax · 6/10 · 18 January 2019]

This movie concludes a 19 year trilogy in a mediocre way. There's some good and a lot of bad. Great performances from the cast especially McAvoy carry this movie and make it watchable. Some scenes required him to switch from multiple personalities within seconds of each other. The action is also exciting when it is happening. The camera work is something that is spectacular to look at. The POV shots are immersive and there are some creative uses of color throughout. The first half was interesting and engaging which was good but then you get to the rest of the film.

The second half makes this movie end with a sense of betrayal as the entire buildup of the last 2 movies and the first half are ruined. The ending wastes a lot of potential that these movies have set up and trades it in for a conventional message to the viewers. Some of the scenes are laughable but not in the right way.

Overall, this movie was ok. It had some great moments but the ending ruins it. The movie has some nice references to the people who have seen unbreakable and split sprinkled in there. One of the twists is pretty good while the other just doesn't work.

Loved it until the end

[sobelman-38406 · 7/10 · 10 January 2019]

This is coming from someone who has been looking forward to this movie for a long time. I thought the acting was fantastic, especially James McAvoy who plays all the personalities fantastically. Bruce Willis doesn't phone it in and actually does a good job. If you're expecting a superhero movie, you're not going to get one. This is most definitely and physcological thriller that happens to have superheroes. This film is filled with incredible memorable moments that you'll certainly remember walking out of the movie. However, the end will turn a lot of people off, as it goes in directions that are very divisive. If you go in with an open mind, I think you'll enjoy most of it.

Give James McAvoy every acting award of 2019

[Chiller7 · 10/10 · 18 January 2019]

This is a thinking person's movie. It's largely dialogue heavy and not afraid to take its time. It's a movie that takes itself seriously. It's the kind of smart movie that confuses critics who prefer light easy-to-digest popcorn entertainment. When it shifts into full thriller or action mode, brace yourself, because it gets totally intense.

Director Shyamalan doesn't get much respect from the critics, but screw the critics, he did brilliantly here from writing to directing.

And James McAvoy deserves every acting award for 2019. Might as well just give him all of them now, best actor, best actress, best child actor, etc., all of them, because no one's topping this performance.

And about the action, I saw director Shyamalan talking in an interview about how he's mainly interested in drama and that action is not his strong point, but he was really downplaying his handling of the action, because the fight scenes here are legitimately awesome. Glass thankfully features none of the shaky rapid-editing style that plagues so many other action movies. It is all well shot, so you'll have no trouble following the action. We even see lots of unusually artistic camera shots during the action, such as showing long close up shots of people's faces while they're in the middle of fighting. My favorite was a long held shot from the point of view of being inside a van while we're seeing a fight happening outside, as the combatants are circling around and slamming into the van. That was just plain cool, the kind of shot that's just mind-boggling to think about how they managed to pull it off.

And don't trust the rotten critics. Just don't. They're so worthless, those critics. They're wrong about almost every movie these days. Glass just continues the critics' rotten streak of being totally out of touch with what's really good or bad.

Meh, disappointing as I expected more, much more.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 6/10 · 16 January 2019]

Not sure what's worse, this film or the fake 9-10/10 reviews.

Not what I expected - in a disappointing way. Then add all the ridiculous praising 10/10 reviews and it takes more away from any positive aspects this film had.

For starters, outstanding performance as usual by James McAvoy, and he perfectly brought back his Split characters. Samuel L. Jackson was great as always and even Bruce Willis actually showed interest in performing for this film.

My issue was that the writing was all over the place and the 129 min length felt like 180 mins. Maybe it was the pacing, or more needed to be edited/cut to shorten this film to a more acceptable 100-110 length. The directing was decent but nothing spectacular.

I expected more but sadly was disappointed. It's not a flop, nor is it a 10/10 like all these fake reviews. It's a well deserved 6/10. Would I recommend it? Sure if you're a fan of Unbreakable, Split and its characters. Would I see it again? Nope.

Left me feeling half empty

[cricketbat · 5/10 · 18 January 2019]

I was completely onboard with Glass for most of the movie, but then it decided to go off the rails. I was invested in the characters and was willing to overlook the clunky exposition and monologuing--until the finale. I feel like M. Night Shyamalan was so determined to surprise the audience that he forgot how to satisfactorily finish a story. To be honest, Glass left me feeling half empty about the whole trilogy.

Beautifully weird

[breneff · 9/10 · 11 January 2019]

Let me start by saying the critics are just flat out WRONG with this one. And this is coming from a guy who has only enjoyed about half of this guys movies. If you are going in their to watch a superhero movie check yourself at the door. This is a dark twisted psychological horror with a chaotic like thread that reminds you of noir films of the past. It's like a Picasso painting in movie form. The ending is divisive and risky, which I love! It's not for everybody, but I think that's why I loved this movie.

