'Mirrors' lost in translation, but full of the unexpected
Director: Alexandre Aja
Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton, Frank Mayers, Matt Neufeld
A horror film from a master of the genre – Aja brought terrified audiences 'The Hills Have Eyes' – that loses somewhat in translation from its Korean origins, thus underlining once again the difficulties in adapting foreign films to Hollywood perceptions.
That said, and allowing for the generally poor critical response the film has received, it actually isn’t all that bad since Aja can always be relied upon to crank up and maintain a high level of anxiety and shock and keep the pace consistent.
Sutherland plays a former cop suffering from stress and a messy divorce who takes a night watchman job in what remains of a once grand old luxury department store.
As he does his rounds he begins to be terrorised by images glimpsed in the store’s large mirrors … and realises that he and his family are in mortal danger.
On one level it’s a conventional enough horror flick, but on another it manages to be clever (how frightening can images of ourselves be?) and full of the unexpected.
There is a great twist at the end to look forward to.
It’s not a classic by any means, but it’s certainly not the worst horror film you’ll find this year.
Star Rating: 3/5.
