Rated R for strong violence, disturbing images, language and brief nudity.
Directed by Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes)
Starring Kiefer Sutherland, Amy Smart, and Paula Patton
Not the scariest horror movie I have ever seen, but pretty entertaining.
Former NYPD detective Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland) is hired to work as night watchman of the Mayflower Department Store that was nearly destroyed by a fire many years ago. Since being retired from the police force, Ben has become an alcoholic whose marriage is in shambles. However, he has not been drinking for three months and sees the employment as a chance to rebuild his life with his wife and two children. After his first night of rounds, Ben begins to see weird images in the mirrors, both at the Mayflower and at home. Eventually he discovers that there is an evil force in the mirrors that is chasing him and threatening his family.
So what if I think Kiefer Sutherland is awesome? So what if I thought it was pretty scary. And so what if I didn’t know it was a remake of a Korean film…so what? I liked Mirrors and I am not afraid to admit it.
I will admit that it took me a good 20 minutes to stop expecting Jack Bauer-isc moves, intensity and explosions (see the TV series 24 for more information). Ben Carson is no Jack Bauer but Kiefer Sutherland still delivers a great performance. Amy Smart has a smaller role…but it is every bit as intense.
I’ve mentioned before, I am not a huge fan of horror films. Most of the time with this genre, I complain about the characters’ stupidity, the villain’s inability to die, the gratuitous sex scene and the general lack of any dialogue. While Mirrors has some brief nudity, the characters are likable and smart, the dialogue is sharp and the story is entertaining. And without giving anything away, there is an “OH NO” twist at the end.
No one will be lining up to give awards to Kiefer Sutherland or Alexandre Aja, but it was worth renting.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There are enough violence and disturbing images that make it easy to say no to this one. Mirrors is rated R for some very good reasons.
Side Note:
As said above, we don’t recommend your kids see this film. But on the occasion that they actually have already seen it, you may want to dialogue about the film with them. These questions below may be a help to you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
