Unbreakable

I watched Unbreakable after Glass – yes, I'm a bit of an idiot for not following the trilogy (Unbreakable, Split, Glass) in order, thus depriving myself of many a twist in this and the second film. However, I will approach Unbreakable as I the first part. The film cannot be denied an unusual idea – comic book heroes having a basis in the real world. Elijah "Mr. Glass" Price is a truly unconventional "villain" – incredibly fragile on the outside, but brilliantly insane on the inside. The director also deals with the theme of family, which was thankfully kept out of the way and didn't overshadow the supernatural storyline. The final twist is surprising, but not quite as disarming as that of The Sixth Sense. (20/01/2019)

In my mind, Shyamalan’s best movie. Close second is Signs (mainly because we had one of those rings in my town, and I’m thinking about it more and more recently ;). Unbreakable has an amazing atmosphere, so ordinary and dark at the same time. Ingenious layering of the story and the method of its delivery makes it seem like it’s based on real events. Absolutely convincing. It doesn’t falter even in its “message", while maintaining high standards as a movie. Shyamalan really should have a crack at filming a real event. In my opinion it would certainly be interesting. (15/01/2007)

I just found the denouement a little rushed. Since the whole film slowly flows and very little really happens, I found the ending unnecessarily too violent. Considering how Unbreakable is shot and the high quality of its craftsmanship, the ending definitely deserved more space; here I think Shyamalan didn't quite pull it off in terms of the script. Otherwise, I have no complaints – the atmosphere, the music, the cinematography, the directing, the great Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, and Shyamalan's traditionally great cameo – there's nothing to fault. 85% (11/09/2009)

One of the best films by M. Night Shyamalan, which I like also because it is based on superhero comics. I like the more civilian approach to superheroes, which is essentially brought to absolute realism. I like the slow shots and how the characters play. There is a hint of pathos, which prevails in Shyamalan's new films, but it is held to such an extent that it is more than bearable. Moreover, this time a good twist has been achieved as well. Even after years, I still really like this film. Maybe even a bit more, because this topic fascinates me. (17/05/2014)

A very weird play with our expectations. The film at first appears to be a mystery thriller with a protagonist who, like the viewer, is stumbling in the unknown trying to figure things out, only to gradually morph into an intimate take on the comic book tale of an enlightened and strangely gifted hero who has solved part of the mystery with the help of an outsider and now faces the historically determined and inevitable fate of searching for the ultimate villain. Formally and acting-wise everything is OK, precisely subordinated to the demands of Willis's character's changing motivational development, and specifically the cinematography and chilling music cried out for some kind of material appreciation at the time, but the story only really grabbed me fully in the last half hour or so, until then it had been flapping lightly in one place, relying solely on the unravelling of a few outlined motifs in the final dramatic phase. 75% (07/09/2011)