the best mirror smashing moments on film
...according to me
This entire article contains movie spoilers. Do not read on if you’re averse to movie spoilers.
Why the hell would I write this?
Like Narcissus, I’ve always been fascinated by my own reflection. Unlike Narcissus, it hasn’t been for the sole purpose of admiring myself - a lengthy glimpse into my own eyes has sometimes managed to elicit emotions and self-truths I’d previously kept hidden.
For centuries, mirrored surfaces were the only tools we had to come face to face with ourselves, both literally and figuratively. In film, a character who smashes a mirror is usually enacting a visceral moment of symbolism - and I’m here for it. It might be a cliché trope, but I love a mirror-smashing moment - the drama! The pathos! The satisfying sound of broken glass!
Below, I’ve collected some of my favourite silver-screen mirror smashes, ranging from the disturbing to the emotive to the downright ridiculous.
1. The Substance (2024)
An ageing TV star splits into two versions of herself after taking a mysterious substance. The younger smashes the older into a mirror with all the fury of a woman who dutifully applies Retinol to her face Every. Single. Night (even on holiday), and doesn’t like being reminded of what might happen if she skips an application.
Smasher: Sue (Margaret Qualley).
Smashee: Elisabeth (Demi Moore).
Smash velocity: 10/10. Hard smash. Observe that deep, close-knit web with its blood-smeared cracks. Visceral sound effects, too.
Movie Theme: This movie plumbs the dark, grotesque depths of beauty and envy.
What a film. There’s a reason The Substance (written and directed by Coralie Fargeat) was one of the most talked-about movies of 2024. I don’t agree with the user on Reddit who said this was just like a long Black Mirror episode. I mean, yes, it kind of was like a long Black Mirror episode, but it was also a great piece of standalone cinema that deserves all its acclaim.
It’s probably one of the best movies about what it feels like to be a woman ageing in this world, with an flawless - yes, flawless - starring performance by Demi Moore.
Where to watch: Still showing at cinemas
2. The Neon Demon (2016)
A veteran model smashes the bathroom at a casting shoot in a jealous rage, after an ingenue on her first booking beats her out for a show.
Smasher: Sarah (Abbey Lee).
Smashee: Modelling casting agency’s bathroom mirror.
Secondary smash: A shard cuts Jesse (Elle Fanning).
Smash velocity: 10/10. That’s full Smash Bros right there, bro. Very hurly.
Movie Theme: This movie plumbs the dark, grotesque depths of beauty.
I think this phantasmagorical creep-fest from Nicolas Winding Refn is worth a watch. Jesse, a small-town teen with ‘star quality’ (Elle Fanning) has just moved to LA. Her beauty captivates everyone who meets her, and she begins to make her mark on the modelling world.
I’m not going to lie, Neon Demon is a weird film. It’s groaning under the weight of its own metaphors, but they worked for me. I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening during every arty moment of it, but it makes its point aesthetically.
Besides, don’t you want to see Jena Malone making out with a corpse? Yeah, you do. It also boasts a stellar supporting cast, including Keanu Reeves, Jena Malone, Christina Hendricks and Abbey Lee.
Where to watch: Stan
3. Black Swan (2010)
In a struggle, the personalities of the Black-Swan and White-Swan in Nina’s head fight, causing a big-ass mirror to break. Did Nina kill Lily…or herself?
Smasher: Nina (Natalie Portman).
Smashee: Lily (Mila Kunis).
Smash velocity: 11/10. I mean, the mirror actually fell off the wall.
Movie Theme: This movie plumbs the dark, grotesque depths of envy and ambition (I’m just going to keep rolling with the word ‘plumbs’. Why not?)
Black Swan has become a neo-classic over the years. Nina, an intense, perfectionistic, unstable ballerina of the New York City Ballet company finds herself in competition for the lead role in Swan Lake. Lily, her rival, is a much more relaxed and spontaneous dancer. Reality and fantasy blur as the dark side of Nina’s mind begins to take over.
