A luxury department store becomes a gateway for a trapped demon
In short: In the 2008 horror film Mirrors, a gutted department store hides a dark history. What begins as a security guard's unsettling shifts evolves into a desperate struggle against reflections that can kill, all stemming from a psychiatric experiment involving a young girl and a psychomanteum.
Directed by Alexandre Aja, the film follows Ben Carson, a suspended detective turned night security guard at the Mayflower. The luxury department store, which had been shuttered for five years following a fire, is filled with numerous mirrors that serve as more than just reflective surfaces. As Ben investigates, he discovers that the mirrors are linked to a previous guard's death and a mysterious name: Esseker.
The mystery deepens when Ben uncovers the Mayflower's history. The building was constructed on the site of an earlier hospital, where a patient named Anna Esseker underwent a controversial treatment. Dr. Kane used a psychomanteum—a room with a chair surrounded by mirrors—to treat Anna, who suffered from severe schizophrenia. While Anna appeared cured upon her return, her family noted that strange occurrences involving mirrors began to plague their home.
The narrative suggests that Anna was possessed by a demon that became trapped within the mirrors, collecting the souls of those it kills. This supernatural connection culminates in a violent confrontation at the Mayflower. After a gas line explosion causes the building to collapse, Ben survives the rubble only to realize he has transitioned into the mirror world, where everything is reversed.
Though the film was originally intended as a remake of the 2003 South Korean film Into the Mirror, Aja reworked the script to create a stand-alone story. Despite its supernatural premise, the film received mixed critical reception, with a 15% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 35 out of 100.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Mirrors (2008 film)
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