Glass (2019)
Trying to pinpoint why this was unsatisfying, and I think it’s because they kind of screwed over Bruce Willis. He had spent Unbreakable coming to terms with being really really strong, finally accepting his fate that he was, in fact, a superhero. It remains probably M. Night’s best film. This one would arguably have been better without him, he didn’t change at all, other than a brief lull where he doubted his ability to be really really strong (nobody gave him a big thing to lift up). He was the same man at the end as at the beginning. There wasn’t even a growth beyond comic book framing, he still had water as a “weakness” (like the aliens in Signs, MNS must be very dehydrated). He even drowned unceremoniously in a puddle.
On the other hand, McAvoy was great, was clearly having the time of his life, and got a proper story. I couldn’t really remember all that much that happened in Split (it’s been a while), and only belatedly remembered/realised that Kevin was the “original”, but he came to the brink of being all Beast, but emerged into the Light in the end. Of course he then got shot by a sniper. Nobody ever seems to think it’s interesting for their characters to have to deal with consequences.
Samuel L. Jackson’s story is actually pretty compelling. He wants to confirm he’s not a mistake, and goes to extreme lengths to prove to himself and everyone that he’s balancing the scale of a powerful good. This was, though, the plot of Unbreakable (remains probably M. Night’s etc). So I’ve already seen it. He doesn’t, as far as I can tell, though, have any superpowers. They threw in a thing about him being really smart, but there are real people who are smart. I liked when he was a deeply broken (no pun) but a determined actual human being trying to find his place in the world by derailing trains and what have you.
And boy am I glad that Sarah Paulson was actually in a bizarre conspiracy because her behaviour as a therapist was ridiculous. “You, teenage girl, this serial killer seems to like you, go and give him and hug and see what happens”.