You don’t have to be a ballerina or have an extreme personality to enjoy this arthouse movie and understand Nina’s descent. This isn’t a comforting movie, but it’s an artful and well-executed treatise on the human struggle for perfection.
Where to watch: Disney+
4. Batman (1989)
“Mirror….Mirror!”
The Joker laughs hysterically after he takes an upsetting glimpse at his new face in a handheld mirror. After his surgeon tells him, “You understand that the nerves were completely severed, Mr. Napier,” he smashes the surgeon’s hand mirror - potentially his only hand mirror - onto a treatment table, scattering broken glass all over the surgeon’s instruments. Rude.
Smasher: The Joker aka Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson).
Smashee: A hand mirror.
Smash velocity: 4/10. This is the lowest smash velocity I’ve awarded so far, but hear me out. When it comes to iconic and memorable movie scenes, this one is off the charts. It’s even been parodied on The Simpsons. But a hand mirror’s glass is just not a very big area. It’s not enough broken glass, for me, to warrant a higher velocity score.
Movie Theme: This movie plumbs…duality, I think? Tim Burton doing Batman? Good versus evil? Bat versus Crazy? I don’t know.
The first live-action Batman movie since the 1960s, this Tim-Burton directed blockbuster set the mood for the franchise we’re used to today. (Before Tim Burton got his paws on Batman, it was campy AF.)
Sure, this film is dated now, and Jack Nicholson is a bit cheesy as The Joker, but I personally enjoy its noir atmosphere. And Michael Keaton remains one of my favourite Batmen.
Where to watch: Binge
5. Carrie (1976)
After being locked in the closet by her abusive, fanatically religious mother for getting her period, shygirl Carrie is finally allowed to return to her room. She stares at her reflection in her bedroom mirror, full of self-loathing, and shatters the mirror…with her mind.
Smasher: Carrie (Sissy Spacek).
Smashee: Her bedroom mirror.
Smash velocity: 8/10. Very emotional smash. This smash actually marks a key inciting incident in the movie: it’s the moment Carrie realises she possesses telekinesis. Also, it’s the only smash on this list enacted with no physical contact…unique!
Movie Theme: This movie plumbs the depths of the dark side of femininity…and revenge.
A classic horror movie adapted from Stephen King’s 1974 novel. Carrie was actually the very first novel the exhaustingly prolific Stephen King ever published.
Teenage Carrie White has been abused by her oppressive mother her whole life, as well as bullied at school. After being humiliated by her classmates at her high school prom, Carrie embarks on a murderous, destructive rampage.
From one perspective, Carrie is a villain, and from another, a victim of circumstance driven to breaking point. A lot of the abuse she suffers is gender-specific, which I think is deployed effectively, if a little heavy-handedly, by its male writer. (According to his memoir On Writing, Stephen King relied heavily on his wife’s input for this book to accurately capture the perspective of a female teenager. Good job, Tabitha King.)
Like many of Stephen King’s works, Carrie examines the cruellest sides of human nature, but I think this is one of his more subtle and effective stories.
Where to watch: Prime Video
6. The Crow (1994)
Eric Draven is resurrected from the grave by a magical crow, and painful memories of his murdered fiancée resurface. He elbows his vanity mirror before applying some gnarly crow face paint…and embarking on an epic revenge mission.
Smasher: Eric ‘The Crow’ Draven (the late Brandon Lee).
Smashee: His vanity mirror.
Secondary smash: He also pushes one of his fiancée’s murderers, Roeg, through a mirror later.
Smash velocity: 7/10. Significant, metaphoric smash #1, marking a severance with his past self.
Movie Theme: This movie plumbs the depths of vengeance.
The Crow is another neo-classic. It’s a pretty simple, single-minded revenge story: after a gang kills his beloved fiancée, Shelly, Eric Draven is resurrected from the dead and finds himself indestructible. He makes it his mission to kill everyone responsible for Shelly’s death. This movie relies heavily on atmosphere; its aesthetics draw you instantly into its dark, rainy world. Goths love it.
