Film

Mirror Mirror

Name: Mirror Mirror
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Released: 2012
Cast: Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane, Mare Winningham

Fairy tale
Light-hearted

A splashy, deliberately theatrical retelling of Snow White that trades darkness for colour and sass. Tarsem Singh directs with visual extravagance, turning the fairy tale into a comedy romp with Julia Roberts chewing scenery as a vain, broke queen. It's silly, energetic, and knows exactly what it is—a film that wants you smiling, not scared.

TMDb rating

3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy a sly, candy-coloured fairy tale that winks at its own conventions, with Julia Roberts clearly having a ball as the vain queen and a playful, theatrical sense of mischief running through every scene.

Skip it if you want a tender, faithful retelling of the Snow White story, since this one treats the familiar beats as a springboard for broad slapstick and the dwarves lean heavily on silly stunts.

What it asks of you: It runs about an hour and three-quarters, moves at a brisk, bouncy clip, stays light throughout, and asks you to meet it with a grin rather than heavy concentration.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Enchanted2007

A fairy-tale princess lands in modern New York and has to navigate real life. Amy Adams is charming, it's genuinely funny for both kids and adults, and it has that same warm, knowing affection for the stories it's playing with.

But If you find meta-commentary about tropes exhausting rather than delightful, this will feel like being nudged in the ribs constantly.

Cinderella2015

A big-budget fairy tale remake with visual beauty, actual substance underneath, and a lead who brings grace and humour. It respects the story while making it feel alive and modern without winking at the camera.

But It's considerably more serious and sentimental than Mirror Mirror. If you want camp and comedy, this tilts toward earnest.

The Princess Bride1987

A fairy tale that's funny, adventurous, and genuinely moving without ever being schmaltz. It loves the genre it's in, and so do you by the end. The adventure is real, the gags land, and the heart is earned.

But It's slower and more dialogue-heavy than Mirror Mirror's visual rush. Some find the framing story dated now.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Mirror Mirror

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Tale of Despereaux2008

Both reinvent familiar fairy-tale material through visual spectacle and unashamed artificiality—the world is clearly a constructed set, and that's the point. Both say: this is a story we're telling you.

A fairy-tale musical animated film with unexpected melancholy and genuine beauty. It looks sumptuous and tells a quiet, strange version of a classic story. If you loved the visual extravagance of Mirror Mirror but want something more introspective, this is luminous.

But It's aimed at very young children in some ways but emotionally complex in others. Tonal inconsistency might feel like poor pacing rather than intentional.

Shrek2001

An animated fairy-tale comedy that's also a genuinely clever deconstruction. Funny for kids and adults at different levels, beautiful to look at, and the heart sneaks up on you.

But The pop-culture references feel dated if you watch it now. Some of the humour hasn't aged well.

Snow White and the Huntsman2012

Released the same year as Mirror Mirror, this one takes Snow White seriously—dark, gorgeous production design, Charlize Theron as a genuinely menacing queen. If you want visual spectacle with real stakes, this delivers.

But It's the tonal opposite: grim, operatic, sometimes ponderous. Zero comedy, which might be a relief or a disappointment depending on your mood.

Stardust2007

A fantasy adventure that's funny, romantic, and wildly inventive. Great cast, smart script, and it commits to the fun of the genre without ever becoming saccharine. Pure entertainment that respects your time.

But It's a bit sprawling, and some subplots drift. Not as visually distinctive as what Tarsem Singh does.

The Grand Budapest Hotel2014

Wes Anderson's meticulously symmetrical caper is a fairytale-adjacent adventure with gorgeous production design. If you loved Mirror Mirror's theatrical artifice and colour, this takes that impulse into surreal territory.

But Anderson's style is very precise and formal. If you want warmth and energy, this is cool and controlled in a way that can feel remote.

Maleficent2014

Angelina Jolie as the evil queen—a darker, more complex take on the villain's perspective. Visually stunning, with real emotional weight beneath the fairy-tale trappings.

But Sentimental in ways that undercut the villainy. If you loved Julia Roberts' unrepentant scheming, this reframes the whole moral structure.

Ella Enchanted2004

A fairy-tale adventure comedy with Anne Hathaway that's deliberately silly and earnest at once. It commits to fun first and doesn't pretend to be deeper than it is.

But It's visibly low-budget compared to Mirror Mirror, and the tone lurches. Uneven enough to feel like it's fighting itself.

Crimson Peak2015

Guillermo del Toro directs with the same level of meticulous visual invention Tarsem Singh brought to Mirror Mirror—every frame is designed, nothing is accidental. Both prove a fairy tale can be visually sophisticated without abandoning story.

A gothic romance with the production design of a Guillermo del Toro fever dream. Lush, baroque, genuinely romantic but with a sinister undercurrent. If you love colour, costume, and visual storytelling, this is hypnotic.

But It's a horror-adjacent romance, not a comedy. If you want to feel light and entertained, its atmosphere of dread and decay works against that.

The NeverEnding Story1984

Both films use costume, production design, and theatrical artifice as the primary storytelling tool. But while Mirror Mirror is comedy-extrovert, NeverEnding Story is introverted and sincere—the same aesthetic language in opposite emotional registers. Together they show what fairy-tale cinema can be.

A children's film that works as genuine fantasy—weird, melancholic, visually inventive. It treats its magical world and the child's journey through it with absolute seriousness. Not a parody or comedy, but a real story told with care and imagination.

But It's slow by modern standards, and genuinely sad in places. If you want consistent energy and laughs, this will feel like stepping into a dream you can't quite wake from.