Mothman Prophecies, The (2002)

This film is apparently based on mysterious events that reportedly occurred in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, in the mid-60s, as recounted in a 1975 book by reporter John A. Keel. The book is apparently popular among paranormal fans and was reportedly an early influence on the development of TV’s The X-Files.

Basing a film on supposedly real events isn’t always a good thing. Here, the filmmakers felt free to dramatise and fictionalise aspects of the story but stopped short of supplying any sort of logical conclusion (since no such conclusion exists in real life).

The resulting film is to alien infestation and prophecy what The Amityville Horror was to satanic thrillers like The Exorcist,

The “true events” may be hooey, who knows? Still, they’re “facts” and aren’t to be toyed with. At least not too much.

Richard Gere plays a Washington Post reporter whose name is changed here to John Klein.

At the film’s start, he is involved in a car crash that kills his beloved wife (Debra Messing), who apparently was distracted behind the wheel by an apparition.

Two years later, Klein finds himself in Point Pleasant, developing a story about a wide range of paranormal activity around town.

A giant, dark, mothlike creature with blazing red eyes has been spotted by a frightened ex-alcoholic (Will Patton), two teens necking on Lover’s Lane, and a scared woman who managed to sketch the creature.

But instead of talking to people directly, the creature prefers to use the phone, like a resourceful alien telemarketer.

Various residents get calls from the “Mothman,” who makes dire predictions that too often come true. Soon, Klein starts getting the calls.

He is helped in his investigation by the amiable town cop (Laura Linney) and, more reluctantly, by a veteran writer (Alan Bates) who’s chronicled Mothman in the past but has been scared out of the business.

Filmgoers seeking graphic horror – or even a good look at the creature – will be disappointed. The Mothman Prophecies aims at a more emotional and cerebral approach – and maintains its PG-13 rating on its gore-o-meter.

Director Mark Pellington never successfully ties his framing device – the death of Klein’s wife – with the main Point Pleasant story. He also fails to generate the sort of suspense that helped his previous film Arlington Road overcome its contrivances.

Gere is an adequate protagonist playing the confused loner who finds himself in over his head.

John Klein
Richard Gere
Ed Fleischman
David Eigenberg
Cyrus Bills
Bob Tracey
Mary Klein
Debra Messing
Dr McElroy
Yvonne Erickson
Gordon Smallwood
Will Patton
Denise Smallwood
Lucinda Jenney
Connie Mills (Parker)
Laura Linney
Otto
Zachary Mott
Lucy Griffin
Ann McDonough
Nat Griffin
Shane Callahan
Chief Josh Jarrett
Nesbitt Blaisdell
C.J.
Dan Callahan
Holly
Christin Frame
Dr Williams
Rohn Thomas
Indrid Cold
Bill Laing
Sonny
Tim Hartman
Alexander Leek
Alan Bates
Indrid Cold (voice)/Bartender
Mark Pellington
Governor Rob McCallum
Murphy Dunne
Tory Pherris (Paris)
Betsy Zajko

Director
Mark Pellington