This movie has earned legendary status, in part due to the on-set death of the lead actor Brandon Lee (Bruce Lee’s only son). He actually died filming the death scene of his character. Even more eerie, he left a real-life fiancée behind to mourn him. Sad.
Where to watch: Stan
7. Enter the Dragon (1973)
In a final showdown with the villain, Han, the hero Lee is drawn into a hall of mirrors. Initially confused by all the reflections, he remembers the words of his martial arts master, Shaolin Abbot: “Remember – the enemy has only images and illusions behind which he hides his true motives. Destroy the image and you will break the enemy.”
Lee smashes all the mirrors so he can determine what is a reflection, and what is real - finally enabling him to defeat Han by impaling him into a mirror with a sword.
Smasher: Lee (Bruce Lee).
Smashee: A whole freaking hall of mirrors.
Secondary smash (OK, stab): Han.
Smash velocity: 11/10. Oh, god. So many mirrors!
Movie Theme: This movie plumbs the depths of honour and revenge.
This Hong Kong/American martial arts classic is the last film Bruce Lee completed before his death at the age of 32. It’s the most financially successful martial arts movie ever made.
When he’s recruited by a British Intelligence agent to take down a criminal gang, Lee infiltrates gang leader Han’s martial arts competition and fights his way to taking down Han.
I don’t have that much to say about this movie; it’s a violent, action-packed classic. If you like martial arts, you’ll love it.
Where to watch: Rent on Apple TV
8. The Room (2003)
In his infamous anger montage, haunted by the knowledge his fiancée Lisa has been sleeping with his BFF Mark, Johnny smashes a mirror by throwing…something at it. (I still can’t tell what he throws. It looks like a large stone.)
In this scene, he also destroys: a plate of cherry tomatoes, a candelabra, a bookcase, a wine glass, a candle, 3 paintings, a television, a window, a lamp, a dresser, and then throws all his bedclothes on the floor. “Everybody betray me! I fed up with this world!”
Smasher: Johnny (Tommy Wiseau).
Smashee: His vanity mirror.
Smash velocity: 5/10. The TV through the window kind of overshadows the mirror smash.
Movie Theme: This movie plumbs the depths of…Tommy Wiseau’s mind.
I mean, this entire movie is basically a smashed mirror. An ‘all-American hero’ (played by a guy who speaks with an unidentifiable accent and looks like Frankenstein) is betrayed by his fiancée, best friend and job. He decides to throw a tantrum and kill himself to make everyone sorry. Yes, he is clear that that’s the reason why.
Written, directed, produced and starred in by Tommy Wiseau (as he ensures you know immediately in the opening credits), the sincere yet unintentionally comedic The Room cemented itself in cult cinema history in 2003. Many famous actors are fans. You can still find it screening fairly regularly at indie cinemas and theatres, a la Rocky Horror Picture Show, where pundits laugh themselves silly throwing spoons at the screen (if you know, you know).
If you haven’t seen The Room, who are you? Go watch it immediately. You can find the full movie on YouTube. The wooden acting, the baffling cinematography, the inconsistent editing, the wonky story, the unforgettably weird dialogue…
And the backstory of this movie is as mind-boggling as the movie itself.
For example:
- It gained recognition because Tommy paid $5,000 per month, for over five years, to keep a billboard up in Hollywood advertising it. All up, that billboard cost him over $300,000. He financed the $6 million dollar movie himself.
- To this day, no one really knows where Tommy made all his money, what his real name is, which country he’s from or how old he is.
- Tommy submitted this disaster of a movie to the Academy Awards.
- The script supervisor for the film tried to edit the dialog to sound more like actual human beings talking, but Tommy wouldn’t let them alter his masterpiece.
- The movie ‘The Disaster Artist’, based on the memoir by co-star Greg Sestero, is based on the making of this film.
I know I'm going on about The Room too long, but I’ll never not find this film and its lore fascinating. I'd like to end with a pull quote from Indie Outlook's excellent essay about this film:
“At its core, what makes “The Room” funny to me is how it presents the male ego stripped of all sophistication or competence. Countless heartbroken men have directed a movie out of spite, creating an alter ego for themselves that is sympathetic and flattering. The women are either idealized and objectified or damaged beyond repair, allowing the narrative deck to be stacked in favor of the filmmaker. Wiseau was entirely sincere in his efforts to helm this sort of picture, but his craftsmanship was so inept that it caused “The Room” to come off as surreal satire.”
