I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Mirrors is the American remake of a little known Korean film called Into the Mirror. The plot has Kiefer Sutherland as a recovering alcoholic cop, who whilst on suspension is taken to working as a security guard at a large burnt out department store and starts to see terrifying images in the many mirrors about the place... You would think that Mirrors was a flop. The critics hated it and the horror hordes were very much divided on it, the latter of which is to be fair the norm for any big horror movie release. Yet it didn't flop, it did very well at the box offices of the world and has a decent 6.2 average on IMDb, which for a divisive horror film is well above average.Mirrors overstays its welcome, there really was no need for it to run to just under two hours in length. While elsewhere there's some pretty poor dialogue, parts of the screenplay are pointlessly soap opera in nature, while some thinking will make you scratch your head in bewilderment at events outside of the brilliantly monolithic department store.However, does Mirrors create a genuinely spooky atmosphere (the interiors of the store are creep fest nirvana), insert some shock moments to jolt you out your seat? Is it visually stylish, with sound work to match? And does Sutherland (and to a degree Paula Patton as his wife) overcome the trite parts of the script and give effective and committed performances? The answer to those questions is yes.Does the ending cop out in any way? Insult the audience? No! It doesn't do that either.It has flaws, but they are not insurmountable for the horror fan who's just looking for some good scares, atmospheric dread and some stylish touches from the director (Alexandre Aja). If you haven't seen it then give it a try, judge for yourself, you might be pleasantly surprised at what you find. 7.5/10

I just watched the full uncut version to be sure to have all the gore included because I know the director Alexandre Aja very well for his ultra gore flicks Haute Tension (2003) and The Hills Have Eyes (2006). This one here isn't a bad film but for an Aja flick it's rather low on gore.Luckily it still has a good story to offer and the performances were above mediocre. I watched the screen with suspense even as you can see it coming sometimes from miles away. As I stated earlier, the gore isn't the main thing in this flick, it's all about the mirrors and the CGI attached to it. Even as I am not a CGI lover here it does work out fine mostly. But when the gore comes in it's in full glory. The opening is worth watching and the bath scene with the nude Amy Smart (Angela Carson) does offer something for the geeks out there too.Still it isn't the best of Alexander Aja. After Mirrors we had to wait until Piranha 3D (2010) to see gratuitous gore again. But Mirrors is worth picking up if you are into ghost stories.Gore 1,5/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 3,5/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

Director Alexandre Aja's Mirrors boasts a decent cast and stunning gore courtesy of FX experts Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero, but misses being a completely satisfying horror experience by failing to adhere to a convincing or consistent internal logic.At first, the mirrors are the gateway by which the evil force finds its way into our world; later, it can use any reflective surface—which is just as dumb as it sounds (almost any smooth surface has a reflection; it would be impossible to avoid them all!). The evil attacks the night-watchmen working at the department store, but doesn't bother with the old guard who patrols the building during the day. Most ridiculous is Ben Carson's continuing to work at the store, even after experiencing several supernatural incidents that would send most people screaming, never to return. These kind of problems plague the film to the end, seriously undermining its effectiveness.Still, at least the film doesn't wimp out on the gore, opening with a splattery throat slashing, giving us a yucky autopsy scene, and delivering a thoroughly shocking sequence in which Amy Smart suffers a grisly bathtub demise, her jaw ripped clean off her face (the same scene also provides the obligatory female nudity, Smart kindly baring boobs and butt before getting in the bath). Aja also sees fit to include that other popular mainstay of the genre: a fit bird in a tight white vest, Paula Patton as Carson's wife doing the honours, even going so far as to get all wet for the film's finale.5.5 out of 10, but I refuse to round it up to a 6 on account of that awful special effects scene in which Sutherland writhes unconvincingly in pain on the floor as he is burned by truly terrible CGI fire.

The movie opens with night security guard Gary Lewis. His reflection in the mirror stabs himself and he dies in the real world with a wide open gash. Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland) resigned from the NYPD a year ago after a deadly shooting and he's now sleeping on his sister Angie (Amy Smart)'s couch. He's estranged from his wife Amy (Paula Patton) with whom he has two children. He has stopped drinking recently and trying to rebuild his life. He starts a new job as the night security guard at the burnt-out NYC Mayflower department store. He sees visions in the mirrors and they seem to be looking back at him.I really like the look of the empty department store and the mirror room. The mirror idea is pretty cool. The CGI fire is not the best. There is also a missing element in this horror. Usually there is a question of whether this is all real or not in these kinds of movies. The fact that the first security guard as well as his son see the visions eliminates that possibility right from the start. Another problem is that this needs a physical embodiment of the evil that is both scary and can be put on a poster. It seems to be the perfect fit for an iconic supernatural killer in the mirror like Samara in 'The Ring'. That is missing here. As for the story, this movie needed to end earlier. The movie just goes on and on with Sutherland missing in action for large chunks of it. The movie overstays its welcome.