Mirror’s Edge—and its sequel, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst—are games about running around at high speeds for lengthy periods of time, usually to get somewhere fast, avoid someone who’s chasing you, or catch someone you’re chasing. The first game, especially, is a ton of fun—even with all of its issues—and it’s hard not to get a rush while playing it.
Here are ten movies for fans of Mirror’s Edge.
Ultraviolet
The first act of Ultraviolet is “Mirror’s Edge: The Movie.” It’s the future, a group of people are hunted by the evil government—for reasons that don’t matter; it’s a generic dystopia. Its protagonist’s job is to acquire and deliver packages to other people, all while being chased by guards and a helicopter. The city is very clean in both properties, there are betrayals, and they each have comic book elements. The movie diverges into something else in its later stages, but for a long while it feels very much like a Mirror’s Edge movie. It’s not the greatest thing out there, mind, but it’s “accurate,” if you will.
Speed
Speed is a movie all about keeping one’s momentum going—much like Mirror’s Edge. In it, a bus has to be kept at 50 MPH or higher—or it will explode. Mirror’s Edge‘s Faith obviously can’t run quite that fast, but the goal’s the same. It’s a pulse-pounding movie.
Crank
Crank is the sort of pure-momentum film that someone like Jason Statham is perfect for. In the film, he has to keep on the run, and keep adrenaline pumping through his body through various reckless and exciting activities in order to survive. He does everything he can in order to do that, which often involves running or fighting cops. It’s more R-rated than Mirror’s Edge ever gets, but, hey, adrenaline junkies will dig it anyway.
Mayhem
Mayhem is a pretty recent movie that reminded me of the final level of Mirror’s Edge, which sees you fight through a couple of levels in an office building in order to reach the top for the final boss (an admittedly disappointing conclusion in the game, but such is life). Mayhem sees its hero do just that—except he uses more weapons than Faith is ever given access to. And there isn’t a lot of running. But it is a very high-energy action movie that isn’t dissimilar in that aspect to Mirror’s Edge.
Run Lola Run
Constant running? Fondness for the color red? Female protagonist? Time limit? Run Lola Run has Mirror’s Edge written all over its body. It even lets its protagonist start over from a checkpoint if she isn’t successful.
Hardcore Henry
Hardcore Henry is the first feature-length movie to take place from the first-person perspective. In doing so, it feels incredibly like a video game. It also has a lot of running, as the protagonist has to constantly avoid people who want him dead. And, hey, Mirror’s Edge was one of the first first-person pure platformers—for better or worse—so they’ve both got that sort of innovation going for them.
Freerunner
Eight runners are kidnapped by mobsters and forced to run across town within one hour—or the collars blow up. Sounds like a theoretical Mirror’s Edge Catalyst DLC, doesn’t it? It doesn’t have a ton more plot than that, but the parkour is fun and, really, that’s all that matters.
Running Scared
Running Scared is a race-against-time movie that involves a gun, a shooting, another shooting, a failure to destroy the gun, and a lot more that I probably don’t remember. There’s an ice rink, too, I believe. The plot feels like a scavenger hunt, making its characters race from one location to the next in order to get something before moving on to the next place. And it’s got lots of running. Have you noticed a theme?
Any Tom Cruise Movie
It’d be had to have a list that involved a lot of running and not include the cinematic running master, Tom Cruise. If there are films in which he doesn’t show off his running ability, they are few and far between—even nowadays, with Cruise in his mid-’50s. If you have to pick one, I’ll go with Minority Report. Its city most closely resembles the one in Mirror’s Edge.
District B13
District B13 is probably the parkour movie. It was (poorly) remade in 2014 as Brick Mansions, but the original is sold. Its parkour and stunts make it worth watching on their own; the plot exists and isn’t terrible but it’s secondary. If there’s a better parkour movie out there, I haven’t seen it.