Rating: B+

[msbreviews · 7/10 · 17 January 2019]

If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog :)

The first act is seamless. I love how David is introduced 19 years later and how his life is now. Kevin continues to abduct impure teenage girls, and after a few minutes in, we get the first confrontation between our hero and villain. I wasn't expecting an action-heavy film, and I'm glad it isn't because it would ruin the tone of the other movies. This was never intended to be a massive finale with epic CGI fights, like a Marvel or DC installment. If you're one of those people who expected Glass to be an Infinity War-ish film, I don't even know why are you reading this because you have no idea what this trilogy is about.

Sarah Paulson portrays Dr. Ellie Staple, and she is responsible for treating people who think they are superheroes. So, the second act revolves around a fascinatingly engaging yet overlong narrative which leaves the main characters (and the audience) doubting if everything they did was a product of their supposedly damaged minds. There is so much to love and hate throughout this act. The interactions between these characters are as captivating as they could be, and I couldn't take my eyes off screen. Then, there's James McAvoy ... I have no words to describe how astonishing his performance is. Portraying one character is hard. Portraying almost 20 characters is just outrageous! However, McAvoy nails each personality delivering himself to his roles in such an unbelievable way. Sometimes I chuckled because I couldn't understand how it was possible an actor being able to do what he did, several times, in one-take sequences.

Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson return to portray David and Mr. Glass, respectively. The former is solid, and the respect he has for his character is evident. However, David is sort of left aside in this movie, but I'll get there. SLJ, even with less screentime than the other two, has more to do, regarding moving the plot forward. He gives an extraordinary performance, as expected from such a capable actor. During this act, these four characters offer a lot of memorable scenes, but the narrative is filled with exposition, and it overextends its stay. Shyamalan wanted to show everyone that he knows what he is writing about and a lot of times he used his characters to explicitly say, well, everything the audience needed to know, without any need to.

The third act is where everyone is going to either love or hate the film. In this genre, we all know that the "middle ground" is non-existent. Either you're part of the group who loves it and you will defend it at all costs, or you're part of the group who hates everything about it just due to its final moments. There is more than one Shyamalan twist during this final act. Truth is, I left a bit disappointed. It doesn't matter what your expectations are, it doesn't matter your preferences, at least one of the twists is always going to upset you. What disappoints me the most is that I don't really love any of them. Unbreakable has a final plot twist that completely changes its whole story, and it comes out of nowhere. It's literally mind-blowing! Split has the 17-year twist of it being part of the former's universe, which made several audiences in festivals give it a stand ovation. Glass has ... a bunch of twists. Period. There are no OH-MY-GOD-like reactions. There are no jaws dropped.

Instead, we are left with an arguably questionable decision. A couple of the twists are fine. I would even call them "good twists". However, the one that changes everything feels incredibly forced and most of all, it falls short for such a highly-anticipated trilogy's last installment. I can't help but wonder "is this really the best path you could have chosen Shyamalan? Of all the endings you imagined, this is the one you think is the best to finish a 19-year-in-the-making superhero trilogy?" Regarding the screenplay and the characters, I have the issue above and one associated with David Dunn. If Split didn't have that final twist, it would be a good thriller. Way above average, but not astounding. The link to Unbreakable's universe is what makes it a standout movie of 2017. So, I was expecting a lot of David, and I only got a small fraction of him.

I'll put this way:

• if you're expecting an Unbreakable sequel, you'll probably leave disappointed;
• if you're expecting Split 2, you'll love McAvoy's take on almost 20 distinct personalities, and that alone is worth the price of admission;
• if you're expecting a formulaic superhero epic finale, filled with massive CGI fights and tremendous visual effects, all wrapped around colossal set pieces, then you are not worthy of even watching Glass, because this means you don't have a clue what this trilogy is about.

This is NOT a conventional comic-book trilogy. If you don't know this by now and you're still waiting for that last climax, you're only setting yourself up for disappointment, when no one asked you to anticipate such unrealistic stuff. Never criticize a film for not selling you something it was never even marketed to do (it's like expecting a horror movie to have a romantic happy ending). That said, I left disappointed with its conclusion, but there's still so much to love and praise. Seeing how David accepted who he was and the life journey he took, experiencing Kevin's pain and how each personality was born, understanding what Elijah's purpose is and being blown away by his mastermind plans ... These are characters so well-developed and so well-established that I can forgive some missteps here and there.

Before diving into the technical aspects, Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark (Joseph Dunn) and Charlayne Woodard (Elijah's mother) deserve appreciation for their performances, even if they don't have that much impact in the overall story. Anya has more to do as Casey since her character's bond with Kevin is an explored subplot. Regarding the last two, they only serve as exposition devices which connects to one of my problems with the second act, by not helping the plot move forward in the smoothest way possible.

Concerning M. Night Shyamalan filmmaking skills, I barely have anything negative to say. The only minor issue I have is the excessive use of POV in the action scenes (a camera attached to the actor's body which provides a close-up of his face while fighting). Nevertheless, this film is yet another proof of how skillful this guy is behind the camera. There are so many memorable moments where the technique at display is worthy of awards. We will have to wait a few months to find such marvelous cinematography as in this film. Shyamalan and Mike Gioulakis (DP, director of photography) use our characters' respective colors (yellow for Kevin, green for David and purple for Mr. Glass) as the background palette of each scene in glorious fashion. The gradual change in color tells the audience so much about what our characters are going through, elevating one of the best dialogue sequences in the entire movie (the pink room).

