Glass Review

Dreams shattered.

Glass is a film which arrives with pressure on its shoulders.  Being the sequel to not just one but two films. With both of its predecessors being adored by many. Unbreakable is the best M. Night Shyamalan film of all time. The psychological thriller is a masterpiece. Carried by a young director whose vision was unlike any other. With performances from Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson which they haven’t topped since. The opportunity for an Unbreakable sequel seemed to have passed by a long time ago. Split was Shyamalan’s big comeback. Shyamalan’s thirties seen him become a parody of himself. Following up his bright start in Hollywood with big flops; we live in a world where it’s hard to tell if The Happening or his live action Avatar film is worse. Split was not just one of the director’s best pieces of work, but it was also one of the most inventive films of the decade. James McAvoy’s performance’s as a man with 24 personalities is a masterclass in acting. Glass now sees Shyamalan’s past and future colliding in one of the years most anticipated films. Does Glass live up to the hype? Or has Shyamalan dug himself into a corner again. Unfortunately, this is one of the most disappointing films in a long time.

Glass sees Unbreakable’ David Dunn (Bruce Willis) return after a 20-year absence from our screens. Dunn is on a mission to find the man who they call The Beast (James McAvoy). Dunn’s arch enemy Mr Glass (Samuel L. Jackson) presence is still felt both in the air and in the shadows. After a 20 year wait for an Unbreakable sequel. I’m not going to be the guy who ruins the plot inside 2 sentences. Go into the film knowing as little as you know about the plot. A Shyamalan film is meant to be untangled. Don’t watch the trailer; you will regret it! Narrative wise the film flows in like a river. A river which the longer you travel on it. The more you realise you’re going to go off a waterfall. The first 20ish minutes of Glass is perfectly fine. The opening is the strongest part of the film. I’m not saying that it’s a strong opening. What I’m saying is that the re-introduction of David Dunn and The Beast shows potential. Glass appears to be going in an intriguing direction. Sadly, the film goes in a direction which sees a good 90 minutes go by where you can feel yourself ageing. This portion of the film isn’t necessarily awful. It’s just the ideas it brings to table is not interesting enough to make you feel like this was always the original plan for an Unbreakable sequel. Now a re-watch may prove that this large section of the film isn’t as a boring as I initially feel. After so much speculation and potential for the sequel of both properties. The direction Glass goes will leave you feeling teased. The third act is where Glass goes from mediocre to flat out awful. The final 20 minutes of the film is a spectacular disaster in film-making. Each passing scene will leave you with a different WTF face. Leaving the cinema, I had a horrible taste in my mouth. All this waiting. For this? One man makes it all worth it.

James McAvoy is the saviour of Glass. The Scotsman has proven time and time again that he is one of the best actors in the world. If you disagree with me. Watch The Last King of Scotland, Split or Filth. McAvoy may have just delivered the best performance of his career. The role of The Beast, or The Horde, is not like a normal role. The role requires McAvoy to play 20 roles in one. One minute he’s playing a 9-year old called Hedwig who is a major Drake fan. The next second, he’s the cunning Patricia. Before you’ve even had time to appreciate this character, he’s playing the emotionally devastating Kevin. McAvoy displays versatility which some actors struggle to find in the span of their career. Never mind in one film. The Horde will make you scream, laugh, cry, cringe and even dance. In a film of complete mediocrity and a times flat out awfulness. McAvoy brings a performance which is simply phenomenal. It’s hard to give the man justice with words after he’s given so much in the film. The Beast is a complex character who is explored in the right way. He’s the only part of the film which doesn’t feel like a wasted opportunity. If you’re a Split fan who is going in purely for The Beast. You will be satisfied. The performance is magnificent. It’s deserving of a  better film around it as the rest of the film leaves much to be desired.

Every other character in the film feels off. The main new character Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) is really who the film surrounds. I won’t reveal anything about this character, but I will say this. Paulson is a terrific actress, but this character is a nothing character. Paulson is there to explain exactly what’s happening on the screen. This is even more annoying when it’s not hard to wrap your head around what’s happening in the first place. With so much of the film dedicated to her character’s cause. You would hope that the character’s motivations are explored in detail, The Unbreakable boys are back! Glass wastes both Willis and Jackson. Willis gives his best performance in years. No, it’s not a great performance or even a good one. At this stage of his career an average performance is a big achievement for the guy. David Dunn is not in much of this film. He’s relegated to the side-lines for way too much of Glass. Dunn is the best thing about Unbreakable. To see the character being deemed as unworthy of screen time tarnishes the legacy of Unbreakable. Jackson too gives a meh performance. Mr Glass is an iconic character who has been turned into a cartoon. Thanks to some awful writing from Shyamalan. Dunn and Mr Glass were two iconic characters in Unbreakable. I don’t feel like I can watch the film in the same way anymore. I will never not be annoyed at what Glass does to their characters. After so much promise, build-up and excitement. You’ll have wished they never even bothered.

Shyamalan is his own worst enemy. The guy does himself no favours. For years he was viewed as a laughing stock for his fall from grace. After all, how can you go from a twist as amazing as the one in The Sixth Sense. To having Mark Wahlberg, talk to trees in The Happening. Shyamalan found his calling with low budge horror. Both Split and The Visit are two great films. These films break away from his usual formula which brought him success and humiliation. Glass sees him go back to his dark years. The writing is atrocious. Not just from a story perspective. The story may go in ludicrous direction. It’s the dialogue which will leave you feeling deflated. When the characters aren’t explaining the plot to you; they are talking like idiots. The writing is atrocious. The side characters are underwritten to a shocking degree. Dialogue has never been his strongest weapon. This may be his weakest script to date. The direction is sloppy too. There is an abundance of POV shots for no reason. The lighting in the fight sense is so dark at times that you know it’s to hide the stunt doubles. Shyamalan’s biggest crime is that he parodies himself for the umpteenth time in his career. All his hard work to go back to the top of his game in undone with the final act of Glass. The Shyamalan bingo card has a strong presence in Glass. The director aimed to complete his unorthodox trilogy in a way which would wow audiences’. Instead he’s left a blot on the legacy of his greatest work. I was rooting for you Shyamalan.

Glass is a huge disappointment. It does not work well as a sequel to either Unbreakable or Split. Tying them together does not feel natural. There was so much potential for Glass to be brilliant. McAvoy is the only good thing about the film. It’s weird though. The excellent performance is so strong that I feel that Glass deserves to be seen. McAvoy deserves to be recognised for the advancements he’s made to both his character and performance. The film however, is a dud. It’s painfully slow, confusing, and at times idiotic. Glass should have been so much more. Instead we are left wishing that we were still waiting for an Unbreakable sequel. In a perfect world Shyamalan would have made a film worth all the years of anticipation. Instead you’re left with one actor saving a film from being a humiliation. What a waste.

Liam’s summary of Glass.

Best Moment: McAvoy showing off his personalities in the span of about 4 minutes.

Worst Moment: The final act had me considering giving up on film.

Best Character: Hedwig for the wonderful dance. That boy has moves.

Worst Character: Did you Know Shyamalan likes to appear in his own films? It’s not painfully obvious at all!

Watch these instead

Unbreakable: One of the best superhero films of all time. A masterpiece in film making.

Split: You’ll shiver in fear and by the excellence of its main character.

Trainspotting 2: This is how you bring a cast back after 20 years.

Overall Rating: 2/5.