Mirrors Review
Aug.10, 2008
by: www3.webng.com
CONTAINS SPOILERS
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[Mirrors]
Plot:A remake of the Korean horror film “Into the Mirror”…involves an ex-cop now working as a security guard in a shopping mall — who tries to uncover the secret behind a series of mysterious deaths linked to mirrors, and discovers that malevolent reflections are behind the killings.
Cast:Keifer Sutherland, Paula Patton, Amy Smart.
My Thoughts:It won’t make “Mummy” or “Hellboy” money, but it should.
Review:”Mirrors” is the remake of the South Korean horror pic “Into The Mirror”, which was written and directed by Sung-ho Kim. This update, which was written and directed by Alex Aja follows an ex-cop named Ben Carson (Sutherland) who after killing a man accidentally while on duty, has his life hit a downward spiral which includes and centers mostly around how it has affected his relationship with his wife Amy (Patton) and two children, as well as his sister Angela (Smart)…who he lives with. His luck begins to change slightly however when he manages to score a security job at a burned out shopping mall, which is covered in wall to wall mirrors.
But as he spends more and more time on duty, he soon begins to realize that the mirrors hold a dark secret, a dark secret which soon puts him and his entire family in serious danger. “Mirrors” works for a number of reasons as a purebred horror film. For one, it gets off to a very ominous and effective start, with the scene of a man on the run from one of the evil reflections. A scene which ends in very brutal fashion. Kicking things off with a bang is always a plus, but keeping that effect alive and well for the duration of an almost 2-hour film?
Well….that can be a bit tricky. But Alex Aja manages to do that with “Mirrors”, mostly because he doesn’t waste too much time with needless exposition and keeps his picture from being too talky early. on. Everything is set up nice and quick, and Keifer Sutherland is thrusted into this scenario which really puts his character through the proverbial ringer….physically and emotionally. The set pieces within the burned out shopping facility called the Mayflower, create a very high amount of tension within the movie, and give it a dark, moody, and very sinister tone in those scenes where Sutherland’s character is on duty.
Among all the human stars of the film, the set piece called The Mayflower is also an important aspect of the film, as it helps keep the viewer intrigued and on edge. We know there’s something sinister going on within this place, but Aja doesn’t give us the answers too quickly. Instead, he keeps the film moving along at a nice pace…giving the audience just enough to scare them and keep them interested, but yet not give away the core of the mystery of the sinister reflections too early. Thinking about a film where a persons reflections in a mirror act as the antagonist, it at first would not seem scary at all.
But Aja makes it so because of the brilliant and effective way the script was written to play out. The scenes where the reflections attack are drawn out, but not too drawn out. Others are quick-hitters where the audience is kept off guard, while some are extended as much as possible and unfold in very creepy and chilling fashion. It’s all basically a mixed bag of goodies to scare the viewer. Two in particular involving Smart’s character and one of Ben and Amy’s kids, which I won’t spoil for anyone here….but trust me they are the bread-and-butter scenes of this movie. And one includes one of the most unique and graphic demises that I’ve seen on-screen in a horror film in quite some time.
There are some weak links in the movie, most of which include the lack of a large cast which cuts down on the body count heavily, and the other has Paul Patton’s character Amy making some critical horror film “no-no’s” in act 3, which are sure to create either alot of positive audience participation, or alot of groans of annoyance…..depending on the person. Keifer Sutherland gives a brilliant performance in this film though, and I really do not think that if they had casted someone else in the lead role, that it might’ve worked as well.
But Sutherland gave the film name recognition, and a very strong lead who goes through a variety of emotions throughout the movie that range from anger, to sadness, to determination in the end as he tries to piece together the mystery of The Mayflower, it’s tormented history, and the origins of the reflections that seek to harm the living. This all leads into a very intense, exciting, and amazing final act which really pushes the envelope by putting everyone involved in danger, yes…even the children! While most filmmakers are hesitant to have their kid characters put into any real danger, Aja breaks those rules and that move really gave the films finale the edge that it needed to keep the audience on the edge of their chairs.
“Mirrors” end reveal however is what will really have people talking on their way out of the cinema and on the ride or drive home. It’s one of those endings that’s sure to split horror film fans right down the middle in agreement with it, and heavy disagreement with it. While others will simply be left scratching their heads ans asking questions about what the heck they just saw. But one thing you can never say about “Mirrors” conclusion is that it won’t spur debate…..because it will, trust me. “Mirrors” won’t make what “Hellboy” or “The Mummy 3″ made in their opening weekends.
It’s not on pace for a 40 million plus opening weekend unless something shocking happens. But what it lacks in big time special effects, and cgi bad guys, it more than makes up for in real scares, strong performances, and a chilling story. And in the end, when it comes to a horror film, that’s really all that matters.
Positives:Keifer Sutherland gives a strong performance, the story is chilling and creepy, the antagonists are perfectly evil, a strong conclusion, a few unique and gruesome deaths, and an ending that will keep audiences talking long after they’ve seen it.
Negatives:Paula Patton’s character makes some foolish decisions during the films final act which for those of us who know “the rules”….can come as quite an annoyance.
Overall:Three stars.
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