Mirrors

If there is one weakness that all Aja’s films have in common it’s the scripts. Pretty much all ghost stories have the same course: a) the protagonists begin to see ghosts; b) the protagonists try to find out why they see them; c) the protagonists try to get rid of the problem. In Mirrors all these three parts work well, what fails is the logical connection between them. The first act is nicely chilling, the manifestations from the mirror are brutal and atmospheric and the tension is effective. The second act we get to know what is behind all that  in an almost detective movie way and with an explanation that seems sound. By the end, we get a well escalated and action-packed climax with a satisfactory outcome. As whole, however, it doesn’t hold together that well and the resulting impression is harmed by that lack of harmony (and I’m not even talking about several scenes that felt more like out of a ridiculous, unambitious scary flick than from the most anticipated horror movie of the year). I don’t have any complaints about the actors, they perform their roles more than well (even if we could argue about how well written the character of Kiefer is). My review may look a bit too critical, so to wrap it up I want to say that the gore is excellent, the film never gets boring, it may scare people of weaker nature, and, overall, Mirrors is well made and above-par horror, but I expected a bit more from Alexandre Aja. (09/21/2008)

A mediocre horror film in which Kiefer Sutherland must confront an evil hidden behind mirrors. The absolutely unimaginative script and the overly long running time are a major problem, and although director Alexandre Aja tries his best and serves some very well shot and sometimes very gritty scenes, he can’t push the film to above average. (10/04/2008)

The fashionable wave of remakes of Asian ghost films (perhaps it’s already fading) has finally brought with it a film for which it is not necessary to immediately send Hollywood to burning hell. Does it matter that Alexandre is a Frenchman who has his own style? The scenes from the realm of mirrors make the blood run cold, and even without them, the great cinematography, masterful sound, and great acting by Kiefer are enough to make those who spit in the faces of all the overseas scouts talk about Alexandre with respect. And indeed, when a screenwriter he will one day film with takes care of the last of the bugs (in this case, a lapse in pace in the third quarter), Alexandre will go down in the annals so clearly that future generations will be happy to quote him. This amounts to four decent hits on a polished mirror. PS: The point is outrageously funny. :) (10/19/2008)

More of a fantasy detective story than a horror movie, but so be it. Jack Bauer vs. the mirror bogeymen didn't turn out as badly as I expected; in fact, I quite enjoyed it. The search for the causes of the Mayflower fire will remind every true Stephen King fan of many of his works, as will the death scenes. Kiefer Sutherland does a solid job, even though his character, Ben Carson, sucks, and the only saving grace is that Kiefer gives us glimpses of Jack. Thanks to Navarrete’s music and a very effective and satisfying conclusion (although we’ve seen something like this somewhere before, right?) I give it a nice 4 stars. (09/27/2008)

Several disgusting shots, fantastic camera tricks and lighting, a convincing Kiefer Sutherland (after a long time), and a predictable yet quite clever ending. In terms of positive aspects, that’s basically it. The rest is just a regular horror flick with standard parameters and a predictable plot. Aja relies not so much on a terrifying atmosphere and jump scares, but more on blood, ripped jaws, and similar craziness – it's a shame he doesn't make action movies, I liked the concept of more action-packed scenes and explosions. Visually impressive, not overdone, and monumental, but, in an ambient horror film about mirrors in an empty and abandoned building from fifty years ago, it's still a sore thumb. A confident piece with a lot of flaws. (01/17/2009)