Review of Mirrors (2008) by Filipeneto — 26 Feb 2022

This film starts very well and takes advantage of good horror premises that, however, are nothing really new: other films have already used mirrors, and their supernatural and psychological connections. In this case, the film brings a good ghost story involving the mirrors of an old luxury department store. However, director and screenwriter Alexandre Aja was not able to give us a satisfactory conclusion to a film that starts so well.

The script, really, starts off in the best way, introducing us to the main character, a former New York policeman who killed a person in a shootout, getting psychologically shaken and abandoning the police. With alcoholism, the end of his career and marriage, the unwanted post as a night guard in an abandoned building is unavoidable. And that's how we got to know the Mayflower, a multi-story luxury department store that was badly damaged in a fire. It won't be long before he discovers that the building has a past and that there's something dark that seeks to do evil through the store's mirrors.

The biggest problem I found with this movie is the insipid way it ends. In fact, by going through the archaic clichés involving psychiatric hospitals, the film completely disappoints us and introducing a nun into the story was even stranger. I don't even want to talk about the open ending, bad enough to make us want to slap the film's director. There are, however, good horror scenes, quite macabre deaths to make us widen our eyes and a good job of suspense and atmosphere that give the film a pleasant tension.

The cast is led by Kiefer Sutherland, an actor capable enough for the task, but who, however, does not go beyond the average. Even so, he is the best actor present and the one that stands out the most. Jason Flemyng and Julian Glover barely appear, Paula Patton and Amy Smart are boring and seem to be there only because it takes a good-looking actress or two for the movie to work.

Technically, the film displays very good and well-executed cinematography, which takes full advantage of the decaying building (located in Bucharest, capital of Romania) and the darkness that reigns inside. The film also has good scenarios and an effective soundtrack, although not memorable.