An ex-cop becomes as a security guard to escape the haunting past where a mistake cost him his partner's life. Now he's working in a shopping complex owned by his uncle, but he gets caught up in a series of bizarre deaths that are occurring in the building. All of these deaths seem to be link somehow to mirrors, which cover most of the building. So now he becomes involved in the police investigation surrounding these unusual circumstances.
Another little unknown Asian flick, this time from South Korea, which really snuck up on me. But on that point it had me in two minds. Neither was it bad nor good. At times, I couldn't care less what was happening, but at least it didn't follow the same suit of most Asian films of last couple of years well kinda. 'Into the Mirror' is a murder mystery that dabbles into the supernatural by involving the folklore about a world that lives through the mirror, where a part of our soul can cross over.
To quote the narration from the flick "Self-hatred triggered by a mental shock, can cause a personality to split and perceive two worlds inside and outside the mirror. The world is divided into two symmetrical worlds, both perceived by the person who is psychologically split. If you die outside the mirror you can still be living inside. And if you die inside the mirror you see no reflection".
Now that would've made for an involving watch, but sadly this idea isn't taken advantage of. Instead it's just too bad that they seemed to settle on the tired and we've seen it all before sub-plot about the cop trying to come to terms with his past and then getting involved in a investigation that doesn't really add up. This actual sub-plot does have merit to how it connects with this mirror theory, but it's not as interesting as delving into this belief of two worlds. The parts involving this premise are the most lively and neat moments within the film.
The opening half an hour has such a brood mood and nice supernatural touch, with characters dying strange deaths and the last 15 minutes has a decent climax that probably goes on for too long, but it ends in a cool fashion. Then there's the ending which makes you think well there goes by a good story right there, why did it take that long (?). The mid-section is where it gets really bogged down though, the drama element sees most of the daylight and by shaping the way for the lengthy investigation and feuding cops moments and the creepy opening to it all has sort of lost its way through this stage. During the middle half it's not so hard to tell what's going to happen next and so the puzzle isn't really one at all, because you already guessed the key players. But you have to wait until the last 15 min for some new unexpected twists. There's a moral stacked into the story about conquering your fear, or it will eventually destroy if you don't face it and not to trust what you always see.
The film looks a treat, being rather stylish in detail and in its glossed up set pieces. They make good use of the film's environment (that being mostly set in a shopping complex) with beautifully presented ideas and visuals make you sit up. Helping that is a bone rattling score and the camera-work has its moments by putting you off balance with its fluid angles and shots. The performances are incredibly down played and mostly giving lifeless expressions, but that works out within this film's dour context, but the main lead was probably a bit too wooden.
'Into the Mirror' is a fair and ambitious horror-mystery flick, even if it's a muddle of ideas executed in a patchy manner. You just can't stop thinking what could have been if they concentrated more on the supernatural side of things.
Another little unknown Asian flick, this time from South Korea, which really snuck up on me. But on that point it had me in two minds. Neither was it bad nor good. At times, I couldn't care less what was happening, but at least it didn't follow the same suit of most Asian films of last couple of years well kinda. 'Into the Mirror' is a murder mystery that dabbles into the supernatural by involving the folklore about a world that lives through the mirror, where a part of our soul can cross over.
To quote the narration from the flick "Self-hatred triggered by a mental shock, can cause a personality to split and perceive two worlds inside and outside the mirror. The world is divided into two symmetrical worlds, both perceived by the person who is psychologically split. If you die outside the mirror you can still be living inside. And if you die inside the mirror you see no reflection".
Now that would've made for an involving watch, but sadly this idea isn't taken advantage of. Instead it's just too bad that they seemed to settle on the tired and we've seen it all before sub-plot about the cop trying to come to terms with his past and then getting involved in a investigation that doesn't really add up. This actual sub-plot does have merit to how it connects with this mirror theory, but it's not as interesting as delving into this belief of two worlds. The parts involving this premise are the most lively and neat moments within the film.
The opening half an hour has such a brood mood and nice supernatural touch, with characters dying strange deaths and the last 15 minutes has a decent climax that probably goes on for too long, but it ends in a cool fashion. Then there's the ending which makes you think well there goes by a good story right there, why did it take that long (?). The mid-section is where it gets really bogged down though, the drama element sees most of the daylight and by shaping the way for the lengthy investigation and feuding cops moments and the creepy opening to it all has sort of lost its way through this stage. During the middle half it's not so hard to tell what's going to happen next and so the puzzle isn't really one at all, because you already guessed the key players. But you have to wait until the last 15 min for some new unexpected twists. There's a moral stacked into the story about conquering your fear, or it will eventually destroy if you don't face it and not to trust what you always see.
The film looks a treat, being rather stylish in detail and in its glossed up set pieces. They make good use of the film's environment (that being mostly set in a shopping complex) with beautifully presented ideas and visuals make you sit up. Helping that is a bone rattling score and the camera-work has its moments by putting you off balance with its fluid angles and shots. The performances are incredibly down played and mostly giving lifeless expressions, but that works out within this film's dour context, but the main lead was probably a bit too wooden.
'Into the Mirror' is a fair and ambitious horror-mystery flick, even if it's a muddle of ideas executed in a patchy manner. You just can't stop thinking what could have been if they concentrated more on the supernatural side of things.