Where to watch: YouTube
9. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Villanous fascist Captain Vidal slashes his shaving mirror, right where his reflection’s throat is. His father was a military hero who died during battle: he’s not afraid of death, he almost taunts its arrival, and associates it with heroic masculinity.
Smasher: Captain Vidal (Sergi López).
Smashee: His hand mirror.
Smash velocity: 1/10. Significant, symbolism-wise - but this is more slashy than smashy.
Movie Theme: This movie plumbs the depths of rebellion as moral transcendence.
In 1944 Spain, during World War II and Franco’s regime, a troop of soldiers are hunting the rebels hiding in a remote forest. Pan’s Labyrinth follows 11-year-old Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), the stepdaughter of the troupe’s brutal leader, Capitan Vidal.
Vidal terrorizes Ofelia and the household, until one night, a fairy and a faun draw Ofelia into the magical world of Pan's Labyrinth. Told she is a princess, she has to complete three tasks to show she has the moral conviction to reclaim her throne. Her final choice revolves around saving her baby brother from Vidal’s hands.
Directed by the talented Guillermo del Toro, dark fantasy film Pan’s Labyrinth has been described as a ‘fairy tale for grown-ups’. The label fits, although I’d call it something closer to folk-horror; it’s eerie, brutal, beautiful and unforgettable, a cathartic watch with a big payoff.
Where to watch: Rent on Apple TV
10. Saltburn (2023)
A guest staying at his rich friend’s palatial estate punches the bathroom mirror after being humiliated during karaoke.
Smasher: Oliver (Barry Keoghan).
Smashee: Saltburn’s bathroom mirror.
Smash velocity: 8/10. Unexpected smash made unique by the fact that Oliver wraps his hand in a towel prior to performing the act. He’s destructive, yet methodical - and good at avoiding any damage to himself.
Movie Theme: This movie plumbs the depths of obsession, desire and envy.
Oliver, a student at Oxford, becomes obsessed with Felix, a popular and aristocratic classmate. The wealthy Felix (Jacob Elordi) invites less fortunate Oliver to stay at his estate, Saltburn, until a series of horrifying events soon befall his eccentric family.
There are a lot of mirror scenes in this movie, which makes sense; in the tradition of films like The Talented Mr Ripley, the film constantly makes the viewer reflect on Oliver’s duality and hidden identity.
I loved Emerald Fennel’s Saltburn; it’s a deliciously disturbing romp that balances its shocking elements with decadence and, dare I say it, fun. If you’re wondering why the song Murder on the Dancefloor by Sophie Ellis Bextor experienced such a radio resurgence in 2023/2024, this movie’s closing scene is the reason why.
Where to watch: Prime Video
What I’ve learned from writing this list
Well, I think we can agree that mirror smashing does not seem to be particularly common in happy movies. Most of these movies were thrillers, horrors or centred around Bat/Crowmen.
I think we can also agree that mirror smashing scenes in movies tend to be tied up with themes of envy, identity, duality and beauty - and interestingly, revenge was another recurring theme.
Mirror smashing is not limited to any one gender.
Some of the movies I first thought of for this list weren’t even made this millennium, which made me wonder if perhaps mirror-smashing was a heavy-handed metaphor best left in the past…but then I realised there were plenty of recent examples. Mirror smashing is an eternal trope that’s here to stay. Yay!
Was my list written in any particular order? No, not really, it just became inconvenient to shuffle the selections around once I’d already written out my notes and copied in the screenshots - some of which, by the way, were very difficult to find. I actually had to rip a pirated copy of - never mind.
Lastly, thank you for reading this list. It means so much to me that you would take the time out of your busy schedule to plumb the recesses of my movie memories with me. May all of your mirrors remain forever intact, fair reader.