The editing is sublime, and I love how Shyamalan uses close-ups to show how remarkable his cast is. McAvoy's performance is one of the best this year is going to give us, but part of it is even better due to the camera work. The unfocused background stunt work in a character's close-up is the art of filmmaking at his very best, and Shyamalan knows how to film it beautifully. The score is not as memorable as Unbreakable's, but the sound design is on point. Even with a low budget (compared to the other superhero movies), Shyamalan is able to produce a technical showdown of all his attributes as a sensational filmmaker. And this, my fellow readers, I will defend until the end of his career.

All in all, Glass doesn't live up to my extremely high expectations, but it does more than enough for me to enjoy it. I can't help but feel disappointed with the way everything ends and the path that Shyamalan chose, but there's still so much to love. James McAvoy offers you a performance worthy of any price of admission. Watching him portray over 15 characters is something you won't experience maybe ever again. Going through the layers of suspense, disbelief and mystery that the screenplay is structured by is itself an adventure filled with twists and turns which grabbed my attention until the very end.

An almost flawless first act delves into an overextended second act where the story lacks consistency and even logic, at times. However, the performances and the main thread of the film keeps everyone enthralled until the polarizing third and final act, where the significant plot twists occur. How can a movie be so fascinating and frustrating at the same time? Shyamalan, ladies and gentlemen. This masterful filmmaker lends all his skills to the film, and technically it's close to perfection. Disappointing? Yes. Frustrating? Yes. Does it ruin the franchise? No, not even close. This isn't The Matrix Revolutions, but it's not Return of the King, as well. It's a good ending to a superhero trilogy that might not be the best of all-time, but it's up there, and it's definitely unique, imaginative and the closest to what our real world would be like if superheroes were a real thing.

If you're a comic-book fan, this trilogy is mandatory. If you love Marvel or DC, don't you dare use the word "grounded" without watching this saga first. Shyamalan, see you around!

As the conclusion to this original superhero trilogy, Glass feels unfinished and empty.

[LloydBayer · 4/10 · 18 January 2019]

As with most of his films, Writer-Director M. Knight Shyamalan's widely appreciated trait is to pull the rug under our feet during the film's closing minute. Which is why we all thought Split was a psychological horror film until the last minute, where that final unbroken shot sweeps across a diner until it stops over Bruce Willis' David Dunn. That's when we realised we were watching the sequel to one of Shyamalan's best films - Unbreakable. When Spilt revealed that it existed in the same universe as Unbreakable, it instantly positioned those films as two-thirds of a trilogy. And almost immediately after, Shyamalan revealed that Glass would be the finale to an idea gestating for nearly 20 years. That itself sounds like a labour of love for Shyamalan who not only embraces but also defies popular comic book logic.

Picking up roughly a few weeks after the climactic events in the previous film, Glass has Willis' vigilante David Dunn, James McAvoy's deeply disturbed serial killer Kevin Crumb, and Samuel L Jackson's titular criminal mastermind assemble for a face to face showdown for the first time. You just have to wait for nearly the entire length of the film for that to happen. To get there, Shyamalan takes us through a long and elaborate setup where he's showing us one thing but secretly doing something else; His preferred modus operandi maybe, but this time employing the illusion of delusion. Which is where Sarah Paulson joins the story as a psychiatrist whose speciality is in debunking people deluded into thinking they are superhuman. Read that again. In other words, there may have been others who think they are superheroes. This is the single most commendable idea in the entirety of this trilogy. It simply means that unlike popular characters from the Marvel and DC comics, Shyamalan's superheroes are not from another planet, or a result of lab experiments gone wrong. It's an idea that has immense potential, not only for this film but also for any indie filmmaker who wants to tell a superhero story in the future. Shyamalan got this right, but only in theory.

The execution is a different story, and why Glass is a shattered mess. As much as Dunn, Crumb and Mr. Glass are fleshed out characters on their own, they are strangely incompatible together. It's as if Shyamalan has invested so much attention on their individual character development that he has overlooked the whole purpose of what they were meant to become. Instead, a lot of time is spent reintroducing the same characters again. That's an unforgivable mistake for the final episode in a trilogy. The passage of time is also another questionable flaw. Dunn is seen in his rain poncho from 19 years ago and he is helped by his son Joseph track down petty street criminals. If not for a fully grown Spencer Clark Treat as Joseph, you would think nothing has changed since the first film. On the other hand, McAvoy was praised for his outstanding versatility in Split. Shyamalan knows that and so gives us a triple dose of McAvoy cycling between Hedwig, Kevin, Barry, Dennis, Patricia and even more of growling and wall crawling from The Beast. The air of mystery and terror turns to repetition, which feels like a stall for time and a full hour before Jackson's catatonic Mr. Glass has anything to say. Have you ever seen a film where the notoriously verbose Samuel L Jackson does nothing but blink?

