Mirrors

Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, Amy Smart, Paula Patton, Cameron Boyce, Erica Gluck
Directed by: Alexandre Aja
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Thriller
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An ex-cop (Kiefer Sutherland) takes a job as a security guard in a long abandoned building that was consumed by fire. While making the rounds, he begins to suspect something supernatural and sinister going on wit the building's mirror. They seem to reflect things that are not necessarily there. As he tries to uncover the source of the mirrors' evil, whatever exists behind them go after him and his family.

Review:

Tim: I actually like the very basic idea behind this movie. Who hasn't looked in a mirror and wondered if it truly reflected back the world, or if it could possibly be a portal into...somewhere else. This is an interesting idea for a horror movie and I like that. However, this movie takes that idea and drops the ball on the execution. This is a cliche filled, silly movie that has some major plot holes and feels all too similar to many other horror movies out there. There is nothing about this movie that particularly stands out or remains memorable.

The cast are one of these forgettable qualities. Kiefer Sutherland does a decent job, but there is nothing specifically interesting or exciting about his character or his performance. He is a serviceable horror movie protagonist, but it was hard to care about him or his plight. Amy Smart is mostly wasted. Besides one shocking scene, she is a complete waste in this movie. Paula Patton is even worse. Except for trying to look hot, she is a major detractor from this movie. Her acting is occasionally atrocious, and I couldn't enjoy a single scene between her and Sutherland. I didn't buy that they were previously married, I never bought that there was real anger or resentment or guilt hidden in their relationship. Their scenes grind the movie to an absolute halt. I hated all their screen time, which greatly hurt the movie. The cast just didn't add anything to this movie.

The major plot of the movie was hard to follow because it was somewhat yawn inducing. It made me think of The Ring, although that movie did its plot exponentially better. It made this movie look like a cheap rip off. The scenes of horror were not particularly scary at all. I'm not sure if this was due to a too-small budget or just if it was hard to care about the movie by the time these scenes came around, but I wasn't even remotely frightened by anything in this movie. I suppose that might be because I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd seen all of this before (except maybe the Amy Smart bathtub scene). You can only see so many deaths and evil beings before it starts to get tiring. I certainly wasn't invested in the plot or the human characters, so the mirror beings were hard to enjoy.

The movie suffers even more as it gears up for its "big" finish. The big conclusion was simply boring and not very exciting. The special effects were not very good here, and this is where the biggest plot holes can be found. Mirrors did need a massive, unforgettable conclusion, but it simply doesn't deliver. The movie tries to give us a big twist (which I actually appreciated), but it is a real head scratcher and hard to believe how it could have happened. Mostly it was a disappointment.

Mirrors puts some effort in the production, but it never really comes to fruition. This movie felt like a cheap knockoff of much better horror movies. I admit I was slightly entertained, but not in a satisfying way (it was more guilt than anything). This is one of those throwaway horror movies of which Hollywood makes far too many.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Ring, The Hills Have Eyes, The Sentinel