Mirrors (Review)

by Max Koh


18 August 2008

Title:
Mirrors

Cast:
Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton, Cameron Boyce, Erica Gluck, Amy Smart and Mary Beth Peil

Genre:
Horror, Thriller

Review:
Mirrors have long been a common fixation in horror movies. Therefore, it only makes sense that Hollywood produces an entire film about these objects of vanity. I mean, the scares always work. How many times have we scared ourselves silly at images in mirrors?

Kiefer Sutherland gets plenty of that in this film. However, the images in the mirrors turn out to be a real entity that threatens the safety and sanity of his family.

Sutherland plays an ex-cop who works as a night security guard in a department store ravaged by fire. One day, things start to go bump in the night and soon, he realises that something sinister is going on in the mirrors. Instead of quitting his job, he decides to play detective and find out the reasons behind the apparitions besides battling a few demons of his own ... largely connected with his alcoholism.


Sutherland basically reprises his role of Jack Bauer from the ‘24’ TV show and carries the character with much aplomb here. It was interesting to see how a tough cookie like Jack Bauer would react to terrorists of the supernatural kind.



The supporting cast in the form of Amy Smart as the sister and Paula Patton as the wife are strong although one feels the characters could be fleshed out a bit more.

Writer-director Alexandre Aja of ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ and ‘P2’ seems to know how to orchestrate the scares in this movie so that you jump when he wants you to. It's not really anything new but ‘Mirrors’ does the job. There are some genuinely scary moments however nothing that will make you want to stay away from mirrors for good.

If you are of a queasy disposition, you know very well to stay away from this and go watch ‘Wall-E’ instead. If you are hankering for some horror fix, ‘Mirrors’ should keep you happy for awhile.