MirrorMask
A circus teenager enters a surreal kingdom of mirrored identities and strange creatures, where finding a legendary mask becomes the path home.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- dreamy
- eerie
- whimsical
- family fantasy night
- cult film discovery
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the film's dazzling, distinctive visual imagination while finding its story, pacing, and narrative momentum underdeveloped.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Helena encounters Anti-Helena and counterpart versions of people from her circus life in the Dark Lands.
The film's landscapes, sphinxes, Monkeybirds, giants, and masked figures reflect Dave McKean's distinctive illustration-driven aesthetic.
Fifteen-year-old Helena longs to leave her family circus but must journey through the Dark Lands to return home.
Helena must find the fabled MirrorMask to save the kingdom and secure her way back home.
Films like MirrorMask, and why
The Dark Crystal
whimsical dark fantasy, child protagonist, dreamlike alternate world, and imaginative creature design
Labyrinth
coming-of-age fantasy quest, surreal landscapes, and a young heroine confronting an uncanny otherworld
Spirited Away
visually inventive fantasy adventure centered on a child navigating a symbolic parallel realm
Movie Details
- Director
- Dave McKean
- Release Date
- 2005-01-25
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (379)
Cast
- Stephanie Leonidas
- Jason Barry
- Rob Brydon
- Gina McKee
- Dora Bryan
- Stephen Fry
- Robert Llewellyn
- Lenny Henry
- Nik Robson
- Simon Harvey
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is MirrorMask about?
- A circus teenager enters a surreal kingdom of mirrored identities and strange creatures, where finding a legendary mask becomes the path home.
- What is MirrorMask like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of MirrorMask as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is MirrorMask violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in MirrorMask as mild.
- What did critics think of MirrorMask?
- Critics broadly admired the film's dazzling, distinctive visual imagination while finding its story, pacing, and narrative momentum underdeveloped.
- Which films are like MirrorMask?
- Films with a similar feel include The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and Spirited Away.
- How long is MirrorMask?
- MirrorMask runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch MirrorMask?
- In United States, MirrorMask streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
