Glass

Starring: James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Ever since "The Horde" (James McAvoy) has made its presence known to the world, David Dunn (Bruce Willis) has spent his time trying to hunt them down with the help of his son Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark). When he is finally able to do so, he and "The Horde" are caught and remanded to a mental institution run by Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson). Also a patient at this institution is master criminal Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), who is content with spending the rest of his days locked up and sedated. Dr. Staple is intent on debunking the fact that the three are comic book characters, writing their beliefs as delusions that she can prove with science. Little does she know she has set up the ultimate superhero showdown.

There is a lot going on in this movie, as Shyamalan continues his deconstruction of the superhero genre that began in Unbreakable and secretly continued with Split seventeen years later. One can't help but feel the script for Glass was rushed and definitely needed a couple more drafts to iron out the dialogue. The movie is a mess of ideas but at least for me it was a very watchable mess.

Keeping the movie afloat, much like he did in Split, is James McAvoy. The actor continues to show his range, believably switching between personalities, often in the same scene and shot in a matter of seconds. I don't know what else the guy can do to prove he belongs on the A List. He brought it in Split and he continued that here. Samuel L. Jackson, once he snaps out of his sedation, proves why he is great at playing villains. Mr. Glass always seems like he is up to something and it's a credit to Jackson that we cant trust him. The only one who doesn't bring their A-Game is Bruce Willis, who has spent the past couple of years sleepwalking through his roles. While Shyamalan was able to get subtle performances out of Willis in the past, subtle has become somnambulant.

Shyamalan, whose plot twists have becomes his signature, might lose some people with the bold, hard left turn the movie takes in the final 15 minutes. Without going into spoilers, I think people might be disappointed where Shyamalan chooses to end his trilogy. I found it fascinating and it actually helped me enjoy the movie more. But I also get why it will lose some people.

Much like Shyamalan's career, Glass is an unpredictable yet watchable mess.

B-