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Movies / On DVD / The Mothman Prophecies
The Mothman Prophecies

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The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

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Reviews Counted:132

Fresh:68

Rotten:64

Average Rating:5.5/10

Consensus: A creepy thriller that poses more questions than it answers.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for terror, some sexuality and language

Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Theatrical Release:Jan 25, 2002 Limited

Box Office: $35,228,696

Synopsis: Based on true events, "The Mothman Prophecies" examines a series of inexplicable occurrences through the eyes - and mind - of one man. Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Will Patton and Debra Messing star... Based on true events, "The Mothman Prophecies" examines a series of inexplicable occurrences through the eyes - and mind - of one man. Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Will Patton and Debra Messing star in this suspense-filled thriller about a man driven to extremes to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his wife's death - and how they might be connected to the strange phenomena in a town four hundred miles away. When is life truly at its best? John Klein (Richard Gere), a respected Washington Post journalist at the top of his game, recognizes that moment. It comes the day he and his wife Mary (Debra Messing) are house hunting and find the place of their dreams. It's a little too big, possibly a little more than he wanted to spend, but one look from Mary tells him this is it. Then on their joyful ride home, with a gust of wind and a passing shadow, the dream is shattered. The accident should have been avoidable. When Mary slammed on the brakes…there was nothing there. For Mary, the incident was a premonition. John puts everything on hold to be with her, but his love isn't enough to keep her alive. While removing Mary's possessions from the hospital, John remembers her last words: "You didn't see it, did you?" Then he discovers a sketchpad covered with odd drawings, variations of the same eerie apparition. John can't understand the significance of the drawings but is haunted by the unsettling images. A couple of years later, John's grief has settled somewhat but he is clearly a man altered by tragedy. He lives his life and performs his job in a fog, an unexplainable presence always with him. While driving one night from Washington to Richmond for an assignment, he loses his way and ends up on a deserted country highway. When his car inexplicably breaks down, he walks to a nearby farmhouse. The homeowner not only threatens John but tells him he has been waiting for him. John is baffled. Sgt. Connie Parker (Laura Linney) arrives on the scene and apologizes for the rude reception, but divulges that the entire county is on edge due to a recent series of odd disturbances. It is only now that John realizes that he is in Point Pleasant, West Virginia -- four hundred miles from where he thought he was. It is not logically possible. But here he is. How? His curiosity piqued, John decides to stay in Point Pleasant to explore the reports of unexplained phenomena in the town. He soon realizes that they may all be related - not just to each other, but also to the strange sketches Mary had been obsessively drawing just hours before her death. But what exactly is the connection? The events defy simple explanation and, even more disturbing, seem to predict impending disasters. Plane crashes, earthquakes… surely it must be a gruesome coincidence? The more he unravels, the more John begins to question his own sanity. Are there unknown forces behind the strange sightings? What terrible thing awaits the people of Point Pleasant? For John, it's a race against time to figure it out - and try to prevent something terrible from happening. -- © 2002 Screen Gems [More]

Starring: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Will Patton, Debra Messing

Starring: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Will Patton, Debra Messing, Alan Bates, Lucinda Jenney, Nesbitt Blaisdell

Director: Mark Pellington

Director: Mark Pellington
Screenwriter: Richard Hatem
Producer: Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Gary Goldstein
Studio: Screen Gems

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Release:

Jun 4, 2002

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Reviews for The Mothman Prophecies

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In promoting its cliche-ridden sci-fi-horror, Sony is using the tage "based on true story," as if the "factulaity" of the text is a badge of honor, or necessary condition for taking the schlocky flick more seriously.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment 2 Comments
12/25/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

While the acting is better than other run-of-the-mill scary movies and some of the filming techniques will trip you out, this flick's fear factor still rarely rises above general creepiness.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
01/25/02
E! Online
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
01/26/02
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Good set design and cinematography lend the film some scariness at times, but in the end there are just too many holes in the script and the acting to believe in the authenticity of the mothman.

Full Review Source: culturevulture.net | comment Comment
02/04/02
culturevulture.net
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
03/24/02
Boston Phoenix

Basically an extended episode of The X-Files with Richard Gere playing both the Mulder and Scully roles.

Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
01/26/02
Adam Nayman
Adam Nayman
eye WEEKLY

An accomplished supernatural thriller that substitutes atmosphere for monsters and puts substance high on its list of priorities.

Full Review Source: Radio Free Entertainment | comment Comment
01/13/03
Andrew Manning
Andrew Manning
Radio Free Entertainment

Enjoyable, if utterly stupid...

comment Comment
01/24/02
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
New Times

Knows how to make our imagination wonder.

Full Review Source: NutzWorld | comment Comment
04/14/02
Blake French
Blake French
NutzWorld

The longer this film drones ominously on, the more we realize that Pellington really doesn't know where he ought to be taking it.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
01/25/02
Bob Strauss
Bob Strauss
Los Angeles Daily News

An effective visual style and campfire-storytelling flair. The climax manages to effectively tie most of the ideas together with chilling resolution.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
03/19/03
Brian Mckay
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com

Instead of leaving me with a unsettled, shocked feeling, the end brought me endless joy that the film was finally nearing its completion.

Full Review Source: Modamag.com | comment Comment
01/26/02
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
Modamag.com

Buttressed by a smart, restrained script and highlighted by wonderfully modulated performances, it rises above what you’d expect from a movie about the supernatural.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/25/02
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

A classy horror movie.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
01/25/02
Bruce Kirkland
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies

To regard The Mothman Prophecies merely as two hours of your life that you'll never get back is to miss the larger affront it poses.

Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
01/25/02
Bruce Newman
Bruce Newman
San Jose Mercury News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Puportedly "Based on True Events," a convolution of language that suggests it's impossible to claim that it is "Based on a True Story" with a straight face.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
02/20/02
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

The movie's more abstract scare tactics ... are so restrained that viewers may start to yearn for a bogeyman to burst from the closet.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
01/26/02
Carla Meyer
Carla Meyer
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The climactic events are so well realized that you may forget all about the original conflict, just like the movie does

Full Review Source: AboutFilm.com | comment Comment
02/17/02
Carlo Cavagna
Carlo Cavagna
AboutFilm.com

Watching the film is like getting hooked by a fearful angler who can't successfully reel you in.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
01/24/02
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Like all the best scary movies, Mothman is interested in more than simply scaring us.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
01/24/02
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
 
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