With the success of The Ring and The Grudge, it is no wonder that studios continue to attempt to recreate old Japanese horror films. Sadly, like all the others, Mirrors fails to recapture the excitement and intensity that helped propel the other films to iconic greatness; instead finding itself among the middle-ground trash that sits just above films like One Missed Call and Dark Water.
However, even though the film wasn't near the realm of great, I still have to have respect for its creators. Unlike most people, who feel that they can scale back great stories to up their monetary worth, 20th Century Fox chose to stay true to the horror genre and make a hard R-rated film for fans to enjoy. For once, there was no minimal blood and no unrealistic dialogue; instead, the film went full force ahead, creating a movie that was disturbing and haunting, even if it wasn't truly that great.
It has been almost a year since Ben Carson shot and killed an undercover police officer. Still reeling from the emotion stress of that day, Carson continues to fall down a spiral of self-destruction and alcoholism. Currently separated from his wife and kids, Ben finally decides that it is time to get his life back in order. First act of duty, get a job and prove that he can support his family. However, jobs are scarce for currently suspended detectives; therefore, Ben is forced to take a job as a night watchmen at the burned down Mayflower department store. Dark and muggy, the building serves as a constant reminder of life's miseries, a destructive reminder that quickly begins to wear on Ben and his low self-esteem. But that is the least of Ben's worries as the forces within the mirrors begin to show themselves, providing that they have the power to alter the lives of reality, taking one life at a time and working to avenge the happenings that trapped them so long ago.
Starring Kiefer Sutherland from Fox's '24' as Ben Carson, Mirrors contained a lot of potential from the onset. However, Sutherland's unsuccessful streak at the cinemas continues as his performance is decent, but sadly nothing to brag about. From his perceived motions to his lackluster delivery, every scene fails to enthrall the viewers, sending them to a mundane state of being from the beginning, and never gaining the momentum to regain their attention thereafter.
Additionally, Paula Patton and Amy Smart are ineffective as Carson's wife and sister respectively. Forced to make the most of a short amount of screen time, both actresses are unable to generate any spice in their roles, serving as 'second-in-charge' from the start and never getting the opportunity to spread their wings and fly.
However, like most horror films, Mirrors hardly relies on its actors to succeed. Instead, the film puts all its efforts behind its story and scare tactics, a mechanism that it rarely pulled off. From the predictable fright sequences to the generic jump-scenes, everything within the film seemed premeditated and easily foreseeable, taking the scare tactic out of the story and leaving audience members emotionless and out of touch with both the characters and the horror genre.
And while the film contained enough blood and language to welcome back die-hard horror fans such as myself, it is a shame that there was no story to back it all up. Instead, audience members are greeted with a subpar film that can be respected, though hardly enjoyed.
