Released in 2019 and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Glass serves as the culmination of a trilogy that began with Unbreakable (2000) and continued with Split (2016). The film brings together the worlds of David Dunn, Kevin Wendell Crumb, and Elijah Price — three men whose extraordinary abilities blur the line between the ordinary and the supernatural.
More than a simple superhero movie, Glass is an introspective exploration of identity, faith, and perception. It examines what it means to be “superhuman” in a world that denies the existence of anything beyond normality. By blending psychological realism with comic-book mythos, Shyamalan crafts a film that challenges the conventions of the superhero genre and questions the very nature of belief itself.
Plot Overview
The film begins shortly after the events of Split, with David Dunn (Bruce Willis) — now known in Philadelphia as “The Overseer” — working as a vigilante with the help of his son Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark). Together, they track down Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), a man suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder who harbors 24 distinct personalities, including the terrifying “Beast.”
Their confrontation is brutal and intense, ending abruptly when both men are captured by authorities and confined to Raven Hill Memorial Hospital, a psychiatric institution. There, they meet Elijah Price, also known as “Mr. Glass” (Samuel L. Jackson), a criminal mastermind with brittle bone disease whose intellect and obsession with comic books led him to commit atrocities in Unbreakable.
Under the supervision of Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson), the three men are told they suffer from delusions of grandeur — that they are not superhuman, but victims of psychological trauma who have misinterpreted coincidence as proof of their powers. Her goal: to convince them that superheroes do not exist.
However, Elijah — ever the manipulator — has other plans. Feigning sedation, he orchestrates a plan to reveal the truth of their existence to the world. The climax unfolds as he engineers a public confrontation between David and the Beast, intending for their fight to be recorded and broadcast online. Yet, in a final twist typical of Shyamalan, all three men are killed by a secret organization dedicated to suppressing superhuman phenomena.
But Elijah’s plan succeeds posthumously: footage of the fight is released to the public by his mother, Joseph, and Casey (the sole survivor from Split), ensuring that the truth cannot be hidden. The world now knows — the superhuman are real.
Characters and Performances
David Dunn: The Reluctant Protector
Bruce Willis reprises his role as David Dunn with quiet gravitas. Now older, more weathered, and haunted by years of isolation, he remains a man of principle in a cynical world. Dunn’s power — invulnerability coupled with extrasensory perception — makes him the film’s moral center. Yet his greatest strength is not physical but spiritual: his unwavering belief in purpose.
Dunn represents the everyman who resists despair. His silence and stoicism mirror his internal struggle — the burden of being extraordinary in a world that discourages difference. His death, though tragic, is not defeat. It completes his transformation from man to symbol, from isolated guardian to martyr for truth.
Kevin Wendell Crumb: The Beast Within
James McAvoy delivers another masterful performance as Kevin and his 24 personalities, collectively known as The Horde. His portrayal is both frightening and heartbreaking — the physical embodiment of trauma. Each identity is distinct in voice, posture, and temperament. From the childlike innocence of Hedwig to the nurturing tone of Patricia and the monstrous strength of the Beast, McAvoy’s versatility transforms the film into a study of multiplicity.
Kevin’s tragedy lies in his abuse and the fractured psyche it created. The Beast’s philosophy — that “the broken are the more evolved” — forms the thematic spine of Glass. It echoes Elijah’s belief in purpose through suffering, binding the trilogy’s themes together.
Elijah Price: The Mastermind
Samuel L. Jackson’s portrayal of Elijah Price (Mr. Glass) is mesmerizing. Confined to a wheelchair and appearing sedated for much of the film, his intellect remains razor-sharp. Elijah is a character driven by a need for meaning — his fragile body contrasts with his indestructible will.
He is both villain and visionary: a man who causes destruction not for personal gain but to prove that heroes exist. His final revelation — that his plan was never to escape but to expose the truth — redefines him as the trilogy’s tragic architect. Elijah’s belief in destiny is both his curse and his gift, and in death, he achieves the validation he sought all his life.
Dr. Ellie Staple: The Voice of Doubt
Dr. Staple is a fascinating antagonist. As a psychiatrist, she personifies society’s skepticism. She speaks for the rational world that demands evidence, explanation, and control. Her goal is not to cure madness but to contain belief.
