Film Review
Title: Mirrors
Director: Alexander Aja
Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton, Amy Smart
Studio: 20^th Century Fox
Running Time: 112 Minutes
Release Date:  Aug.15, 2008
Rated: (18A)  

Reviewed by: Robert Waldman (Vancouver Correspondent - Canada) 

Pay attention or you may just miss some jolts in Mirrors, a perky thriller from 20^th Century Fox now sending shivers down the spines of theatre-going voyeurs. By now filmgoers know all too well about the countless remakes of foreign films.  Horror films have long found their inspiration from overseas treats, mainly by way of Japan.  Korea takes centre stage as Mirrors is largely based on a Korean treatment, now beefed up for North American audiences through the considerable talents of French director/writer Alexandra Aja (The Hills Have Eyes).  Lucky for us this thriller compares admirably with the first Ring encounter and is vastly superior to sequels or mild-mannered foreign escapades.

Action in Mirrors centres on a mysterious building once known as "The Mayflower."  Long forgotten, this dilapidated eye-sore rests sorrowfully on 6^th Avenue in New York.  Former New York detective Ben Carson gets banished to the sidelines after some internal problems and ends up doing night duty work at the Mayflower, a once shining light New York landmark. 

Rough times seem to follow our good man around.  Out of a well-paid job and relegated to night security work for the barren Mayflower property poor Ben is also at odds with his lovely wife Amy.  Caught in the middle of this marital tug of war are two delightful young kids, Michael and Daisy.

New on the job workers often encounter their ups and downs.  For Ben, things get a bit more uncertain as unforeseen events occur on the job.  Strange phenomena involving mirrors begin to take over Ben's life.  Nothing is normal as danger lurks around every bend.

Why Mirrors works so well relates to the eerie suspense that follows the lead characters.  Television's Kiefer Sutherland (The Sentinel, 24) is well suited to play the former detective now in the fight of his life battling unpredictable and diabolical evil.  Homefront support from the likes of lovely Paula Patton (Swing Vote) as the off duty wife further intensifies the mood of danger as does the dilemma faced by the kids, effectively projected by newcomers Erica Gluck and Cameron Boyce. 

Completing this cast is Amy Smart (Road Trip) as a loving sister.  Enough scares and smart terror jolts makes Mirrors a superior thriller that will leave people guessing - the trademark of any good whodunit.