Parents' Guide to

Glass

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Violence, peril in flawed but enjoyable trilogy finale.

Movie PG-13 2019 129 minutes
Glass Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 10 parent reviews

Ajai1234
Ajai1234 Adult
May 13, 2020
age 10+

This movie is great

This isn't the best of the trilogy (my favourite is Split then Unbreakable) but I really liked this film a lot.
festisio
festisio Adult
October 12, 2019
age 17+

Lost two hours of my life - shame on you Bruce WIllis

Unbreakable was actually not all that bad, it actually set up the stage for "Glass" which was utter shite. The plot, the continuity errors, and pretty much everything in-between really makes this a horrible movie... - not a film mind you, I would call a film something that actually possesses creativity. Shame-a-lamb literally just needed some cash and wrote this sewer of a movie. About a quarter to half-way in it was going way downhill, although there existed alight for redemption. Not so with shamealamb, he was too busy with his cameo nonsense that he cared little for an actual movie. What a waste!

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In GLASS, the mysterious kidnapper with dissociative identity disorder from Split (James McAvoy) is still on the loose -- and has newly kidnapped four teen cheerleaders. David Dunn (Bruce Willis), the superhero from Unbreakable, finds them and has a showdown with "the Beast," aka the kidnapper's most dangerous personality. They're both caught and sent to a facility where Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) is determined to convince them that they -- along with Dunn's old rival, Elijah, aka "Mr. Glass" (Samuel L. Jackson) -- aren't superior beings. Meanwhile, the kidnapper's former victim, Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy), goes to see him and discovers a connection to his "original" personality, Kevin. But even though Mr. Glass appears to be heavily sedated, there's a plan afoot.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10):
Kids say (28):

Depending on how ready you are to embrace (or forgive) M. Night Shyamalan's nerdy, talky, intertwined comic book mythos, this trilogy closer is surprisingly enjoyable on many levels. Following Shyamalan's Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2017), Glass nicely ties everything together, and while the conclusion may not be up to the level of The Sixth Sense (what is?), the director has still created a satisfying mini-universe on its own terms. The movie's philosophizing about comic books doesn't go very deep -- it's more about how comics relate to reality than it is about the mystery of their wide appeal -- but it's certainly relevant and interesting.

As the movie goes on, explanations drag a little too long, but the real trick lies in three secondary characters: Kevin's former kidnap victim, Casey; David's son, Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark); and Mr. Glass's mother (Charlayne Woodard). The way these three view their respective super-beings underscores just how important the extraordinary and the spectacular are to all of us in our everyday lives. As always, Shyamalan's directorial technique is clean, and his shots are well-staged and well-chosen. But few would argue that anything in Glass is more amazing than McAvoy's performance; the actor embodies his character's various personalities in vivid, emotional moments.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Glass's violence. What makes it feel so intense? How much is shown/not shown? Was the effect thrilling or shocking? What's the difference? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • Is there any truth to comic books, historically? What's their appeal?

  • Is the Overseer character -- who tries to use his powers for good -- a role model? Why or why not?

  • The movie's antagonists are trying to rid the world of all super-beings (both good and evil) and keep "order." Do you agree with their motives? Why or why not?

  • How does this movie compare with its predecessors? Does the full story make a satisfying arc? If so, how? If not, then why not?

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