The NeverEnding Story (1984)
The Mirror: After battling his way through all sorts of challenges and horrors, The NeverEnding Story ’s Atreyu (Noah Hathaway) has to face the most difficult challenge of all: the Magic Mirror Gate. Sounds easy, but the gate shows the viewer their true selves, a sight most people find hard to face.
On Reflection: It must really suck finding out that you’re a fictional character.
The Cabin In The Woods (2012)
The Mirror: Like everything in The Cabin In The Woods , this mirror is more than it seems: it’s a two-way mirror, suggesting that whatever goes on in that bedroom, it’s designed to be watched.
On Reflection: The mirror didn’t end up playing that much of a role in the plot, but it was a clue the kids maybe should’ve heeded.
Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone (2001)
The Mirror: The Mirror Of Erised shows you your heart’s desire. Which sounds relatively benign, but it’s dangerous, too; what you can see in the mirror isn’t real, just a reflection, which means anyone who looks into it is just torturing themselves with what they can’t have. Heavy stuff for a kids’ film.
On Reflection: Does anyone believe Dumbledore about the socks? No, thought not.
Night Of The Demons (1988)
The Mirror: A dusty old mirror in an abandoned mortuary smashes and releases its demons when a bunch of kids decide to throw a party on Halloween night.
On Reflection: Seven years of bad luck probably would’ve been easier to cope with than the fallout from this broken mirror.
Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)
The Mirror: Hanging in the hallway of the Saeki house is a mirror – ideally placed for checking your hair on your way out of the door, or for playing peek-a-boo with a ghost who’s probably just playing for time while she crawls down the stairs to kill you.
On Reflection: If you see something weird in the mirror of a haunted house, it’s probably best not to stop and stare.
Return To Oz (1985)
The Mirror: In the palace of Princess Mombi (Jean Marsh) is an ornate mirror with a secret: it’s where Ozma (Emma Ridley), the true ruler of Oz, has been magically imprisoned.
On Reflection: There are probably better places to hide inconvenient heirs to the throne than mirrors, aren’t there?
Mirrors (2008)
The Mirror: As the title implies, this isn’t just about one mirror: it’s all mirrors. And all other reflective surfaces, too. Basically, there’s a demon, and it makes people’s reflections kill them, somehow. It doesn’t make any sense, but there’s a scary idea in there somewhere.
On Reflection: … No, this just doesn’t make any sense.
Evil Dead II (1987)
The Mirror: Mirrors in remote cabins are always bad news: when Ash peers into this one, his reflection taunts him about his sanity, and then reaches out to attack him. Not the best look.
On Reflection: Mirrors can be cruel.
A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
The Mirror: Freddy Krueger appears in mirrors a few times in the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise, but his appearance at the end of the 2010 remake is probably the scariest time, as he pops up to grab Nancy’s mum (Connie Britton).
On Reflection: If you had a face like Freddy, you’d probably want to smash some mirrors too.
The Legacy (1979)
The Mirror: The Ravenhurst mansion’s full of nasty surprises – like a Satanic cult, for starters – but the exploding mirror, which even manages to reform itself after killing a visitor, is one of the nastiest.
On Reflection: At least it cleaned up after itself?
