The Mothman Prophecies (edizione 2002)

I am fully aware that The Mothman Prophecies divides opinions among fans of the horror genre. That is not even taken into consideration whether people believe these events occurred or not. It is just one of these films. I first seen The Mothman Prophecies ten years ago - late night on TV. I had never even heard of it before. It was just by mere luck that I stumbled upon it that night. I was just transfixed by it and the fact that it was inspired by true events made it even the more awe-inspiring. It was actually the legend of The Mothman that ignited an interest in the paranormal for me. I subsequently read all the books about the events that inspired this film.

John Klein (played by Richard Gere) is a Washington Post who loses the love of his life, Mary (played by Debra Messing). Two years have passed since her death and he is still trying to come to terms with the loss of his wife. He is drawn to the sleepy town of Point Pleasant where the residents are plagued by strange sightings and events that have cursed them for the better part of a year which builds to the distressing climax. This is a slow atmospheric moody movie. The film is like a melting pot of different genres, from drama to mystery to thriller to horror. Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Will Patton and Debra Messing put in strong performances here. The whole film feels like an episode of The X-Files and why wouldn't it? This is the kind of stories that made The X-Files so popular. It stands out from the crowd in that it offers something different to the horror goer, more profound and existential.

It really is a well made film with excellent cinematography and special effects. The sound, feel and touch of the film is eerie and spellbinding. It has many 'spine-tingler' moments that will keep the most demanding horror goer on the edge-of-their-seat. It is a beast of a movie. I guess the reason it is so misunderstood is that they want a conclusion, something to tie up with a little bow and bury in the backyard but that doesn't always have to be, in fact, what you don't understand is often more terrifying.