In time everything falls to pieces. The biggest problem with this film isn't how disjointed the narrative is, or the unnecessary recap of the previous two films at laborious pacing, or even the complicated attempt at another twist ending. The problem is that despite nearly 20 years in the making, Glass feels unfinished and empty. Akin to the concept in the film, it's like finding a solid gold bar and then throwing it out through a window.

Glass non-spoiler review

[Darksidecrew · 17 January 2019]

Ninteen years ago M. Night Shyamalan made a film called 75 million dollar film Unbreakable when he was hot off the heels of a world wide sensation with The Sixth Sense. The film film did okay money wise (248 million) and with critics but did not generate the excitement of his prior hit but has since garnered a very strong following despite talk of it becoming a trilogy having long gone silent. Fast forward to 2016, Shyamalan after a string of high profile, higher budget flops is now making smaller budget films and gets himself a big hit with the 9 million dollar film Split that goes on to make over 278 million. Not only that, the final post climax scene ties it to the Unbreakable universe, setting up the highly anticipated Glass that will serve to cap the trilogy as a sequel to both Unbreakable and Split.

I am happy to report that despite the massive success of Split that Glass is a low budget film made for just 20 million dollars with a great deal of that presumably going to the larger cast. This film brings together characters from Unbreakable (Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Spencer Treat Clark and others) and Split (James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy) with a bevy of new characters. The feeling of comic book mythology that was expertly woven into Unbreakable is back here in spades and this definitely feels more the tone of that film. I won't go into specifics but the story elements of the first half hour feels what someone would typically make as the entire third film in this trilogy but Shyamalan wisely goes into some different territory and we get some great scenes with the characters in a slower paced middle section of the film. Unfortunately not every character really gets to shine here as is common with many team up films each person only has a limited time which makes this film unlike both prior entries really only viewing for people who have seen the others, definitely not a stand alone tale.

They make the most of the limited budget and as is often the case with good film makers, it makes them more creative. It is a nice looking film and well made but I think the abundance of POV shots could have been tempered back a a little. The performances from the many characters were all great but as expected James McAvoy steals the show taking on his role from Split again as the man with 23 different personalities (of which he plays 20 here). There were a few things along the way that seemed like lazy or silly scripting that did get a new light once the final twist was revealed. Speaking of twists, there is more than one and he may have overdone it. I imagine the ending will not be for everyone but I enjoyed the film from start to finish, there was a possibility for a while that it would have made the Kill Bill Vol.2 error of promising a big showdown and not delivering but the route they went in the end worked much better. In the end I am happy with this film despite preferring the previous two entries and it has become quite the trilogy.. one that I will revisit.

The ending brought the rating down...

[Wililjam · 7/10 · 2 June 2019]

I liked the movie more than I thought I would. It had great performances and the story was fairly solid. The only bad thing about this movie was the ending, it literally came out of nowhere.

Now, I was pretty skeptical about the whole "it's just a delusion"-thing, and they really sold it to me for a while. Then they revealed that it isn't a delusion, that it's actually real. But then, out of nowhere, it is revealed that a secret organization wants these three super-humans dead and that the doctor was in on it.

There were no hints during the movie that that would be the case, so the movie fails at subverting expectations. Here's how they could've hinted the reveal without revealing anything of substance: The doctor and David Dunn are talking in Dunn's room, the doctor knows Dunn can see visions if he touches someone, she tests him. The doctor hold out her hand and David touches her hand, he sees visions of the restaurant where the secret organization seem to meet. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Rather than it feeling like a huge reveal, you're feeling like it didn't make sense at all. Don't get me wrong, I don't like hints that tell you where the story is obviously going. I want hints that tell you nothing, that makes you wonder what that was all about. There was nothing like that. It all came out of nowhere, that's what I didn't like and that's what brought down the rating to a 7/10.

Never feels right

[zurdo-472-660887 · 6/10 · 2 July 2019]

Shyamalan tries hard to convince us that this trilogy makes sense but it never feels like it does. In spite of another great performance from Mc Avoy, the movie never manages to be more than an opportunity to tag along the super-hero fashion, putting together movies that were not originally meant to be.

