The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

Good cast; confusing story
Richard Gere is excellent and Laura Linney is even better in this otherwise forgettable film about an allegedly real (?) or not (?) supernatural creature, the Mothman, who appeared in a West Virginia town, Point Pleasant and predicted, among other things, the sinking of a bridge over the Ohio River in 1967. I knew nothing about the actual event, nor the folklore surrounding the Mothman when I picked up this DVD. I read only that the story was based on true events.

Since I am not a horror film fan at all--I stay away from them--my interest in this, besides the good cast, was that fact that this "supernatural" event was at least somewhat true. I do believe in some supernatural phenomenon so I had an interest in seeing exactly what did happen here. The story, though, isn't completely factual, so the viewer is left wondering what actually happened and what didn't. It's so bizarre. One wonders who was making the phone calls, who was disguising their voices, the time warp, the mysterious re-appearance of the dead wife...etc. etc. After a while my mind got tired of trying to figure it out and I focused on the possible romance of Gere and Linney. There, too, I was disappointed, as nothing conclusive is shown.

I guess if you really really love horror films and you don't care if anything is real, then you might like this film. For me, it is mostly a waste of excellent actors.

Will give you chills every time without fail ...
Some of the reviewers have stated: It's nothing like the book. Thank God. Having read the book, which is fine in and of itself, I'm glad that the movie was so much better and not a straight adaptation. If you wish to order and read [[ASIN:0765341972 the book]] after seeing the movie, go right ahead, but expect a few very dry, and yawning bedtime reads that might bore you.

The Special Edition of this film is the one to get. I already owned the Original Theatrical Release, but re-purchased it because I had to see the two documentaries that were included on disk two. I usually frown at studios double-dipping to rake in more cash from an unsuspecting audience, but in this case it was well worth it. This is a much over-looked movie that was superb in every way.

The next time the phone rings and no one responds back ... you'll immediatly think that it's the Mothman, whether you admit it, ... or not.

Terrifying Mystery-Thriller
The Mothman Prophecies is one of the scariest films I have ever seen. It blends fact wih fiction (creating a haunting and earily "real" atmosphere that one does not easily forget.) Richard Ghere is great as the lead, and the story moves along at an almost perfect pace. There is not much action in this movie, but trust me, once you've started there's no stopping, and once it's over you'll have to watch a seriously funny movie to counter it's effects. That being said, Mothman is an excellent film in almost every way, and I highly reccomend it to the thriller fan.