2019's Glass featured an epic crossover between the characters of Split and Unbreakable, setting the stage for a massive showdown.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Glass is the epic continuation of Split and Unbreakable. It chronicles Mr. Glass's (Samuel L. Jackson) master plan to reveal that superheroes exist by manipulating Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy) and David Dunn (Bruce Willis).
Glass premiered in theaters on January 18, 2019.
Glass Plot Explained: Split & Unbreakable Connections
To recap, Kevin has 24 split personalities (the most powerful being a beast with superhuman strength and durability), David has super strength and emphatic powers, and Mr. Glass is a super genius yet has fragile bones.
Aside from its star-studded trio, Glass also brought back a major character from Split, namely Anya Taylor-Joy's Casey Cooke (the lone survivor from Kevin's killing spree who shared a bond with him).
It was revealed that Mr. Glass inadvertently created David Dunn and Kevin Wendell Crumb as both had ties to the Eastrail 177 train crash featured in Unbreakable.
Kevin's father, Clarence, was killed in that crash which led to him having various personalities because his violent mother raised him.
While the brawl between Kevin and David had a big superhero-type feel, the real fun began when they were captured and imprisoned in Raven Hill Memorial, the same location where a sedated Mr. Glass was also present.
The main trio's confinement in a single location was like a time bomb waiting to explode, and no amount of "therapy" by Dr. Elle Staple (Sarah Paulson) would stop them from changing their perspective about their superpowers.
Glass' Twists & Ending Explained
Glass' ending mainly centered around Mr. Glass' plan to escape Raven Hill Memorial by trying to lure David and Kevin (as Beast) to fight atop the Osaka Tower in Philadelphia to show the world that superheroes exist.
However, his plan went into shambles as David and Kevin brawled in the Raven Hill parking lot instead. As expected, chaos ensued, and it didn't end well for the main trio as they all met their demise.
Glass then revealed who Dr. Ellie Staple really is. Many assumed that Staple was part of a shady conspiracy, and the movie's ending ultimately proved this by showing that she is a member of an organization known as Clover working to prevent the existence of super-powered people and preserve world order.
Although she attempted to delete surveillance footage of the clash between David and Kevin in the parking lot, Mr. Glass was three steps ahead of her since he released the video online, finally proving that superhumans exist.
The ending meant that the trio's death served as a beacon for the next wave of superhumans to come forward, signaling that they were not alone in the world.
What Was the Point of Glass?
In Glass, it was quite disappointing that all three main characters died.
David, whose weakness was water, died after a SWAT officer drowned him in a puddle of water.
Kevin met his demise after he was shot down by a sniper just after Casey managed to bring out his dormant personality.
Elijah (aka Mr. Glass) was killed by Kevin (as Beast).
Speaking with Uproxx in January 2021, Glass director M. Night Shyamalan explained the reasoning behind David's death by drowning, noting, "The simplest thing can take the strongest person down:"
"Well, in the end, that the simplest thing can take the strongest person down. That it’s like more of Achilles’ heel that, in the mythos of it, you don’t need an army to take down the strongest man if you know their weakness."
The death of these characters presents the sad reality that not all superhumans die a noble and memorable demise.
It doesn't come with the weight of saving a world from a nuke or a gauntlet-wearing alien from space. Instead, all it takes is one bullet or even an unimaginable weakness like water to put a force of nature down.
In a landscape full of spectacular superhero movies, Glass takes a step back by grounding the aspects of heroism by showing its tragic endpoint. Yet the movie also encourages those who believe they are extraordinary to go out of their way in embracing their real selves.
Glass is now streaming on Netflix.
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