2 good acts, went full shyamalan at the end

[m3135_ · 6/10 · 10 January 2019]

This was an enjoyable film for the most part, Night's talents as a director really shone in this film, through his use of framing and colour choices. The final product really highlights the care and thought which Night put into the visual choices of the film. His downfall however is that though he may be a good director, he's also a terrible writer, this is a film which has had 2 great films worth of build-up, and for it's first hour and half, Glass was actually a very enjoyable experience and worthy successor to its predecessors. Willis, McAvoy and Jackson were all wonderful, their characters were incredibly entertaining to watch and their interactions with each other were bloody brilliant. However, unlike its predecessors, Glass was unable to maintain its momentum in its final act, which left me thinking Night chose an ending purely based around the surprise factor rather than a more logical approach. The writing just wasn't very good in my mind, perhaps in his mind, the ending to Glass made perfect sense, however as a viewer i felt i didn't get the satisfaction of fully understanding the motivations and reasoning behind the character choices in that final act of the film. The large amount of characters featured in this film may have also attributed to this film not working as well as it could have, i think this is because there was a lack of focus. We have 3 main characters, but you don't really feel like you get to spend enough time with any of them through the movie, because there isn't enough focus placed on the characters before the scene transitions. The side characters are also heavily under-used, these characters have scattered and somewhat out of place scenes throughout the movie which i thought could've been completely left in the editing room, with the exception of Willis' character's son, none of the side characters really needed to be in the movie until the final act.

I still believe this film was an enjoyable experience, though the ending leaves much to be desired, Shyamalan ends his eastrail 177 trilogy with a fairly mixed bag of a film.

Good but not great!

[camlee-37161 · 7/10 · 26 June 2019]

It was great seeing movie 1st time around, but seeing it again was kinda dull. Music is what made it suspenseful. Acting was ok because better acting has been seen by most of the actors/actresses within the movie Overall good movie or ok movie!

The conclusion of a perfect trilogy

[Eumenides_0 · 9/10 · 25 January 2019]

My trusty sidekick IMDB tells me that the last time I bothered to write a review in this website was way back in 2013.

Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself coming back, let alone to enthuse over an M. Night Shyamalan movie. Sure, I liked The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, but the good bits in Signs didn't hide an obvious decline. For the next years I only heard about Shyamalan whenever a friend griped about another dud; his output seemed to be getting progressively worse.

I was so uninterested in Shyamalan's movies I only crossed paths with them whenever Honest Trailers released another mockery. And so it was that Split flew under my radar - I now regret I didn't pay money to watch it on the big screen - until I clicked on its Honest Trailer back in 2018, expecting another belly of laughs... and for once they actually praised it. A lot. That was unexpected. More importantly, I learned it was an Unbreakable sequel. What?

Of course I knew the rumors from yore that Unbreakable was intended as a trilogy; but as the years went on and nothing happened, I figured the projected had been abandoned. And a good thing too because Unbreakable was still the best superhero movie ever made after The Incredibles, and it didn't need to be ruined by Shyamalan's decline. But Split seemed interesting and meanwhile the trailers for Glass were coming out, and they were so exciting I had to watch them for closure.

So I watched Split and it was as if Shyamalan had made a smooth transition from Unbreakable to it; it's as if he hadn't made anything else in between. Here was the inventive, sensitive, spiritual filmmaker I remember admiring all the way back in 2000. Here was another one of his beautiful, slow dramas about ordinary people discovering extraordinary gifts and learning to cope with them. And it was packaged as a tense thriller about a kidnapped girl trying to escape from a serial killer with multiple personalities who discovers he's more than human, like David Dunn. It was also an emotional story about finding the courage to face up to our inner demons. Thinking about it now, if I didn't cry at Split's beautiful ending, it's probably because I was subconsciously saving them for Glass.

Ah, Glass. A movie so reviled by critics you'll think it was directed by Tommy Wiseau. I don't understand what happened, I don't know what they expected, and what they saw. For my part, I saw the fitful ending to what is now one of the rare perfect movie trilogies.

Glass builds on the previous movies and maintains its tone and pace. By tone I mean it's a low-key superhero movie grounded on realism. Like in hard sci-fi novels, frequently the characters will discuss plausible theories for feats and powers that seem extraordinary. By pace I mean it's mostly a character drama spiced with tense situations and spliced with trappings from horror, sci-fi, mystery, and thriller.

Were people really expecting a 2-hour showdown between David and The Beast? On Titan, perhaps? When were Split and Unbreakable action movies? Strange thing to expect from the sequel to a movie whose most iconic scene consists of a man standing in a train station being touched by strangers.

Glass is a slow burner like its predecessors. By now we've had the characters' origin stories; they've accepted their roles as heroes and villains. We know who they are; we've grown to love them. The focus, then, is no longer on David and Kevin but on Elijah. His goal has always been to show the world that superhumans exist, in order to find a role in the world for himself, so he won't feel like a mistake anymore. As such the movie revolves around his plan to escape from a mental facility where all three are being held. Of course they'd end up there, because that's where people go who claim to be superhuman. They may believe in their powers, but the rest of the world doesn't. This is consistent with the rules Shyamalan has been playing with from the start. And even the reasons for this realistic disbelief get a twist in the end.

Basically, this movie focuses on Elijah's transformation into Mister Glass, a genius supervillain; and since he's the cerebral villain you shouldn't expect action but displays of genius. And that genius is shown in the way he plots the escape and also in the third twist ending. (By my count the movie has 3 twists in a row.) Those who want to see David fighting The Beast - that's what I wanted - won't be disappointed. There are two well-directed, fluid fight scenes that seem like fossil records in this age of shaky cam and fast-cut editing. But this is Mister Glass' movie and it's all about his uber-plan; in the end, David and Kevin are just pawns in his plan to justify his existence to himself.

