MirrorMask

MirrorMask follows Helena, a teenage girl who performs in her family's circus but dreams of leaving that life behind. After a serious conflict with her parents, her mother falls gravely ill, and Helena is consumed by guilt. On the night before her mother's operation, she slips into a dreamlike world divided between two queens, where light and shadow hold unequal power. In this realm she must locate the MirrorMask, an object capable of waking the sleeping Queen of Light and restoring the balance, while also finding her own way home. The journey through this strange land, populated by masked figures and unusual creatures, becomes a test of whether she can accept her life and grow into it.

The film was directed by Dave McKean, who wrote the screenplay with Neil Gaiman. It is McKean's second feature as director, following n[eon] in 2002, and it was produced by Simon Moorhead for Destination Films and The Jim Henson Company. Stephanie Leonidas plays Helena and her counterpart Anti-Helena, with Jason Barry, Rob Brydon, Gina McKee and Stephen Fry in supporting roles. Made for about 4 million dollars, it earned a 6.4 rating on TMDB from 378 votes, while its critics' rating stands slightly lower, at 5.8 from 89 reviews, suggesting a warmer response from general viewers than from reviewers.