Her eventual revelation as a member of a secret organization dedicated to suppressing superhumans reframes the film entirely. She represents a systemic fear of the extraordinary — institutions that erase difference to maintain order. Her quiet menace lies not in malice, but in her conviction that conformity is safety.
Themes and Symbolism
Belief and Doubt
At its heart, Glass is about belief — in oneself, in purpose, and in the extraordinary. The film challenges both the characters and the audience to question what is real. Is David truly superhuman, or is it psychosomatic? Are Kevin’s transformations supernatural, or a manifestation of extreme physiology?
Shyamalan blurs the line between science and faith, leaving room for interpretation. The ultimate revelation — that the superhuman exist but are suppressed — transforms belief from delusion into revolution. The film’s final act becomes an awakening: belief is no longer private, but collective.
Fragility and Strength
The motif of glass runs throughout the film — both literally and metaphorically. Glass shatters easily, yet it reflects light; it is fragile, yet transparent. Elijah embodies this paradox. His body breaks, but his ideas endure.
The title Glass thus symbolizes the delicate balance between weakness and power, visibility and invisibility. Every character reflects this duality: David’s emotional fragility contrasts with his physical strength, Kevin’s fractured mind conceals monstrous power, and Elijah’s frailty hides genius. Strength, Shyamalan suggests, is born from fracture — the very act of breaking reveals resilience.
Control and Freedom
Raven Hill Hospital serves as a microcosm for societal control. Its sterile environment, security cameras, and psychological conditioning mirror modern mechanisms of suppression — systems that pathologize difference.
Dr. Staple’s organization represents a world that fears the unknown. Her group’s mission to eliminate belief in superhumans parallels real-world tendencies to dismiss extraordinary individuals or movements that challenge power structures. The hospital becomes a prison not of walls, but of doubt.
The Birth of Myth
The film’s climax transforms tragedy into mythology. With all three central figures dead, their legacy lives on through recorded footage. Shyamalan deliberately avoids the spectacle of global heroism; instead, he emphasizes symbolic victory.
By releasing the footage, Elijah fulfills his prophecy — proving that legends can exist outside of comic books. The world witnesses its first superheroes, not in secret or fantasy, but in truth. The final montage — showing Joseph, Casey, and Elijah’s mother watching the world react — serves as the trilogy’s closing statement: belief has been set free.
Cinematic Style
Shyamalan’s direction in Glass is restrained yet precise. His camera often lingers in long takes, reflecting both the claustrophobia of confinement and the tension of uncertainty. The muted color palette — dominated by greens, yellows, and purples — visually associates each character with their thematic essence:
- Green for David Dunn — growth, endurance, and moral clarity.
- Yellow for Kevin — energy, instability, and transformation.
- Purple for Elijah — intellect, mystery, and manipulation.
These colors converge in the film’s climax, visually representing the convergence of their destinies. The minimal use of CGI and reliance on practical effects reinforce the film’s grounded realism, differentiating it from the exaggerated spectacle of most superhero blockbusters.
Reception and Legacy
Upon release, Glass divided critics and audiences. Some praised its ambition and thematic depth, while others criticized its pacing and unconventional structure. Yet, with time, the film has earned a reputation as a daring subversion of superhero tropes.
Where most superhero films celebrate spectacle and moral simplicity, Glass celebrates ambiguity and introspection. It is a film not about saving the world, but about believing in the extraordinary within it. Its understated approach — focusing on dialogue, psychology, and symbolism — marks it as one of the most intellectually challenging entries in the genre.
Conclusion
Glass (2019) is not a film of grand battles or flashy heroics. It is a film of ideas — about the nature of power, belief, and human potential. By bringing together the narratives of Unbreakable and Split, Shyamalan constructs a trilogy that redefines the superhero myth for the modern age.
In a cinematic landscape dominated by external conflict, Glass turns inward, asking the audience to examine what truly makes a person heroic. Is it strength? Conviction? Suffering? Or the courage to believe when no one else does?
Ultimately, Glass shatters not only expectations but the boundaries of the genre itself. It reminds us that fragility and strength, madness and genius, delusion and destiny — all coexist within the human condition. Through belief, the broken can indeed become unbreakable.
