The Mirror is fairly competent, with a slow minimalist build up which does deliver some genuine unease at times
Synopsis
Roommates buy a haunted antique mirror and set up cameras to capture evidence of paranormal activity.
The Mirror Good Points
Performances
Joshua Dickinson, Jemma Dallender, and Nate Fallows all deliver decent performances, with some good chemistry between them all, which makes their fear feel a bit more authentic.
Dynamics
The boyfriend/girlfriend/best friend relationships are fairly convincing on the screen, which in turn makes it more emotionally engaging, with some interpersonal tension adding a bit of depth to it all.
Psychological Horror
The Mirror relies a lot on implication rather than the usual over the top supernatural effects – sleepwalking, erratic behavior, and small disturbances are what build the tension.
The Mirror
Who knew a mirror could be unsettling, but this one is, and it really help create a sense of dread that grows over time.
Cinematography
A fairly well made movie it has to be said, where the hand-held shots are steady and unobtrusive, and it avoids the disorienting shakes..
Domestic Setting
The ordinary surroundings amplify the tension, showing that horror doesn’t always require a remote or elaborate location.
Gradual Escalation
The story builds slowly in a decent way, which heightens the impact when the supernatural events intensify.
Character-Driven Horror
The film tries to emphasize how people react under stress, rather than relying solely on visual scares, and this adds some psychological weight to the horror.
The Mirror Bad Points
Convenient Plot Points
We get the usual characters that often make illogical choices, which is annoying and can break the immersion it is trying to build.
Repetitive Motifs
The sleepwalking, the mirror’s ominous presence, and incremental disturbances are repeated frequently, and gets a bit repetitive.
Rushed Climax
The third act throws in multiple events into a short span, which stretches a bit of credibility.
Limited Exploration of the Mirror
While mysterious, the mirror’s lack of explanation also limits the narrative scope, and it would have been good to delve a bit more into that as well.
Predictable
A lot of the plot beats are nothing new or fresh.
The Mirror Final Thoughts
The Mirror is fairly competent, with a slow minimalist build up which does deliver some genuine unease at times, even if it is a bit predictable.
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