7.5/10
Senior Film Conservator

A definitive 7.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Thru the Mirror remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have ten minutes and a soft spot for animation that feels like a fever dream, yes. It's for people who want to see Mickey Mouse fight a literal deck of cards with a sewing needle. If you need a coherent plot or don't like surrealism, maybe skip this one. It's pure chaos, and that's the point.
Watching this feels less like a cartoon and more like someone took the weirdest parts of a Lewis Carroll book and shoved them into a blender. The way the furniture moves around is genuinely creepy in a fun, old-school way. It reminds me of the manic energy I felt watching Scrappy's Party, but with way more dancing.
The walnut scene is weirdly specific. Mickey eats it and suddenly he's changing sizes, which is just classic cartoon logic. It doesn't need to make sense. It just needs to happen so he can get to the part where he's flirting with the Queen of Hearts.
Speaking of the King, he is incredibly petty. He gets jealous immediately and starts swinging swords around like he's trying to cut a sandwich. Watching Mickey try to defend himself with a tiny sewing needle is one of those visuals that sticks with you. It's absurdly tense for something that's supposed to be a lighthearted short.
The highlight has to be the fan. When the deck of cards starts throwing their pips at him—which, by the way, is a great visual gag—Mickey just turns on a fan. That’s it. It’s such a simple, funny solution to a massive problem. It’s almost like watching The Buttinsky where someone just stumbles into a win.
There isn't a lot of deep analysis here because the movie doesn't want to be analyzed. It just wants to show you a deck of cards getting blown away like confetti. Sometimes, that's enough for me. 🐭🃏
It’s not trying to win an Oscar. It’s just trying to be a riot. And honestly? It succeeds.