david sims of "the atlantic" compared the film to "batman returns" and "incredibles 2": "i appreciate the sheer brashness of shyamalan's storytelling, which swirls the mythmaking inherent in characters such as david with the emotional scars borne by orphaned characters such as superman." praise was also reserved for mcavoy who "once again [was] top notch" and "lit up the screen with his eerie physicality every time he appears."