The year 2018 brought some truly incredible films to the screens. With the visual marvels of Avengers: Infinity War, the captivating emotion drawn from A Star Is Born and many others, these set a foundation for the boots of expectation future films will be expected to fill. That being said, January has many looking for the next big film. And among this first batch of projects, one really stands out. Anxiously anticipated by fans, Glass finally has made its theatrical debut. But has Glass formed an Unbreakable franchise for M. Night Shyamalan, or is the latest addition to the director’s filmology a pane-ful mistake, leaving viewers Split?

Starring James McAvoy, Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, Glass is a thrillingly fun ride that blew all my expectations out the window. Filled with plenty of action, humor and a twist as brilliant as it is unexpected, there is so much to enjoy in this film. Compared to some of the director’s past work, this film looks to be one of his best.

McAvoy, honestly one of my favorite actors of all time, steals the entire show as Kevin. And Patricia. And Hedwig. And The Horde. And several other personalities. He brings so much power and creativity to his role that he instantly becomes the best part of the film. Nothing against the performances of legends Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, but as a big fan of M. Night Shyamalan’s previous film Split, I loved watching McAvoy come to life in one of his most defining roles of his career.

The cinematography is devious. There are points where they will show you things in a certain way scattered throughout the film, and none of it makes sense until the end. Their use of colors to define both the characters and the overall theme in the scenes really brings so character to the table. You discover new connections with the setting and characters the more you watch it, not realizing the connections until later on. The music score does its job, and the pacing of this film was really well planned out. I didn’t really feel that it dragged on very much at all. You were always in the moment, and you never got lost.

It also does a great job of introducing these characters to those of us who haven’t maybe watched all the films. By using clips from both the previous films, they successfully get the audience completely up to date on the characters, their relationships, and their motivations.

2019 looks to be a very promising year, with releases such as Avengers: Endgame and Toy Story 4 set to grace the screens later this year. I can tell you without a shade of doubt that this year starts off strong with powerful and thrilling genius of M. Night Shyamalan’s latest hit: Glass, which receives a remarkable 8/10, and should be watched by all.