Glass 5.5/10 - Ah Shyamalan, when he’s on he’s on, and it’s a crying shame when he misses.
Unbreakable and Split are both wonderful albeit dissimilar pictures; one a tight character-driven grounding of the superhero trope, another a saw-esque horror thriller with a psych twist. Bringing the two universes was a (risky) stroke of genius; sadly M. Night serves up an undercooked mess.
While a little predictable, particularly if you’ve seen the trailer, the first two acts are solid enough particularly due to another inspired performance from James McAvoy. But sadly twisting two very different tales plays more like lost actors wondering onto the wrong set, especially from the Unbreakable team who are sort of just ‘there’.
Neither of the big three are developed further, even after they’re simmering in the same pot. The plot just rumbles along until the disastrously abrupt third act unravels everything without a care. The signature twist is a bore, and ultimately you’re left entertained but empty. While Bruce Willis is criticised for sleeping in, he and Sam Jackson are both severely underplayed with little scope.
A huge missed opportunity from the ideas man who just can’t pull it together often enough.
