The Unbreakable trilogy is a series of films, written, directed, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, that were released over a span of 18 years. These films showcased the storytelling-telling prowess of Shyamalan, as he explored complex themes within the saturated superhero genre, and created something unique for the viewers.
The three films include Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson-starrer mystery-drama film Unbreakable released in 2001, James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy-led horror-thriller Split from 2017, and the 2019 psychological-drama film Glass.
The Unbreakable trilogy is often called underrated, but is revered for weaving together a narrative tapestry that challenges conventions, explores the actual importance and allure of comic books, and delves into the depths of the human psyche and superhuman abilities.
A brilliant superhero film before the genre was cool
"What if Superman is on Earth, but he doesn't know he is Superman?"
Writer-director Quentin Tarantino used the above analogy to describe the film Unbreakable. His description aptly describes the character of David Dunn, played by Bruce Willis in his career-best performance.
Unbreakable was released in 2001, one year before Sam Raimi revolutionized cinema with his first Spiderman film. Unbreakable was marketed as a mystery-thriller, though it was a proper comic book film that celebrated the art form and presented the story of a man capable of unbelievable things.
The film is now considered an underrated masterpiece and among the greatest films of all time. It presented a supervillain as compelling as the superhero. Its subplots are integral to the story, not grafted-on attempts to add manufactured depth.
The Unbreakable trilogy is a subtle superhero franchise with 3 brilliant films
Unbreakable (2001, Apple TV, Hulu)
Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan was riding high on the horror film The Sixth Sense's massive success and was considered the hottest filmmaker in Hollywood when he released Unbreakable, starring Bruce Willis, Robin Wright, and Samuel L. Jackson. The Sixth Sense gave Shyamalan the same credibility in Hollywood that Rosemary's Baby gave Roman Polansky.
The first film of The Unbreakable trilogy told the story of a trainwreck survivor David Dunn, who realises that he has never been sick or hurt in his entire life. The film subverted the traditional superhero tropes by presenting a grounded and introspective exploration of identity and purpose.
Bruce Willis' subtle performance was paired with Samual L. Jackson's character, Elijah Price, a person who suffers from a rare condition that makes his bones extremely fragile. As a child, Elijah cannot survive outdoors and finds solace in comic books within the confines of his home.
Unbreakable was a commercial failure, mostly attributed to its massive budget and marketing, but is considered a masterpiece of the genre, and garnered a cult following over the years. The film was critically revered for the examination of the complex dichotomy between heroism and villainy.
Split ( 2017, Netflix, Apple TV)
The second installment of The Unbreakable trilogy was released covertly in 2017, as a psychological-horror film starring James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy. Fans were pleasantly surprised by the film's last scene which connected the story of Unbreakable and Split, giving them the much-awaited sequel after 16 years.
In Split, McAvoy played Kevin Wendell Crumb, a mentally ill person who kidnaps three girls from a parking lot. The girls soon realize that their kidnapper suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder and harbors multiple personalities, including a monstrous alter ego known as 'The Beast', and wants to kill them for a ritual offering.
Casey, one of those girls, develops a friendly relationship with one of Kevin's personalities and crafts a plan to escape. The film blurs the line between reality and fantasy, delving into the depths of trauma and resilience.
Glass ( 2019, Netflix)
The Unbreakable trilogy culminates in the film Glass, released in 2019. In classic Shyamalan fashion, the film defied audiences' expectations of a loud film with action and explosions but presented a subtle and genre-bending conclusion to the series.
In Glass, David Dunn, Kevin Crumb, and Elijah Price find themselves institutionalized together under the care of Dr. Ellie Staple, played by Sarah Paulson, who specializes in treating individuals who believe they possess superhuman abilities.
Glass challenged the characters and the viewers to question everything they believed in.
Shyamalan's brave experimentation with the superhero genre in The Unbreakable trilogy
The Unbreakable trilogy is not just an exploration of superhero mythology, but character-driven storytelling through thought-provoking themes. With each of these films, Shyamalan transcends genre conventions and crafts a unique cinematic experience.
Unbreakable is a hyper-realistic film about a middle-aged man discovering greatness within himself. It is an unconventional portrayal of a superhero, providing an extremely grounded origin story. Similarly, Split is a supervillain origin story, disguised as a psychological thriller.
In the concluding film Glass, the convention dictates staging an epic showdown between The Overseer, and the villains, The Beast and Mr. Glass. But, Shyamalan completely flips the narrative and presents a subdued film set in a mental institution, making the viewers question the genre itself.
The controversial portrayal of mental illness in The Unbreakable trilogy
One of the unconventionalities of The Unbreakable trilogy is its medical approach to superheroes. The villains of the series, Kevin Crumb and Elijah Price are both mentally ill. The first film ends with Mr. Glass getting admitted to a mental institution. In Split, Kevin is talking to himself while running away from authorities at the end.
The depiction of mental illness as a catalyst to villainy was heavily criticized by the medical community, especially after the release of the film Split. They warned that patients dealing with dissociative identity disorder may be directly affected by the stigmatization of the condition in the film.
Another problem that was pointed out was the depiction of therapy and the patient-therapist relationship. By the end of the film, Kevin's therapist not only gives up on him, but he also kills her, making dissociative identity disorder seem like a hopeless illness.
In an open letter to Shyamalan, several activists said:
"Split represents yet another gross parody of us based on fear, ignorance, and sensationalism, only much worse. The harmful bigotry perpetuated by your horror film will inspire a new wave of revulsion and hatred against plurals and plurality."
Why is The Unbreakable trilogy underrated?
While The Unbreakable trilogy is a landmark achievement in the superhero genre, offering a fresh and introspective take on familiar themes, its comparative lack of popularity is a matter of discussion.
The trilogy provides a fascinating deconstruction of superhero mythology and deals with dark, mature, and complex themes. This alienates the primary consumers of the superhero genre, who are generally young children.
Each film boasts amazing performances from a talented cast of young actors like Anya Taylor, or the legends like Willis and Jackson. The films also shy away from genre conventions, such as flashy costumes, spicy dialogues, action spectacles, etc, and focus more on the real-life implications of dealing with superhuman abilities.
The Unbreakable trilogy is an underrated, but extremely poignant part of the superhero film genre. It has left a lasting impression on the canvas of cinema through richly drawn characters, intricate plotting, and thought-provoking themes.
The subversion of genre leaves a lasting impression on the viewers, challenges them to reconsider their preconceptions, and showcases the true importance of comic books.
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