Netflix has a catalog full of surprises, ranging from great horror and mystery series that are released every now and then to teen fictions of all kinds of quality. Undoubtedly, sometimes it is difficult to find something in their catalog that fits everyone’s tastes, but now they have just released two movies that no one should miss.
The last two superhero movies directed by the filmmaker behind The Sixth Sense, Split and Glass, have just arrived on the streaming platform. Both films are part of a trilogy with Unbreakable, a feature film starring Bruce Willis released in 2000. This movie defined the way of making superhero films for almost a decade, and together with these other two movies, it is the best that Shyamalan has directed in his entire career.
Beyond failures like After Earth or his own version of The Last Airbender, Shyamalan has an almost impeccable trajectory in Hollywood. With films like Signs, The Village, and the aforementioned Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense, the Indian director was crowned as one of the great promises of Hollywood, and in recent years he has made a comeback with smaller but equally interesting films, such as Old or Knock at the Cabin.
But to discover the great power of Shyamalan as a director and see him play more than ever with cinematic forms, there is nothing better than approaching his superhero trilogy available on Netflix. Why should you watch Split and Glass? We’ll tell you below.
A unique trilogy in the superhero universe
The main reason to watch Múltiple and Glass is the unique narrative that Shyamalan presents in both films. In Múltiple, we are introduced to the disturbing world of Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man with dissociative identity disorder who harbors 23 different personalities. Thanks to the masterful performance of James McAvoy, who takes us from pure tenderness to absolute terror, we travel through the complexities of the human mind… like few have been able to do before.
Glass, on the other hand, is a sequel to both Split and Unbreakable, bringing together two movies that seemed to have nothing to do with each other in an intricate narrative full of surprises. In this installment, we meet again with David Dunn, played by Bruce Willis, who has superhuman abilities, and with Elijah Price, also known as Mr. Glass, played by Samuel L. Jackson, a man with incredible intelligence but a very fragile body.
Like Superman and Lex Luthor, both characters are engaged in an epic confrontation that challenges traditional notions of what it means to be a hero or a villain. In addition, the addition of the character James McAvoy gives an extremely interesting character to a film that breaks all the classic laws of superhero comics.
Both Múltiple and Glass have an incredible cast that helps the audience be drawn in by their unparalleled charisma. James McAvoy shines in his portrayal of Kevin Wendell Crumb, but Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson are not far behind in their performances as their characters from El protegido. The chemistry between Willis and Jackson’s characters is palpable, adding an additional layer of complexity to the plot. Additionally, the inclusion of Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey Cooke in Glass brings significant emotional depth to the story.
And the thing is, while Múltiple and Glass are genre films that offer a clever dose of action and suspense, they also explore deep themes that invite reflection. From the nature of identity and reality to morality and power, Shyamalan’s films address a wide variety of topics that go beyond what could be considered a classic superhero adventure.
And, of course, they all have a surprising plot. One of the distinctive features of Shyamalan’s work is his ability to surprise the audience with unexpected plot twists, and both Split and Glass are no exception. Without going into details to avoid spoilers, I assure you that these movies offer twists that will leave you speechless.
