The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Great story, pacing, atmosphere, and editing. Fantastic, as might be expected, performance from Will Patton. Although it contains what may arguably be considered the best film performance by Richard Gere, one still has to consider how great this film might've been with better principle casting.

Here's a flawed but effective and mildly horrific horror yarn that takes the modern subtle approach to horror rather than filling the screen with in-your-face blood and guts. Therefore it's all the better for it, chilling the viewer with brief shock appearances of a mysterious creature, bizarre and disturbing phone calls in the middle of the night, and all sorts of supernatural shenanigans occurring which our characters cannot explain. The film is well-made in all aspects with camera-work that only occasionally veers into flashy pretentiousness. That we never really see the creature behind the chaos is one of the film's strongest aspects, it keeps you in the dark and therefore never fails to send a slight chill down your spine. Some JEEPERS CREEPERS-style rubbery monster just wouldn't have had the same impact and would have detracted from the movie's realism, which is of course the reason it remains frightening, because it feels true. The movie is horrific throughout and has a number of scary moments which thankfully don't take the form of a sudden loud noise to shock you as in WHAT LIES BENEATH. Instead the shadowy, barely-lit sets, the forbidding and chilly town in which the film is set, and the wealth of odd inexplicable events which occur are designed to throw you off balance. Literally you don't know what to expect and that's where the fun lies.The flaws lies in the film's script and plotting which tends to be all over the place at times. This is a mood-focused rather than plot-orientated movie so some moments do tend to drag a little, especially in the second half, giving an episodic feel to the production which works against it and sent some viewers in my cinema off to sleep! Thankfully things work out for a tense set-piece finale which is one of the most suspenseful I've seen in quite some time and literally had me on the edge of my cinema seat. Once Alan Bates' character is introduced to explain the plot a fine sense of foreboding and impending doom is worked up which nicely carries the film throughout and retained my interest. Although the movie does well not to lay explanations for everything out on a plate at the end, pandering to the dumbest viewer, some of what happens is too confusing and needs clarifying a little further.Another strong highlight is the cast of seasoned performers who acquit themselves well with the various roles. These guys have us caring for the people involved and keep us watching. First of all we have Richard Gere, well cast as the Washington Post reporter whose inner sadness comes from the tragic death of his wife, which occurs in the first fifteen minutes of the movie and lets us know that we're in for a heavy journey. Gere is charismatic and darned likable - more than I've ever seen him before actually - as the slightly neurotic Mulder-style investigator and his pivotal role makes the film for me. Excellent support comes from Laura Linney as the warm-hearted town sheriff and especially Will Patton, who excels here as the town oddball who becomes the focus of the town's manifestations. Finally, Alan Bates is on hand to lend some gravitas as a slightly kooky professor who knows more about the events than he initially lets on; although it's an easy part to play, Bates has fun with it and that wears off. Despite being flawed and somewhat unsatisfying (hard to put my finger on what exactly was wrong with it, other than I was left feeling a little disappointed in what had not happened, that somehow we had been led down the garden path), THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES is a step ahead of most modern teen slasher fare and deserves kudos for its old-fashioned approach to the horror genre. It may be clichéd and a little predictable but the cast keeps you engaged throughout and I was never less than interested in what was happening.

Well, this sure was an interesting movie. First of all, if you are a someone who really hates a horror movie (even if i would not use that term for this movie) where the monster is never or rarely shows, you probably will not enjoy this movie.If you are however a fan of the older movies where the monster is rarely shows (like Cat People from 1942) you will enjoy it. Sometimes it's better to concentrate on the story rather than the monster, and in this movie i think they made the right choice to have the monster take a backseat to the rest of the cast.The story is at first center on a reporter named John Klein and his adventures with the supernatural in the west point area. Things take a turn to the supernatural when people start to hear voices, see strange things and get a glimpse of what may happen. During the time he spends in town we start to feel badly for him because the supernatural is starting to target him, driving him close to the brink of madness at some point.Richard Gere does a good job as John Klein with the exception of a few scenes where he hams it up and the rest of the cast all do a pretty good job. The movie has its ups and downs, but in the end it's a pretty good story. The atmosphere of the movie is not scary at all, but the story managed to stay well to the end, except for the very end.

I don't quite class it as horror, but more of a supernatural mystery thriller. Fascinating that this thing is based on real life reports. It gives it more of the creepy factor. That aside, it's just a really good nail-biter.It was very atmospheric. Great cinematography. I think the premise could have made for a great TV show. There's such a Twin Peakish, Lostish, feeling about it, tho not the weirdness. I like that people were reporting strange going ons and they were taken seriously.Richard Gere, Laura Linney, and Will Patton played their roles perfectly. I recommend for people that like Twin Peaks, Lost, and X-Files, and are looking for something with that similar type of mysterious feeling.