MirrorMask is the brainchild of Jim Henson of Muppets fame. MirrorMask, like Jim Henson’s other pet films (Labyrinth, Dark Crystal) has dark edge to it but conveys positive messages throughout. The movie is a series of psychological metaphors embedded in an overall metaphor about trust, individuality, and belonging. This is by far the strangest of Jim Henson’s very strange movies. It is also has serious depth and incredible artistry.
The world into which the main character, Helena, is trapped is a winding twisting maze of allegory and metaphor. The maze takes the shape of buildings, rooms, stairs, woods, whatever conveys the lesson or moral challenge of the moment. The solution to the maze, much like in the Wizard of Oz, is self realization.
[Content Warning: Despite being from Jim Henson this is not a movie for children. While there is nothing gory or even really violent about the movie, certain scenes will disturb children and some adults.]