While the plot unfolds towards its gut-wrenching climax, Shyamalan elevates the most mundane scene with odd angles, the use of color, and games of light and shadow. He imbues the movie with an atmosphere of enigmatic dread. I missed James Newton Howard's score; although West Dylan Thordson composed some very good tracks, and Shyamalan uses them to add tension and sentiment to the scenes, I wish I had heard more of the original score. Although Bruce Willis doesn't have a meaty role, nobody can complain about the performances by Samuel Jackson and James McAvoy. And then there were the little things I only picked up on the way home: the leitmotif of the train station used in the three movies. The beautiful symmetry of the ending, with Mister Glass not just bringing David and Kevin together, but also three strangers who loved those three extraordinary beings to honor them. The more I think about the movie, the more I marvel at its intricacy.

I didn't feel bored for a moment. Before I knew it, the climax was on. And this is where many people say the movie was ruined. I think the fury viewers are showing is a sign that Shyamalan imparted these characters with life and so they're real to a lot of people. I wish their fates had been different. But I don't begrudge the decision nor do I think the execution was flawed. Some seem to think David deserved a more dignified ending. As someone who's been reading superhero comics since the age of 9, I sympathize with that; I personally love a heroic sacrifice, going out in a blaze of glory, one outnumbered guy holding off the line. That never fails to get me. But once again, reality-grounded rules apply. The truth is many good, heroic people don't receive a dignified ending; many, like Dunn, never even receive any recognition for their deeds.

I understand that the climax is upsetting in an industry where superheroes "die" turned into dust after a magic finger snap; and stay "dead" while trailers announce one of the "dead" heroes' is not too "dead" that he can't star in another money-grabbing movie, around the same time another movie will officially undo all the "dead" heroes' deaths because they also need to star in some more movies, whether they're alive or "dead" - we can't let Disney's shareholders be kept away from money they make exploiting true creators like Jack Kirby and Jim Starlin. I can understand why so many are upset in a world where people have been trained to treat superheroes as their indestructible, unkillable, cool-one-liners-spouting virtual best friends who'll never abandon them, so long as they keep buying tickets. I mean, what kind of sadistic imbecile would kill his cash cows? Like I said, it's a testament to Shyamalan's ability to impart real life to his creations. It's funny, I've been reading DC and Marvel's superheroes for longer than I've known David Dunn; I've spent thousands of hours with them, much more than I ever did with him; I only saw Split last week. And yet nothing in those superficial, pandering, glib adaptations of my favorite superheroes has ever elicited from me the bliss I felt watching Glass. The kind of bliss I only get from well-written, well-acted, well-made human drama. I never imagined that I'd leave a theater room in 2019 crying from a M. Night Shyamalan movie.

What's sadder, though, is that the critics will frighten viewers away from a movie that's better than 90% of what comes out every Summer. In a world where any crappy, soulless, mindless blockbuster makes 1 billion dollars easy, this movie probably won't even make it to 300 million. Split didn't and had better reviews. And so we'll continue to get bad thrillers, action and superhero movies full of CGI, pointless explosions, and boring, by-the-numbers, sequel-hinting storytelling everyone wants - and cynical shareholders will continue to get richer while creative filmmakers see their opportunities dwindle. Funny, even in that Glass was grounded on reality: in the end the faceless villains we never suspected existed, chilling out in elitist restaurants we can't get in, always win. Curiously, that's one of the messages in the movie: the gifted are always being held back, overshadowed by the uncreative, those who enforce normalcy. But as the ending shows, the creative ones always find a way to outsmart the bureaucrats of normalcy. I hope that with time more people will come to know the truth that the critics have been hiding.

A Good Movie That Deserved to Be Great

[MJL_Uncensored · 6/10 · 26 January 2019]

I was supposed to love Glass.

Why don't I love Glass?

The critics hate Glass. I rarely agree with them, but for once, they were right.

I loved Unbreakable--one of the most underappreciated movies of 2000. "Split" was groundbreaking -- a film that floored me from start to finish and ended with one of the best plot twists ever! So I was frothing at the mouth when Glass was finally complete. This movie would erase the stain of The Last Airbender and restore M. Knight Shyamalan to greatness. Chances are at the time of this post, he's probably raking in a fortune from the hype, but I like so many critics, found myself sitting in the theater with furled eyebrows and stupified look that clearly read: Is he serious?

Glass picks up 19 years after Unbreakable. A weathered David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is still hunting down bad guys as a raincoat wearing vigilante. Elijah Price/Mr. Glass (Sam Jackson) is in a psych ward, and Kevin Crumb (James McAvoy) continues to terrorize young girls with one of his other 19 personalities. The movie opens with a splendid ode to vigilante justice in the vein of the Dark Knight and immediately re-establishes McAvoy's Kevin (aka the Beast) as one of the greatest on-screen villains ever.

