The "Retro Game Reviews" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
Note: also appears at my film review website, ShaunMunro.co.uk. Cheers!
~~~
Alexandre Aja has made a name for himself with two visually impressive gorefests – Switchblade Romance and Hills Have Eyes. Here, he returns with a decidedly more absurd premise than those films (albeit barely in relation to the former film), yet needless to say, gore fans are in for a visceral treat with Mirrors.
Mirrors finds disgraced, down-and-out NYPD officer Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland) working a new job as a security guard, pulling duty on a disused warehouse. The warehouse contains a large collection of mirrors, which begin viciously murdering anyone who steps inside the building. Naturally, nobody believes Carson’s outlandish claims, and so it is up to him to not only prove this madness, but put a stop to it.
Unfortunately, Mirrors is simply too preposterous to work even within its own overworked genre of the supernatural thriller. Mirrors would have worked far better as a cop drama without the horror addendum, and would have played far better to the strengths of 24’s Kiefer Sutherland. Moreover, the fact that this film is crafted as a wholly serious horror work renders it all the less believable as a film – it is sorely lacking in tongue-in-cheek scares and ridiculously voluminous gore.
Aja resorts to a lot of cheap thrills here, but to his credit, he does not take long to sink his teeth into the film’s premise. Moreover, Sutherland’s character is certainly not the typical clueless idiot so desperately abundant in most modern horror fare. Still, the intrigue does not pile on nearly fast enough once the creepiness begins.
Furthermore, the second that things actually begin to unravel, more unnecessary and sigh-inducing enigma is piled on, and the film meanders into mediocre investigative supernatural thriller territory. As is the mistake of so many recent horror films, the key to genuine and effective scares is simplicity, and Mirrors drains its own lifeblood in creating an incredibly convoluted, and simply boring back story that will likely leave your mind the second you exit the cinema doors.
Invariably, the film has received much attention for its famed jaw-ripping scene even before the film was released. Although certainly gratuitously violent (and for this reason, the best scene in the film), it is a bright spot in an otherwise fairly dull picture. This scene alone will likely tempt many into seeing Mirrors, yet it is just not enough to galvanize a bland and procedural horror film into life. This scene does, however, trigger one of the film’s few scenes of palatable drama, and actually allows Kiefer Sutherland to demonstrate that he possesses acting range beyond frenzied shouting and the dramatic whisper that he so meticulously mastered on his flagship TV show.
Even if you are able to soldier on past the film’s ludicrous premise, it is difficult to find legitimate scares anywhere within this film. The concept of a fleet of mirrors attacking humans is laughable enough, and Aja clearly does not recognise that while an unseen enemy can be terrifying, it is not when it is this inert and this entirely devoid of screen presence. Had Aja seen sense and crafted Mirrors as a B-movie throwback, then perhaps this concept would have worked.
To this effect, the abundance of unintentional humour throughout this film would certainly have worked in the favour of a schlocky, 80s-style horror knock-off. Carson’s frequently vain efforts to convince those around him that the mirrors are alive provide the film’s most valid entertainment, particularly as he shoots a mirror, and then proceeds to “seal” the demons inside the mirrors by painting them, much to the dismay of his traumatised children. Unfortunately, Aja plays these scenes for real, and they fall horrifically, laughably flat.
The film’s third act convolutions certainly do not aid proceedings – as too many contemporary horror films hasten to do, Mirrors makes up the rules as it goes along, frequently bending the laws of its own universe without logic or explanation. I beg anyone to make sense of Carson’s final stand against the mirrors, and especially what follows.
The final moments of Mirrors do admittedly provide an interesting sting in the tail, a game-changing predicament that was shockingly unpredictable although somewhat unexplained and overdone for shock value. Unfortunately, the film’s twist is too little too late, and does not aid in elevating this mediocre film beyond the trappings of its genre.
Alexandre Aja has suffered what has invariably been labeled “Michael Bay syndrome” – Aja knows how to direct a beautiful looking and somewhat moody picture, yet he is a frustrating director to observe because he often settles for scripts that simply do not do him justice. Even the best efforts of Sutherland and some slick direction cannot save the film’s diabolical script, tiresome plot, and laughable premise.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer
~~~
Alexandre Aja has made a name for himself with two visually impressive gorefests – Switchblade Romance and Hills Have Eyes. Here, he returns with a decidedly more absurd premise than those films (albeit barely in relation to the former film), yet needless to say, gore fans are in for a visceral treat with Mirrors.
