Dean White

This movie takes you on an unexpected ride. M Night Shyamalan strongly confronts the Horde of money grubbing superhero films with a unique and genuinely artistic portrayal of the genre mythos and modern society. In a world so connected, information can be deceptive. Shyamalan highlights these cognitive biases that plague our modern culture. Manipulation, confirmation bias, and claim to authority are a few examples of the motifs that he addresses. It's the people versus corporatism, and YouTube versus the media elite (ABC, CNN, Fox, NBC). It's the everyday person--demeaned to feel like a helpless victim--versus an oppressive governing class with hidden agendas. Of course the New York Times, Esquire, the WSJ, and subsequent media sources detest this movie. It calls them out for selectively filtering information to perpetuate their "victim" agenda. They want the masses to feel powerless. They want them to click the advertisements on their webpages so they can earn arbitrage revenue. They want them to see an issue from only their perspective and dismiss contrary thought. Mr. Glass portrays an anti-hero bringing the power to the people. Ubiquitous knowledge is dangerous to the few and powerful who want to maintain control over an ignorant populous. These elites don't want true democracy. They disguise authoritarianism as freedom and teach people that they have a problem when they are healthy and independent in thought. Esquire said it best as a 'middle finger to superhero movies.' This movie bucks the current trend of meaningless drawn out fight scenes with overdone Michael Bay effects, and replaces it with human drama and a superhuman twist. Shyamalan empowers the audience to challenge their own perception of their limitations. We can doubt ourselves, or take action and learn our true calling outside of our perceived constraints. If you like trite superhero movies that give you want you want, don't challenge your perception, pander to your baser emotions, and ride the coattails of topical controversies (like modern feminism, gender identity, and globalism), this movie isn't for you; you should probably go watch The Avengers or Shape of Water. If you want to want a movie that highlights your cognitive biases, shoves it in your face, and inspires you to rise above influence, watch this movie. If you're wanting a refreshing look at the superhero movie, watch Mr. Glass.

The animation looked great. However, the director took liberties that took away from the message from the original story. I recommend reading the book instead.