The bar for success had been set and all M. Knight Shyamalan needed to do was hop right over it.

Well, not so fast, Flash.

This movie first starts to go off the rails when the titular character is left offscreen for the first hour. It might as well have been called Dunn vs. Kevin. Then, when all three characters are finally on-screen together, it sets up one of the most feeble-minded plot twists in the movie. I won't spoil it, but I will say, the entire concept of superhero therapy is as hokey as it sounded in the trailer. When you finally learn Sarah Paulson's role in the film as Dr. Ellie Staple, you'll wonder why her original plan was implemented at all.

But I tried to let it go because there are so many good things happening in this film. Shyamalan's POV style of action and off-screen terror--while a cliche of his cinematic style--is still useful in creating some pretty cool visuals. He keeps the camera tight on people, so sometimes it's uncomfortable, forcing you to deal with our primal issues with space, but it also builds tension in the best kind of way. So there's things here to be applauded. Visually, he is masterful in this film. It's the story that weakens this film.

It's no secret that Mr. Glass teams up with The Beast/Kevin to fight Dunn. That's what we're waiting on. But the epic battle is relatively weak. Where there should be action, there's monologuing. Where there should be tension, there's a distance between the hero and villain. And where there should be logic, there is none.

In the end, out of nowhere, Paulson's role is revealed, and it opens the door for a million questions about plausibility. Everything Mr. Glass has orchestrated comes into question. How did he know to plan for this? Sure, his superpower is intellilect but is he a prophet too. The Beast and Dunn are given a resolution the feels confusing considering everything they were put through. And Paulson's character presents earth-shattering plot twists that upend the credibility of the entire film as a cohesive narrative.

"Glass" is not a bad film. It's just not a great one. And it should have been. It's bound to be as polarizing as Bird Box. You'll either love it or hate it. I don't hate it. I'm just mad I couldn't walk away loving it.

Disappointing

[sjalkarjadottir · 3/10 · 14 April 2019]

Right from the get go ... the entire idea of the movie falls apart for me. So, there are those particular people that are incarcerated. While i can get it for the "beast" that is split .. as he clearly poses a threat AND signs of severe mental disorder. It is much, much harder to justify for the other two. There simply is not enough evidence to suggest they would be picked out to join this trio.

We as spectators know .. but the people "in the world" would not. You do not "see" superior intellect. You do not "see" someone that is unbreakable. Sure there would be doctors and reports about some irregularities - but NOTHING to suggest such actions being taken.

Apart from this (and the unrealistic amount of measures taken against each of those .. ) the idea is that we want to prove that they are not super-human.

Alright .. but that falls flat, when the entire location is decked out in anti-super-human-measures.

The motivations of the doctor are weak, too. Plot-holes in movies are a common thing .. and often unavoidable. But when they are too big .. the whole structure falls apart. The doctor acts so unprofessional (like confirmation bias) that it totally breaks immersion. And that is very sad for a movie like that.

All in all .. sadly an underwhelming movie .. but with good acting indeed. Its the writing that fails it big time

Not the Avengers

[gianthaole · 10/10 · 18 January 2019]

Ok, my wife and I just got back from opening night of Glass. We talked about the movie from the end of the movie all the way back home. WOW!!!! We had a lot to talk about. As my title reads this is not an Avengers movie. Do not expect non-stop action. Expect action, story, details, dialogue, emotion, more story, and then some more action. This is a great movie to start off 2019 and James McAvoy deserves an Oscar. Like any M. Night movie you will either love it or hate it. My wife and I LOVED IT!!!!

Flawed, but a good ride

[bobmudge · 7/10 · 19 January 2019]

The movie has holes you could drive a 747 through and in places, especially at the end, is really contrived, but it's still worth seeing. Note to M.N.S.: Relax, dude. Just because you hit it big having twists at the end of your movies doesn't mean you have to keep upping the ante. Go do a comedy.

How to break unbreakable

[karlcloono · 3/10 · 18 January 2019]

This movie was so bad it manages to ruin one of my favorite movies of all time unbreakable by not expanding or adding anything interesting to the lore or the characters. If anything it's just makes it stupider. As I'm writing this I'm trying to remember anything interesting that happened in this movie but I can't it's so forgettable. I don't understand how this script got green lit it's terrible there's so much pointless dialogue I kept zoning out for most of it. This movie has nothing going for it other than a few interesting camera shots and some good acting. James McAvoy is great but that's the only high point of this dragged out mess and this movie felt like it would never end and when it did I was so disappointed in that ending i was going to explain it but I can't remember what's happens but basically the 3 main protagonist after having a "showdown" are killed by a Secret group of people who just kill superheroes no matter if they do bad or good I can't remember why. And it has this ending message about all of us having a superpower inside us. Well I think that's what it was trying to say at that point I just wanted to go home. All in all I would not recommend this movie in any shape or form it's hot garbage save your money

