Superheroes are synonymous with costumes and special-effected powers taking over the big screen in larger-than-life sequences. But weaving a complex and nuanced tale far exceeds the compulsion to make just another blockbuster for master storyteller M. Night Shyamalan. That much was evident with Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2016). As parts of the Eastrail 177 Trilogy , both standalone films crafted immersive universes for each of the characters. In the culminating instalment of the franchise, Shyamalan brings the party to a mental institution inviting heroes and villains from the predecessors.
Yet again, the director attempts to pull the same delicious complicated web of intrigue and suspense. But only those intimately aware of the trilogy will spot it, though appreciating it might be a stretch. As if the uninitiated don’t matter, Glass charges forward hammer and tongs with nary an explanation. Unfortunately, Glass is a slow simmer instead of the raging blaze as the director wanted. Shyamalan’s deft direction, the actors’ performances, music and pretty much everything are on track yet sadly it’s the flawed and wild narrative that derail Glass .
- Director: M. Night Shyamalan
- Cast: James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sarah Paulson, Samuel L. Jackson, Spencer Treat Clark
- Storyline: Kevin, David and Elijah, admitted in a mental institution, think they’re super humans when doctors are trying to prove otherwise.
Despite bringing three brilliant characters in the same frame, Shyamalan’s screenplay is heavily skewed towards one. James McAvoy’s turn as Kevin Wendell Crumb in Split — a man with 23 different personalities due to a dissociative identity disorder — was a performance of a lifetime. In Glass , McAvoy continues to transfix the audience with his instantaneous switches. It’s the same man with the same face, but McAvoy embodies every personality with marked distinctions and exquisite finesse. His agony oscillating between personalities is squirm-inducing. Inhabiting Kevin is the amusing nine-year-old Hedwig, formidable high-priestess Patricia, paedophile Dennis and the big bad one they call ‘The Beast’. Together they’re ‘The Horde’ and McAvoy plays each role spectacularly. That’s about as good as Glass gets.
Bruce Willis who essays David Dunn (a man with super strength) is relegated to stepchild status. Not only does McAvoy overshadow Willis, but the veteran actor is evidently neglected. The eponymous Mr. Glass aka Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) acts his seasoned heart out — with twitches and eye flickers galore — as a heavily sedated mastermind in a wheelchair. But in Glass , his nefarious intentions don’t quite match the crimes we know he’s committed. One of the film’s plotlines: to have doctors convince the film’s three superhuman beings suspect their own abilities is a convoluted yet positive stance by Shyamalan to accept our own abilities. But its frequent reiteration reduces its impact and is tiresome. To make matters worse, the director’s big twist is recklessly treated; a tantalising opportunity cruelly yanked away from us.
If you watch Glass , completely extracting its position in the trilogy — though it cannot stand on its own — the film will still excite and thrill only in small doses. While he does a fantastic job, McAvoy can’t quite drag the film over the finish line.
