With Alexandre Aja directing and Kiefer Sutherland in the main role this movie cannot be bad. I agree with some reviews, that the ending or outcome could have been a more interesting one, but anyway, this movie got well done acting, some gore, a fine dark and suspenseful atmosphere, and well, we all know, that the story of a horror movie tend not to be made to be Oscar material.Not outstanding but good and a nice snack for the connoisseur of the many horrors.

A rather unique story with a couple of plot twists, centred around an ex-cop starting a new job as night security at an empty half-burned mall. The mall is filled with strange mirrors, that he soon discovers seem to be haunted (the viewer knows before he does due to an intro scene).Between the ex-cop's investigations into the history of the mall and the mirrors, the way the apparent hauntings play out, and a special effects emphasis on fog and mist, corner of the eye movements, and glass that breaks or repairs itself, the mood is creepy and mysterious throughout.The acting is generally solid, sometimes even powerful. The music and sound effects play into the spookiness well. And overall, it would be a really top of the line movie......except for two isolated scenes of concentrated, disgusting, gore. Just two. One right at the beginning, and another about a third of the way in. Nothing like it in the rest of the movie, and it's really not at all what the movie is about. But it really is the sickening 'what kind of people come up with this stuff' kind of gore that belongs in an over the top psycho thriller or pure gore-fest horror, not in a subtle, mysterious, spine tingling horror like this one.Aside from the gore, there are only minor flaws with a couple of contradictions in the actions of some secondary characters. Well worth watching if you're into Mortal Kombat fatalities, movies like Saw, or you think the scenes in Bones where they find the bodies aren't bloody enough. Otherwise, only watch it if you've got someone else willing to watch as they fast-forward through those 2 scenes for you.

Mirrors (2008): Dir: Alexandre Aja / Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton, Amy Smart, Mary Beth Peil, Cameron Boyce: Stupid morbid horror film about image and illusion. This film has a self praised illusion while its image is pure sh*t. Kiefer Sutherland plays an ex investigator who accepts a job at an abandon mall that has burned. Soon he begins to see images of burn victims including his own reflection. Director Alexandre Aja can set up scare sequences but the graphic violence should be toned down in favour of suspense. Sutherland pulls through as he struggles to deal with reality and the unknown and coming off crazy. Supporting roles aren't quite as broad. Paula Patton is featured as his wife in a role that is strictly standard and predictable. Amy Smart is wasted as his sister whose mirror image tears her jaw apart thus killing herself. All she needed was a trip to the dentist for that kind of action and she can make return trips. Mary Beth Peil appears as an aged institutionalized woman. After being part of this film she may need to go back. Cameron Boyce plays their son, and having a kid to mind screw is typical with these films. Horror films in the past ten years seem to be all about gore and guts and it is beginning to take the place of true suspense. Grossing viewers out isn't suspense, it's just disgusting. Well made visually with a screenplay that shatters before the second act. Score: 4 ½ / 10

I'm slightly disappointed by this one. It started out as a sort of slasher, then quickly turned into investigation, then into supernatural. Slasher movies aren't necessarily my favorites, and I don't like how it quickly turned into an investigation movie and a boring one at that. Investigation in horror can be done right if it's coherent and interesting, which this one was not. The Ring is a great example of an investigation horror film. When it turned into supernatural, that was more of what I was expecting from this film, but it still wasn't terribly entertaining or even scary in the slightest. I think this went more for the "cool effects" route. Speaking of which, the mirror effects did look great, and it was probably the best part of the movie... but if the special effects are the high point of a film, I don't think you're gonna get any quality entertainment.C