Mirrors finds disgraced, down-and-out NYPD officer Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland) working a new job as a security guard, pulling duty on a disused warehouse. The warehouse contains a large collection of mirrors, which begin viciously murdering anyone who steps inside the building. Naturally, nobody believes Carson’s outlandish claims, and so it is up to him to not only prove this madness, but put a stop to it.
Unfortunately, Mirrors is simply too preposterous to work even within its own overworked genre of the supernatural thriller. Mirrors would have worked far better as a cop drama without the horror addendum, and would have played far better to the strengths of 24’s Kiefer Sutherland. Moreover, the fact that this film is crafted as a wholly serious horror work renders it all the less believable as a film – it is sorely lacking in tongue-in-cheek scares and ridiculously voluminous gore.
Aja resorts to a lot of cheap thrills here, but to his credit, he does not take long to sink his teeth into the film’s premise. Moreover, Sutherland’s character is certainly not the typical clueless idiot so desperately abundant in most modern horror fare. Still, the intrigue does not pile on nearly fast enough once the creepiness begins.
Furthermore, the second that things actually begin to unravel, more unnecessary and sigh-inducing enigma is piled on, and the film meanders into mediocre investigative supernatural thriller territory. As is the mistake of so many recent horror films, the key to genuine and effective scares is simplicity, and Mirrors drains its own lifeblood in creating an incredibly convoluted, and simply boring back story that will likely leave your mind the second you exit the cinema doors.
Invariably, the film has received much attention for its famed jaw-ripping scene even before the film was released. Although certainly gratuitously violent (and for this reason, the best scene in the film), it is a bright spot in an otherwise fairly dull picture. This scene alone will likely tempt many into seeing Mirrors, yet it is just not enough to galvanize a bland and procedural horror film into life. This scene does, however, trigger one of the film’s few scenes of palatable drama, and actually allows Kiefer Sutherland to demonstrate that he possesses acting range beyond frenzied shouting and the dramatic whisper that he so meticulously mastered on his flagship TV show.
Even if you are able to soldier on past the film’s ludicrous premise, it is difficult to find legitimate scares anywhere within this film. The concept of a fleet of mirrors attacking humans is laughable enough, and Aja clearly does not recognise that while an unseen enemy can be terrifying, it is not when it is this inert and this entirely devoid of screen presence. Had Aja seen sense and crafted Mirrors as a B-movie throwback, then perhaps this concept would have worked.
To this effect, the abundance of unintentional humour throughout this film would certainly have worked in the favour of a schlocky, 80s-style horror knock-off. Carson’s frequently vain efforts to convince those around him that the mirrors are alive provide the film’s most valid entertainment, particularly as he shoots a mirror, and then proceeds to “seal” the demons inside the mirrors by painting them, much to the dismay of his traumatised children. Unfortunately, Aja plays these scenes for real, and they fall horrifically, laughably flat.
The film’s third act convolutions certainly do not aid proceedings – as too many contemporary horror films hasten to do, Mirrors makes up the rules as it goes along, frequently bending the laws of its own universe without logic or explanation. I beg anyone to make sense of Carson’s final stand against the mirrors, and especially what follows.
The final moments of Mirrors do admittedly provide an interesting sting in the tail, a game-changing predicament that was shockingly unpredictable although somewhat unexplained and overdone for shock value. Unfortunately, the film’s twist is too little too late, and does not aid in elevating this mediocre film beyond the trappings of its genre.
Alexandre Aja has suffered what has invariably been labeled “Michael Bay syndrome” – Aja knows how to direct a beautiful looking and somewhat moody picture, yet he is a frustrating director to observe because he often settles for scripts that simply do not do him justice. Even the best efforts of Sutherland and some slick direction cannot save the film’s diabolical script, tiresome plot, and laughable premise.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer
Nice review. I'm tempted to post a review of the original Korean film, since the main arc in the Hollywood version is completely different from the original.
