After a sick young girl dies on the operating table, her body mysterious disappears from the morgue and is found in the basement of the hospital arranged around bundles of candles and a mirror. It is feared that the famed mirror ghost has come to life, haunting the hospital.
Su Ling, the young girl’s doctor, is thrust into the middle of the hauntings when her sister is kidnapped and the mirror ghost visits and assaults her! How will Su Ling break free of the curse of the mirror ghost?
What a fabulous year this has been for Chinese horror movies fans - all three of us! This year has seen the incredible return of Filmoon, the best (ie the worst) Chinese horror movie production house ever! We’ve had Tracking In Blood (Mortal Ouija and The Doll), Midnight Game and this movie - Midnight Mirror.
There is a theme with Filmoon movies. They love translating their film titles using the words Midnight and Haunted. I’m being dead serious here. Check out their filmography and you’ll see.
Now, the funny thing about this movie (and the other two movies they released this year) is that it’s not actually new. Ignore the Golden Dragon approval at the start of the movie that says 2025 - this was definitely filmed at least 7 years ago. Their releasing hay-day was around 2017-2018, and I predict this movie was filmed around that time considering the cast.
Who is this cast, you might ask? Well, I know they are completely unfamiliar to you - but to me they are all household names. And I love them all!
First up is Abbey Yin, the star of the movie and playing the lead role of Su Ling. I’m not against admitting that she’s not a great actor, but she is pleasant on the eyes. All of her previous movie roles - Ghost in Barbers, Haunted Cinema 2, Midnight Whisper, Under The Bed 2, Midnight Game and The Bride with Painted Skin - are all from Filmoon. She’s only acts in movies from that studio! And see what I mean with the use of Midnight and Haunted in the titles?
Next up is the super attractive Xinglan Zhang - not a familiar name like, say, Jenna Ortega, right? Well, she’s not that familiar in China either, but if you like watching crappy Chinese horror films, then she was the star of the utter woeful Horror Bathroom, where she appears nude on the poster of the film. But not nude in the film. Just the poster. Filmoon’s name does not appear at the start of that film, but they were part of its distribution.
Then we have the youngest cast member. Well, she was young when the movie was filmed. In the film, she clearly looks between 8-10. She was born in 2007, so thus it dates this film as approximately 2017. Her name is Xiaoxiao Chang, and is turned 18 in the year of our Lord 2025. What a crazy 18th birthday present for her: the release of two horror movies she starred in more than half a decade ago! Welcome to being an adult Xiaoxiao. Most parents embarrass their 18-year-olds with baby photos; her parents did it with bad horror movies she acted in.
Let’s not forget the director: Shilei Lu. He directed my all-time favourite Chinese horror movies in Ghost of Barbers (with Abbey Yin) and Haunted Dormitory Marionette Teacher, which was filmed in 2017. He isn’t the world’s greatest director, but he tries considering the shit scripts and horrible Government restrictions on horror.
BUT… yeah, there is a but. He has done something very laughable, and very Filmoon.
Filmoon loves to recycle. Music, sets, actors - they’re all recycled between their movies. But this is the first time (other than the two films that were direct sequels) they’ve recycled a character.
Allow me to introduce you to the utterly beautiful Wenlong Yue. Again, another name that will mean nothing to you - but to me, she is someone. She was the teacher with the burnt face from Haunted Dormitory Marionette Teacher. And in this movie, she plays the mirror ghost. And guess what? They’ve recycled THE EXACT SAME facial make-up in this film. So, for some reason our mirror ghost has a burnt, disfigured face.
Ok so we are this far into the review, and I haven’t talked at all about the actual film. To be honest, I don’t know if it’s worth talking about it at all. It features the signature awful Filmoon dubbing, meaning that most character’s mouths don’t match the dialogue they are saying.
It has the same ridiculous plot lines and scenarios. The same awful dialogue. The unrealistic casting of young people as seasoned doctors and businessmen. The same luxury house, the same stupid death scenes.
And of course, it has the classic Filmoon ending. A Scooby-doo mask reveal with a double cross between several characters. I’ll actually give the movie some credit, the twist was relatively unexpected and not telegraphed as bad as it usually is. This movie is a thriller after all, with some silly horror elements added later.
Who is this movie for? Well, it’s not for you, that’s for sure. I am not being rude by saying that - I am being realistic. You want to watch gory, exciting, scary horror movies. This is a horror movie where 80% of it is bathed in pure white light - that’s what I mean by this movie being the whitest horror movie you’ve ever seen!
There is never anything scary here, and there never will be. But if you like stupid movies, then this is one to check out. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though.
CREEP-O-METER:
It’s Chinese. There is nothing scary here. Not even the mirror ghosts make up.
GENRE A Chinese Horror Thriller, so not Horror at all!
DIRECTOR Shilei Lu
STARRING Abby Yin, Huang Xingrao, Xinglan Zhang, Xiaoxiao Chang, Wenlong Yue
ORIGINAL TITLE 午夜凶镜
ALTERNATIVE TITLE Midnight Mirror
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN China
RELEASE DATE 29 August 2025
Not even the ghost make up is scary! 😂😂😂