Intriguing and suspenseful film excellently played and compellingly directed by M. Night Shyamalan

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 6 February 2020]

A suspense thriller with supernatural overtone full of intrigue , thrills , emotion , surprise and plot twists . Intriguing film and magnificently played film with special mention for James McAvoy , being competently made by M. Night Shyalaman . Interesting picture and one of the greatest successes of the excellent filmmaker M. Night Shyalaman . Provoking and amazing thiller movie with fabulous interpretation , specially by James McAvoy who delivers a magnetic acting along with Bruce Willis and Samuel L . Jackson . It deals with a strange man diagnosed with 23 distinct personalities (James McAvoy) . He is Kevin Crumb , and suffers from disocciate identity disorder DID . While , David Dunn (Bruce Willis) finds himself locked in a mental hospital alongside his archenemy , Elijah Price (Samuel L Jackson) and Kevin Crumb . They are treated in their weird illness by a cunning psychiatrist named Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) , an obstinate therapist who delves deeper into his mysterious conduct , undergoing a real personal analysis . The strange Doctor is out to prove the trio do not actually possess superhuman abilities. In the meantime Kevin has 23 personalities and the 24th is about to be unleashed . Are You Ready For The Truth? .Are You Unbreakable? Some things are only revealed by accident . You Cannot Contain What You Are. Real villains are among us. Real heroes are within us.The World of Superheroes will be Shattered. It Has Begun.

This nail-biting flick has thrilling moments well delivered by the top-drawer director Night Shyalaman with surprising incidents , great ending and plot twists . It packs an adequate, though dark , at times , cinematography by Mike Gioulakis . As well as a thrilling and frightening musical score by West Dylan Thordson . The movie revolves around rare people with multiple personality , super-strength , and complex characters , being full of intrigue , emotion , surprise , violent fights , twists and turns . The film relies heavily on the bizarre personality of our starring and their claustrophobic ambient . At the end happens a surprising outcome when there takes place a dangerous confrontation in unexpected results with the appearance by the astonishing Beast , as Kevin has 23 personalities and the 24th is finally to be unleashed. Over-the-top performance from Samuel L. Jackson , Bruce Willis and especially James McAvoy who gives a real tour-de-force , it results to be a James McAvoy recital , playing a great number of personalities , including the horrible superhero monster . Along with Sarah Paulson acting as the psychologist who discovers deep traumas on the patients , at last . As usual , Night Shyalaman shows up , a brief cameo in Alfred Hitchcock style as a purchaser .

This film takes part of a splendid trilogy : 1ª ¨Unbreakable¨(2000) in which David Dunn : Willis is taking a train from New York City back home to Philadelphia after a job interview that didn't go well when his car jumps the tracks and collides with an oncoming engine, with David the only survivor among the 131 passengers on board, astoundingly , David is not only alive, he hardly seems to have been touched. As David wonders what has happened to him and why he was able to walk away, he encounters a mysterious stranger, Elijah Prince : Samuel L. Jackson, who explains to David that there are a certain number of people who are "unbreakable". Being starred by Robin Wright , Spencer Clark , Eamonn Walker , Leslie Stefanson and Charlayne Woodard, who plays the mother to Samuel L. Jackson's character, is actually almost a full 5 years younger than her on screen son . The second : ¨Multiple¨ (2017) regarding three beautiful teenagers : Anya Taylor Joy ,Haley Lu Richardson , Jessica Sula , they are classmates who while are in a car are taken by the mysterious kidnapper , as the terrorífied and locked adolescentes attempt to getaway from a terrible and feared Beast : James McAvoy . And this third installmet : ¨Glass¨ (2019) who closes the stunning trilogy .

This ¨Glass¨packs a colorful and evocative cinematography by Mike Giuolakis . As well as marvelous and thrilling musical score by West Dylan Thordson , though he incorporated several of James Newton Howard's themes from Unbreakable (2000). Well written/produced and directed by Night Shyamalan . The motion picture was well made by Night M Shyamalan , writing , producing and directing , though being some claustrophobic and slow-moving . Here Shyalaman was able to incorporate unseen stock footage from Unbreakable (2000) into this film, for flashback frames involving the younger versions of David : Willis and his son Joseph : Spencer Clark . He usually shoots in Philadelphia , this is Shyamalan favorite location . Night is an avid comic books fan , which was made in this film that along with "Unbreakable" , ¨Multiple¨and "Glass" belong to the top-notch trilogy starred by Bruce Willis , Samuel L Jackson and James McAvoy. Well produced by Night Shyamalan himself , many of his films involve pivotal roles with extraordinary abilities or events happening to them and with children always having family problems . Night Shyamalan is an expert on fantastic and Mystery films plenty of Intelligence and thought-provoking issues as proved in : ¨Signs¨ , ¨The village¨ , ¨Lady in water¨ , ¨The Incident¨ , ¨The sixth sense¨ , with exception for an extreme flop as critical as boxoffice : ¨Airbender¨. Rating 7/10 notable . Well worth watching . Better than average .