The film Glass is the third part of a trilogy series created by the mastermind director and writer M. Night Shyamalan. The story follows unique characters David Dunn, Elijah Price, and Kevin Crumb from the previous films Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2016). The plot is driven by this creative spin on superhero films, seeing that any ordinary person can be a superhero.

Night Shyamalan is an experienced writer and director known for his work in the horror genre. Many people also take note of his twists he leaves in his films. When Unbreakable came out, no one knew it was mainly directed as a superhero movie, and was instead marketed as a psychological thriller, which could be said for his sequels, Split and Glass. Also, no one knew it would have a connection to Split, and the surprise appearance of Unbreakable character David Dunn at the end left fans gasping. There was much hype around Glass as many fans had high expectations. The uniting of David Dunn, Elijah Price, and Kevin Crumb left viewers with excitement. However, Shyamalan’s films have been seen as going down over the years since The Sixth Sense, according to box office ratings. He was highly revered for his style, but has lately been getting harsh reviews. The usual spin of his twists are more predictable and hold less impact on the viewer’s emotions towards the film. Color symbolism is another way of editing he has made himself well known for. Even if his movies are great or are getting better, there is no denying he has a set style to his way of filmmaking that could lower expectations.

This trilogy starts with David Dunn who is branded the name “The Overseer” by the time Glass starts. His inability to be injured is notable, particularly to comic book art store owner Elijah Price. Price’s strong views of real life heroes and villains is what drives Unbreakable and Glass to the stories they are. Elijah is the complete opposite of the almost immortal Dunn, having being born with Osteoporosis Imperfecta, causing his bones to break like glass, hence his nickname “Mr. Glass.” He goes to extreme lengths like terrorism to find someone like David, and this is the catalyst for who Kevin Crumb becomes. One of three of Glass’s twists include the true reason Kevin developed his 24 alternates personalities: his need to protect himself from the true reality of his abusive mother who is also sick is caused from the death of his father. David and Kevin’s father were on the same train in which David was the sole survivor of the train crash. This blew many viewers minds and connected the three films as one big scheme of Mr. Glass. All three characters suffer in the end, but the actors give viewers a wonderful performance, specifically James McAvoy who plays Kevin. The talent he has in order to switch so easily in a believable way between personalities is astonishing. He has the right charisma that it is unimaginable for another actor to portray “The Horde.” He has the power to even make us feel sympathetic towards his characters. Samuel L. Jackson is also convincing in his role as Mr. Glass, truly being the whole mastermind behind discovering David and Kevin. Bruce Willis who plays David is the only true hero of this film, and it is shown by his actions. Even in Unbreakable he was always hesitant about his abilities, but once he puts them to the test, the outcome is greater, and he saves people in the process. Every character in this story plays a significant role for the development of the plot.

Shyamalan’s unique take on the superhero genre makes the viewers think about their reality and people who are superhuman in everyday life. As Unbreakable came out in 2000, before the Marvel movies were the big thing of today, it was truly a one of a kind story that seemed more realistic than other superhero stories. With Glass, the structure of a comic book is more heavily enhanced as there are many references to villains and heroes. Mr. Glass truly believes in the idea of the world of superhumans and origins stories. He is proud to have “created” “The Horde” and “The Overseer.” Sarah Paulson’s character Dr. Ellie Staple, who does a great job convincing the audience, is revealed to be part of a secret organization against superheroes, another one of Shyamalan’s twists. The idea is to keep superhumans out of the public eye, so if Ellie Staple has possibly done this before, there could or could have been other people with special abilities out there. An ordinary person with extraordinary abilities is the main premise of M. Night Shyamalan’s trilogy.

Glass is certainly worth the watch, especially if you’ve seen the first two films. It is nice to see Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson reprising their roles after 19 years, even with a slight Willis cameo in Split. All three actors working together truly made the film what it is as they’re all unique and different in their own way, just like their characters.