Is the “Glass” movie half-full or half-empty? The answer partly depends on whether or not you’re a fan of “Glass” writer-director M. Night Shyamalan.

“Glass” is third in Shyamalan’s “Eastrail 177 Trilogy” that began with “Unbreakable” (2000), which starred Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, and continued with “Split” (2016), which starred Willis and introduced James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy in the series.

Eastrail No. 177 refers to the derailment in “Unbreakable” of Train No. 177.

Willis (security guard David Dunn, aka The Overseer), Jackson (Elijah Price, aka Mr. Glass), McAvoy (Kevin Wendell Crumb, diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, i.e., multiple personality disorder, who has 24 personalities), and Taylor-Joy (Casey Cooke, who adores Kevin) are joined by Sarah Paulson (psychiatric doctor Dr. Ellie Staple).

Returning from “Split” are Spencer Treat Clark as Joseph, Dunn’s son, and Charlayne Woodard as Price’s mother.

Dunn and Crumb are taken to a psychiatric hospital (the former Allentown State Hospital is the setting) where Glass is incarcerated.

The performance by McAvoy (“Atonement,” 2007; “The Last King Of Scotland,” 2006) is something to behold. The multiple personalities he portrays include: Patricia, Dennis, Hedwig, The Beast, Barry, Heinrich, Jade, Ian, Mary Reynolds, Norma, Jalin, Kat, B.T., Kevin Wendell Crumb, Mr. Pritchard, Felida, Luke, Goddard, Samuel, Polly, It’s an astounding piece of acting. McAvoy switches “characters” in a second, and is convincing portraying each.

Jackson (Oscar supporting actor nomnee, “Pulp Fiction,” 1994) manages a facial tick and is silent until (no spoilers here) things get really scary.

Willis (“The Sixth Sense,” 1999; “In Country,” 1989; “Die Hard,” 1988) presents a contained performance, projecting an inner resolve that makes you wonder what he’s thinking at all moments.

Paulson is effective as a doctor with an agenda. Taylor-Joy has a memorable screen presence.

Shyamalan (Oscar director, screenplay, picture nominee, “The Sixth Sense,” 1999, which received six Oscar nominations; “Signs,” 2002; “The Village,” 2004; “Lady In The Water,” 2006; “The Happening,” 2008; “The Last Airbender,” 2010; “After Earth,“ 2013; “The Visit,” 2015) creates extreme tension in “Glass” in the best sense of a psychological-thriller. Some scenes are disturbing.

Shyamalan utilizes facial closeups, with characters often in direct-address, in other words, talking directly to the camera, even when they’re in a two-character dialogue scene.

The pace in “Glass” is deliberate, broken, pun intended, by bursts of activity, ingenious camera angles, quick-cut editing, and intense sound design. Use of surveillance camera footage is effective in advancing the story. Light-hearted scenes in a comic-book store relieve the tension. Shyamalan effectively incorporates flashbacks into the characters’ back-stories.

“Glass” has innovative cinematography by Director of Photography Mike Gioulakis and a jittery, pounding soundtrack by composer West Dylan Thordson.

After his parents emigrated from India to the United States, Shyamalan grew up in Penn Valley, Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, and resides in Willistown Township, Chester County. He has filmed many of his movies in eastern Pennsylvania.

Lehigh Valley residents, and especially Allentown residents, will be intrigued identifying scenes at the former Allentown State Hospital, where “Glass” was partly filmed in October 2017. Most of the cinematography is of exteriors. There are also some interiors of the former hospital. There’s a brief scene of Hanover Avenue in the vicinity of the hospital. A skyscraper-enhanced Philadelphia skyline is superimposed as backdrop to the hospital in some scenes.

“Glass,” as the director has stated, is not a superhero movie, but a movie about superheroes. It examines science-fiction fantasy in the context of the real world, and vice versa.

Shyamalan’s screenplay presents many fascinating questions. It provides few answers. The answers are up to you, as is your evaluation of “Glass.” Is “Glass” half-full or half-empty?

“Glass,” MPAA rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers.) for violence, including some bloody images, thematic elements, and language; Genre: Science-Fiction, Thriller, Drama; Run Time: 2 hrs., 9 mins.; Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous: The “Glass” end credits thank the City of Allentown, and Allentown Police Department. Ukee Washington, a news anchor for KYW Channel 3, Philadelphia, who had roles in “Split,” “Signs” and “Unbreakable,” is seen as himself in a portion of a televised news report segment.

Box Office, Jan. 25-27: “Glass” continued unbroken at No. 1 two weeks in a row, with $19 million, $73.6 million, two weeks, as “The Upside,” which includes scenes filmed at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton, and the Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge, and Black Bass Inn, Bucks County, continued at No. 2, with $12.2 million, $63.1 million, three weeks, as “Aquaman” again floated at No. 3, with $7.3 million, $316.6 million, six weeks.

4. “The Kid Who Would Be King” opened out of the money, with only $7.2 million. 5. “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse,” an Animated Feature Oscar nominee, again hung on at the same place, $6.1 million, $169 million, seven weeks. 6. “Green Book” moved up nine places, bolstered by its Oscar bounce of five Academy Award nominations, $5.4 million, $49 million, 11 weeks. 7. “A Dog’s Way Home” ran down one place, $5.2 million, $30.8 million, three weeks. 8. “Serenity” had a not so serene opening, $4.8 million. 9. “Escape Room” ran down another two places, $4.3 million, $47.9 million, four weeks. 10. “Dragon Ball Super: Broly,” $3.6 million, $28.9 million, two weeks.

Unreel, Feb. 1:

“Miss Bala,” PG-13: Catherine Hardwicke directs Gina Rodriguez, Anthony Mackie, Ismael Cruz Cordova and Matt Lauria in the Action Thriller. A young woman is caught up in crime on the border.

“Arctic,” PG-13: Joe Penna directs: Mads Mikkelsen and Maria Thelma Smáradóttir in the Drama. A man tries to survive after his plane crashes in the Arctic.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes