"Mirrors" is the third horror feature directed by young and aspiring horror maestro Alexandre Aja. Now, as a fan of the horror genre I enjoyed both of Aja's previous films quite immensely, despite their flaws, and was greatly anticipating Aja's take on the supernatural side of the horror realm. Asian horror films are a major target of movie studios nowadays and their remakes flood the market with mostly poor results. "Mirrors" itself is a remake of the Korean horror film "Into the Mirror". While Aja's remake is more interesting than quite a few of the more recent Asian remakes (such as "The Eye", "Shutter", and "One Missed Call"), it is still highly flawed and ultimately disappointing, especially since it's from a director I've come to admire. Let's start with the acting department.
Kiefer Sutherland carries the film by himself at times, most notably the first 30 minutes or so. Once the film continues, Kiefer's acting bounces in and out of believability. Sometimes his acting feels forced and other times his reactions are laughable. The rest of the supporting cast does virtually nothing to help Sutherland. Sutherland's wife, played by the beautiful but immensely untalented Paula Patton, is perhaps the most irritating character during the 110 minute journey. I must mention, however, Amy Smart's brief role in the film. She is easily the most intriguing character inside of Ben Carson's (Suthland's) horror story, yet she is only in the film for a brief time before she is (in rather gruesome fashion) taken out of the picture.
One of the films' most notable flaws is its a times' extremely weak executed CGI. In one scene, Sutherland is tricked by a mirror and believes he is "on fire". The resulting scene is one of the most ridiculous and laughable in the film. Several other effects scenes in the film seem rushed as well and come off as ineffective.
The story is also disappointing since many threads are left hanging and the ending, while trying to be clever, is ultimately unsatisfying. Half of the film seems to be in a mental hiccup and much of the movie's runtime could have been cut down in order to better service the story and attention of the audience.
Despite my major disappointment, I must say Aja's directing and style wasn't a problem. Every scene shot within the confines of the "Mayflower" has haunting and creepy. Aja states his biggest inspiration while working on "Mirrors" was Kubrick's "The Shining" and it becomes evident with how he manages the atmosphere within the burned building. Aja also gives us a few scenes of great gore, but this is easily the most tame of his works yet. Thus, another disappointment since many horror fans will be expecting much more bloodshed.
The films' score was one of the biggest surprises for me and will probably be missed by many viewers. I found myself listening to Javier Navarrete's score during many of the more uninteresting scenes.
All-in-all, "Mirrors" is a heavily flawed film that held much promise. In the end, Aja relies to much on cheap gimmicks for scares and doesn't spend enough time on other important elements of the film. Although I'm undoubtedly frustrated in his latest effort in the horror genre, I will still line up for whatever Aja makes next since I believe this could have been a thorough learning experience for the still young director.
Related Recommendations: 1408, Stir of Echoes, A Tale of Two Sisters, The Ring, Ringu, Dead Silence , The Haunting, The Shining
Kiefer Sutherland carries the film by himself at times, most notably the first 30 minutes or so. Once the film continues, Kiefer's acting bounces in and out of believability. Sometimes his acting feels forced and other times his reactions are laughable. The rest of the supporting cast does virtually nothing to help Sutherland. Sutherland's wife, played by the beautiful but immensely untalented Paula Patton, is perhaps the most irritating character during the 110 minute journey. I must mention, however, Amy Smart's brief role in the film. She is easily the most intriguing character inside of Ben Carson's (Suthland's) horror story, yet she is only in the film for a brief time before she is (in rather gruesome fashion) taken out of the picture.
One of the films' most notable flaws is its a times' extremely weak executed CGI. In one scene, Sutherland is tricked by a mirror and believes he is "on fire". The resulting scene is one of the most ridiculous and laughable in the film. Several other effects scenes in the film seem rushed as well and come off as ineffective.
The story is also disappointing since many threads are left hanging and the ending, while trying to be clever, is ultimately unsatisfying. Half of the film seems to be in a mental hiccup and much of the movie's runtime could have been cut down in order to better service the story and attention of the audience.
Despite my major disappointment, I must say Aja's directing and style wasn't a problem. Every scene shot within the confines of the "Mayflower" has haunting and creepy. Aja states his biggest inspiration while working on "Mirrors" was Kubrick's "The Shining" and it becomes evident with how he manages the atmosphere within the burned building. Aja also gives us a few scenes of great gore, but this is easily the most tame of his works yet. Thus, another disappointment since many horror fans will be expecting much more bloodshed.
The films' score was one of the biggest surprises for me and will probably be missed by many viewers. I found myself listening to Javier Navarrete's score during many of the more uninteresting scenes.
All-in-all, "Mirrors" is a heavily flawed film that held much promise. In the end, Aja relies to much on cheap gimmicks for scares and doesn't spend enough time on other important elements of the film. Although I'm undoubtedly frustrated in his latest effort in the horror genre, I will still line up for whatever Aja makes next since I believe this could have been a thorough learning experience for the still young director.
Related Recommendations: 1408, Stir of Echoes, A Tale of Two Sisters, The Ring, Ringu, Dead Silence , The Haunting, The Shining