MORAL OF THE MOVIE

Even when reality is at its most tragic, it is still better than the fantasies of what could’ve been. Reality may be distressing but at least it’s real; it has the things that make life worth living (family, friends, etc.) and those tragic moments (betrayal, regret, etc.) that you can learn from and improve upon to live a better life as a result.

WHO I THINK WOULD MOST ENJOY THIS MOVIE

Anyone who likes the thrill of figuring out murder mystery movies with an additional twist; in this case, it’s a very unique sci-fi time-traveling twist. Also, fans of Spanish mystery dramas like The Invisible Guest (same director), Gran Hotel, Alta Mar, etc will have a lot of fun with this one.

ADDITIONAL NOTES/COMMENTARY

This marks the first Spanish-language movie that I review on this page and you can be sure that it will not be the last. As a fan of Spanish cinema and Spanish-language Cinema in general, I started off with Mirage for two main reasons: it’s easy accessibility to everyone whether you speak Spanish or not and the director. First of all, Mirage is an international movie that has an interestingly universal appeal given its sci-fi twist on the conventional genre of murder mystery. Coincidentally, Mirage was very successful in China when it was released, which proves the film’s international appeal. The film has particularly universal themes as well such as regret, identity, morality, and ethics that make it more accessible to audiences that don’t speak the film’s spoken language. Second of all, I’ve only seen two films (Mirage and The Invisible Guest) of the few that the film’s director, Oriol Paulo, has made and I’m already calling him one of my favorite international directors. Paulo’s ability to combine a Hollywood blockbuster feel with deeply personal stories is very similar to some of the best directors out there such as Bong Joon-ho, Guillermo del Toro, Christopher Nolan, etc. This is a director who knows how to keep the story as the main priority while maintaining a very entertaining experience full of twists, turns, and visual spectacle. To say the least, Oriol Paulo is one to look out for in whatever his next film projects are. Overall, Mirage is the latest project of an up-and-coming director who knows how to combine grounded personal stories with an entirely entertaining cinematic experience. This film will keep you at your toes and at the edge of your seat the entire time your watching it while you try to play detective along with the characters and connect the dots for a uniquely satisfying movie-watching experience.