The Mothman Prophecies

Haunting Mystery with Supernatural Elements – Reverent, Beautiful, Brilliant

RELEASED IN 2002 and directed by Mark Pellington, "The Mothman Prophecies" details some of the strange events that occurred in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, from November 15, 1966, to December 15, 1967 (13 months). The movie, however, transplants the events to the year 2001.

PLOT: Richard Gere plays John Klein, a journalist for The Washington Post trying to come to grips with the sudden death of his wife, Mary (Debra Messing). He mysteriously shows up in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, where he develops a relationship with the sympathetic police sergeant, Connie (Laura Linney). Many of the town's residents have sighted an eerie mothman-like entity, similar to the one Mary saw before she died. A researcher (Alan Bates) believes that the ‘mothmen’ exist on a sphere beyond human comprehension and that they can foresee impending calamities. Is the ‘mothman’ sighted in Point Pleasant warning the citizens of one? If so, what is it?

This is not a monster movie or a slasher horror flick; if you want that see “Mothman” (2010), which is actually pretty good for a TV creature feature (and interestingly links the mothman to the unjust slaying of Cornstalk, aka Hokoleskwa, in 1777). “The Mothman Prophecies,” by contrast, is a supernatural/mystery story with cogent creepy mood. Every element skillfully works: acting, story, editing, score, cinematography, locations, effects, etc. Underneath the film’s eeriness there’s an undeniable reverent, beautiful quality while the ending is strangely touching.

One critic claimed that the mysteries presented in the story are not supposed to be figured out and, indeed, CANNOT be figured out. But this is untrue. The film is intricate and respects the intelligence of the viewer. Questions are raised with varying possibilities. The answers are there, but you may have to watch it a few times to discover them. I appreciate the fact that the director and w...