Thanks, good review. Wondered what this film would be like and a pity it didn't quite work, by the sound of it.
Note: also appears at my film review website, ShaunMunro.co.uk. Cheers!
~~~
Alexandre Aja has made a name for himself with two visually impressive gorefests – Switchblade Romance and Hills Have Eyes. Here, he returns with a decidedly more absurd premise than those films (albeit barely in relation to the former film), yet needless to say, gore fans are in for a visceral treat with Mirrors.
Mirrors finds disgraced, down-and-out NYPD officer Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland) working a new job as a security guard, pulling duty on a disused warehouse. The warehouse contains a large collection of mirrors, which begin viciously murdering anyone who steps inside the building. Naturally, nobody believes Carson’s outlandish claims, and so it is up to him to not only prove this madness, but put a stop to it.
Unfortunately, Mirrors is simply too preposterous to work even within its own overworked genre of the supernatural thriller. Mirrors would have worked far better as a cop drama without the horror addendum, and would have played far better to the strengths of 24’s Kiefer Sutherland. Moreover, the fact that this film is crafted as a wholly serious horror work renders it all the less believable as a film – it is sorely lacking in tongue-in-cheek scares and ridiculously voluminous gore.
Aja resorts to a lot of cheap thrills here, but to his credit, he does not take long to sink his teeth into the film’s premise. Moreover, Sutherland’s character is certainly not the typical clueless idiot so desperately abundant in most modern horror fare. Still, the intrigue does not pile on nearly fast enough once the creepiness begins.
Furthermore, the second that things actually begin to unravel, more unnecessary and sigh-inducing enigma is piled on, and the film meanders into mediocre investigative supernatural thriller territory. As is the mistake of so many recent horror films, the key to genuine and effective scares is simplicity, and Mirrors drains its own lifeblood in creating an incredibly convoluted, and simply boring back story that will likely leave your mind the second you exit the cinema doors.
Invariably, the film has received much attention for its famed jaw-ripping scene even before the film was released. Although certainly gratuitously violent (and for this reason, the best scene in the film), it is a bright spot in an otherwise fairly dull picture. This scene alone will likely tempt many into seeing Mirrors, yet it is just not enough to galvanize a bland and procedural horror film into life. This scene does, however, trigger one of the film’s few scenes of palatable drama, and actually allows Kiefer Sutherland to demonstrate that he possesses acting range beyond frenzied shouting and the dramatic whisper that he so meticulously mastered on his flagship TV show.
Even if you are able to soldier on past the film’s ludicrous premise, it is difficult to find legitimate scares anywhere within this film. The concept of a fleet of mirrors attacking humans is laughable enough, and Aja clearly does not recognise that while an unseen enemy can be terrifying, it is not when it is this inert and this entirely devoid of screen presence. Had Aja seen sense and crafted Mirrors as a B-movie throwback, then perhaps this concept would have worked.
To this effect, the abundance of unintentional humour throughout this film would certainly have worked in the favour of a schlocky, 80s-style horror knock-off. Carson’s frequently vain efforts to convince those around him that the mirrors are alive provide the film’s most valid entertainment, particularly as he shoots a mirror, and then proceeds to “seal” the demons inside the mirrors by painting them, much to the dismay of his traumatised children. Unfortunately, Aja plays these scenes for real, and they fall horrifically, laughably flat.
The film’s third act convolutions certainly do not aid proceedings – as too many contemporary horror films hasten to do, Mirrors makes up the rules as it goes along, frequently bending the laws of its own universe without logic or explanation. I beg anyone to make sense of Carson’s final stand against the mirrors, and especially what follows.
The final moments of Mirrors do admittedly provide an interesting sting in the tail, a game-changing predicament that was shockingly unpredictable although somewhat unexplained and overdone for shock value. Unfortunately, the film’s twist is too little too late, and does not aid in elevating this mediocre film beyond the trappings of its genre.
Alexandre Aja has suffered what has invariably been labeled “Michael Bay syndrome” – Aja knows how to direct a beautiful looking and somewhat moody picture, yet he is a frustrating director to observe because he often settles for scripts that simply do not do him justice. Even the best efforts of Sutherland and some slick direction cannot save the film’s diabolical script, tiresome plot, and laughable premise.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer
~~~
Alexandre Aja has made a name for himself with two visually impressive gorefests – Switchblade Romance and Hills Have Eyes. Here, he returns with a decidedly more absurd premise than those films (albeit barely in relation to the former film), yet needless to say, gore fans are in for a visceral treat with Mirrors.
Mirrors finds disgraced, down-and-out NYPD officer Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland) working a new job as a security guard, pulling duty on a disused warehouse. The warehouse contains a large collection of mirrors, which begin viciously murdering anyone who steps inside the building. Naturally, nobody believes Carson’s outlandish claims, and so it is up to him to not only prove this madness, but put a stop to it.
Unfortunately, Mirrors is simply too preposterous to work even within its own overworked genre of the supernatural thriller. Mirrors would have worked far better as a cop drama without the horror addendum, and would have played far better to the strengths of 24’s Kiefer Sutherland. Moreover, the fact that this film is crafted as a wholly serious horror work renders it all the less believable as a film – it is sorely lacking in tongue-in-cheek scares and ridiculously voluminous gore.
Aja resorts to a lot of cheap thrills here, but to his credit, he does not take long to sink his teeth into the film’s premise. Moreover, Sutherland’s character is certainly not the typical clueless idiot so desperately abundant in most modern horror fare. Still, the intrigue does not pile on nearly fast enough once the creepiness begins.
Furthermore, the second that things actually begin to unravel, more unnecessary and sigh-inducing enigma is piled on, and the film meanders into mediocre investigative supernatural thriller territory. As is the mistake of so many recent horror films, the key to genuine and effective scares is simplicity, and Mirrors drains its own lifeblood in creating an incredibly convoluted, and simply boring back story that will likely leave your mind the second you exit the cinema doors.
Invariably, the film has received much attention for its famed jaw-ripping scene even before the film was released. Although certainly gratuitously violent (and for this reason, the best scene in the film), it is a bright spot in an otherwise fairly dull picture. This scene alone will likely tempt many into seeing Mirrors, yet it is just not enough to galvanize a bland and procedural horror film into life. This scene does, however, trigger one of the film’s few scenes of palatable drama, and actually allows Kiefer Sutherland to demonstrate that he possesses acting range beyond frenzied shouting and the dramatic whisper that he so meticulously mastered on his flagship TV show.
Even if you are able to soldier on past the film’s ludicrous premise, it is difficult to find legitimate scares anywhere within this film. The concept of a fleet of mirrors attacking humans is laughable enough, and Aja clearly does not recognise that while an unseen enemy can be terrifying, it is not when it is this inert and this entirely devoid of screen presence. Had Aja seen sense and crafted Mirrors as a B-movie throwback, then perhaps this concept would have worked.
To this effect, the abundance of unintentional humour throughout this film would certainly have worked in the favour of a schlocky, 80s-style horror knock-off. Carson’s frequently vain efforts to convince those around him that the mirrors are alive provide the film’s most valid entertainment, particularly as he shoots a mirror, and then proceeds to “seal” the demons inside the mirrors by painting them, much to the dismay of his traumatised children. Unfortunately, Aja plays these scenes for real, and they fall horrifically, laughably flat.
The film’s third act convolutions certainly do not aid proceedings – as too many contemporary horror films hasten to do, Mirrors makes up the rules as it goes along, frequently bending the laws of its own universe without logic or explanation. I beg anyone to make sense of Carson’s final stand against the mirrors, and especially what follows.
The final moments of Mirrors do admittedly provide an interesting sting in the tail, a game-changing predicament that was shockingly unpredictable although somewhat unexplained and overdone for shock value. Unfortunately, the film’s twist is too little too late, and does not aid in elevating this mediocre film beyond the trappings of its genre.
Alexandre Aja has suffered what has invariably been labeled “Michael Bay syndrome” – Aja knows how to direct a beautiful looking and somewhat moody picture, yet he is a frustrating director to observe because he often settles for scripts that simply do not do him justice. Even the best efforts of Sutherland and some slick direction cannot save the film’s diabolical script, tiresome plot, and laughable premise.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer