Mirrors

  Mirrors is one of those mid-level thrillers with a famous actor or two which you saw the previews to everywhere, and looked just interesting enough to you that you thought it might warrant a viewing. Well, I was one of those people at least. However, I'd forgotten about the movie enough times for it to end up being a faded memory in the shadow of the more recent Oculus. Then, just the other day, a very good friend of mine asked me to review it. Your track record is killing me here, babe. The last movie I was asked to review was The Purge. Which while Mirrors isn't as bad as that train wreck, it's not like it's anything amazing either.

  In point of fact, I may have actually enjoyed Mirrors more than I had any right to. It was a weird night for movies- for me. I had spent a good three or four hours with a different friend of mine watching really bad horror movies. When I say bad... I mean like, z grade knock offs with lower budgets than a commercial for your local car dealership. Bad. She has a thing for godawful, cringe worthy, watching-paint-dry-would-be-more-fun, horror movies. I don't know why, but it was her birthday on the 31st, and well... I promised I would endure a few with her. Again, I don't know why. However, immediately following two utterly horrendous movies, I watched Mirrors. So you can understand how my personal perception of the movie might be more favorable than most.

  Mirrors isn't necessarily bad. It's serviceable. It's exactly what you'd expect from the trailers. Keifer Sutherland starts seeing freaky crap in mirrors and goes crazy trying to figure everything out. The movie is adequate at crafting scares and thrills, but it's nothing outrageously scary. Which is sad, I liked the premise for this almost as much as I liked the premise for Oculus- which while I didn't like, was a better movie all around. This movie however, is much more straightforward. It doesn't try to be super different. It feels like a quota film. Like a company needed to make so many movies before such and such date, so they threw some talent at this and made it happen. I do firmly believe this director has a genuine penchant for horror- but this wasn't the vehicle to showcase it.

  The director has a simple story with a simple plot to direct. There's one outstanding death scene in the movie, but aside from that, it's no blood-bath (pun firmly intended). So the movie chugs along, keeping you interested seemingly by inertia alone. The movie starts off well enough, but I'll be honest, the story did sort of hook me.  I have a soft spot for these middle-of-the-road thrillers. We all have at least one of these types that we like, don't we? Mine is Fallen, with Denzel Washington. I couldn't begin to explain why honestly, but I love it. I'm sure someone out there loves Mirrors with similar affection. The story is interesting in my opinion. Enough to keep me engaged at least. It's a mystery which you can solve by drawing on your deductive skills which you've probably honed watching so many other horror movies. Or hell- movies in general.

  Haunted mirrors can only mean so many things. The details are pretty much what you're sticking around for. I'll say this for the movie though, I did really enjoy the third act. Not the twist at the end, but the third act on the whole was pretty creative and exciting. So I guess it's appeal is up to you. I didn't particularly despise Mirrors, nor did I love it. I tore The Purge apart for being painfully predictable and mediocre, and I gave Oculus a lashing for being retarded in some areas, but Mirrors gets a hall pass. It was a reprieve to me from stupider horror movies, and to be honest it kept my attention really well. I'm not saying it's good either, but it's serviceable and adequate. Decent acting, decent writing, and decent atmosphere.

  They don't make enough use of their original concepts, and thus the movie never lives up to it's full blown potential, but the clever third act is more than enough to mostly forgive that. I enjoyed it. But I don't know if I would again. It's alright. A decent time killer that may be worse than I think, but after "Paranormal Asylum" and "Lizzie", it was almost a breath of fresh air. Almost. I feel like I should recommend Fallen instead. While it doesn't have anything to do with mirrors, it has good acting, more atmosphere, and great use of a demonic possession concept. Not to mention, it's a personal guilty pleasure. Enjoy!