Mirror Mirror is pretty unknown to most horror fans,
but it’s a pretty decent flick nonetheless and boasts stars like Karen
Black and Yvonne De Carlo among its cast! I had heard that it was along
the lines of
Carrie and
The Fury, so I decided to give it a try, especially since the lead character is considered a “goth” (I did a
piece on goths in horror films if you feel like taking a look).
Mirror Mirror tells the tale of gothy Megan (Rainbow
Harvest), who moves from L.A. to a small town with her mom (Karen
Black) after her father’s death. Megan finds an old mirror in her room
and insists on keeping it, even though it’s a creepy old thing. She then
starts school but runs into the usual gaggle of cheerleaders and jocks
who don’t appreciate her funerary attire. She makes friends with good
girl Nikki, but the popular kids still make Megan’s life a living hell.
Soon, Megan discovers that the mirror gives her powers and she can make
things happen to those that ridicule her. Pretty soon her enemies are
dying left and right and the mirror’s powers become too powerful for
Megan to control. Can Nikki save Megan from the dark side and whatever
lives on the other side of the mirror?
Mirror Mirror might share some similarities with
Carrie (shy outsider, weird mom, psychic powers, a friend who tries to
save the lead, etc.), but it stands on its own quite well. I really
enjoyed all the characters and the story; they still felt unique even
though they were obviously influenced by other films. Megan was a fun
character, though I initially thought she would have more backbone and
actually stand up to the annoying popular kids rather than running away
and hiding from them. Gotta love her goth look, which looks heavily
influenced by
Beetlejuice’s Lydia (it doesn’t help that
Rainbow Harvest looks a lot like Winona Ryder). I also loved the
over-the-top performance by Karen Black as Megan’s unstable mother (good
god, that pastel pink lipstick has GOT to go!) and seeing Yvonne De
Carlo as an estate dealer who tries to help Megan once she learns the
truth of the evil mirror.
Plus, there is quite a high body count, and while the deaths aren’t
necessarily gory or bloody, most of them are still pretty neat.
Standouts include the shower scalding scene and a garbage disposal
death! There are several bloody scenes, including a gushing nose bleed
scene and the mirror itself, which regularly oozes blood.
Director Marina Sargenti uses an interesting blue palette for most of
the film and sets up varying POV shots that keep the viewer engaged. I
especially liked the POV shots of the demon behind the mirror looking
out at all those that approached it. The screenplay, written by Annette
Cascone and Gina Cascone, also deserves props, especially for its twist
ending!
Mirror Mirror is an interesting flick that deserves
to be seen by more people. It certainly wears its influences on its
sleeve, but it still manages to be intriguing in its own special way. If
you are looking for an early ’90s gem, check out
Mirror Mirror!
