The Mothman Prophecies [2002]

It is hard to define a category for this movie; it is more of a mystery than a horror. Shot in 2002, it’s smack dab in the middle of the supernatural mystery surge that started in 1999 with several movies: The Sixth Sense, Stir of Echoes, Stigmata and The Ninth Gate. One thing that these movies have in common is a bit darker tone. One year later, Frequency was released and what followed is a series of supernatural thrillers like Dragonfly. Based on a legend of the Mothman, this is a slick mystery flick done by the book. Feeling like a X-Files episode, The Mothman Prophecies examines that legend through the lens of a Washington Post columnist.

John Klein and his wife had a car accident where they first saw a moth-like figure. After her death he continues to see the moth figures everywhere, and decides to investigate this. His quest leads him to little town Point Pleasant, where he will start to get more and more information on this mystery. The whole movie is full of suspense and creepy scenes, and Richard Gere is just amazing in his role. It’s interesting to draw parallels between the dreamy and elusive atmosphere of this movie and the real folk tales that seem like nightmares. The tales may seem frightening and true to some, but we all know that there’s no Mothman and the same goes for the movie. It ultimately lacked a coherent story, but it’s one interesting ride through that creepy Point Pleasant area. And who knows, maybe this is much worse than a winged half-human half-moth.

Director: Mark Pellington

Cast: Richard Gere, David Eigenberg, Debra Messing, Tom Stoviak, Scott Nunnally, Laura Linney

Fun Facts: The name of the expert on paranormal activity is Leek, the reverse of paranormal expert and author of the novel that the film was based on, John A. Kee

Rating:

IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265349/