This follow-up to M. Night Shyamalan’s super-hero homage Unbreakable rolls Split into the mix to come up with this colourful trilogy conclusion.

It follows hero and train wreck survivor David Dunn, his arch-nemesis, the frail-boned Elijah Price, and 24-personality women-abductor Kevin Crumb as they’re all sent for treatment at a psychiatric facility.

As Dunn and Crumb battle in a classic test between good and evil, with Elijah maniacally pulling the strings, this genre-bending thriller is the most ambitious work the troubled director has pulled off in year.

This is not to say Glass isn’t a challenging mixed-bag, but it’s an ambitious, lofty film from writer-director Shyamalan, the man also behind twisty The Sixth Sense and The Village.

Not everything works, but the sheer force and passion behind Shyamalan’s effort is astounding. This is the first big, beautiful blockbuster of 2019, and it’s worth recommending for performances alone.

Bruce Willis — though he barely has enough screen-time — is formidable in his return as Dunn, and Samuel L. Jackson provides a hefty impact as Price.

But the true star here is James McAvoy, who seamlessly shifts between multiple personalities and transforms throughout the film. He is a sensation, and if this weren’t a thriller, he’d be in serious contention for an Oscar next year. He is just that magnificent.

Glass isn’t a perfect film, but it’s one that Shyamalan has put his very heart and soul in, and it shows throughout.

3.5/5 Stars