Here's a flawed but effective and mildly horrific horror yarn that takes the modern subtle approach to horror rather than filling the screen with in-your-face blood and guts. Therefore it's all the better for it, chilling the viewer with brief shock appearances of a mysterious creature, bizarre and disturbing phone calls in the middle of the night, and all sorts of supernatural shenanigans occurring which our characters cannot explain. The film is well-made in all aspects with camera-work that only occasionally veers into flashy pretentiousness. That we never really see the creature behind the chaos is one of the film's strongest aspects, it keeps you in the dark and therefore never fails to send a slight chill down your spine. Some JEEPERS CREEPERS-style rubbery monster just wouldn't have had the same impact and would have detracted from the movie's realism, which is of course the reason it remains frightening, because it feels true. The movie is horrific throughout and has a number of scary moments which thankfully don't take the form of a sudden loud noise to shock you as in WHAT LIES BENEATH. Instead the shadowy, barely-lit sets, the forbidding and chilly town in which the film is set, and the wealth of odd inexplicable events which occur are designed to throw you off balance. Literally you don't know what to expect and that's where the fun lies.
The flaws lies in the film's script and plotting which tends to be all over the place at times. This is a mood-focused rather than plot-orientated movie so some moments do tend to drag a little, especially in the second half, giving an episodic feel to the production which works against it and sent some viewers in my cinema off to sleep! Thankfully things work out for a tense set-piece finale which is one of the most suspenseful I've seen in quite some time and literally had me on the edge of my cinema seat. Once Alan Bates' character is introduced to explain the plot a fine sense of foreboding and impending doom is worked up which nicely carries the film throughout and retained my interest. Although the movie does well not to lay explanations for everything out on a plate at the end, pandering to the dumbest viewer, some of what happens is too confusing and needs clarifying a little further.
Another strong highlight is the cast of seasoned performers who acquit themselves well with the various roles. These guys have us caring for the people involved and keep us watching. First of all we have Richard Gere, well cast as the Washington Post reporter whose inner sadness comes from the tragic death of his wife, which occurs in the first fifteen minutes of the movie and lets us know that we're in for a heavy journey. Gere is charismatic and darned likable - more than I've ever seen him before actually - as the slightly neurotic Mulder-style investigator and his pivotal role makes the film for me. Excellent support comes from Laura Linney as the warm-hearted town sheriff and especially Will Patton, who excels here as the town oddball who becomes the focus of the town's manifestations. Finally, Alan Bates is on hand to lend some gravitas as a slightly kooky professor who knows more about the events than he initially lets on; although it's an easy part to play, Bates has fun with it and that wears off. Despite being flawed and somewhat unsatisfying (hard to put my finger on what exactly was wrong with it, other than I was left feeling a little disappointed in what had not happened, that somehow we had been led down the garden path), THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES is a step ahead of most modern teen slasher fare and deserves kudos for its old-fashioned approach to the horror genre. It may be clichéd and a little predictable but the cast keeps you engaged throughout and I was never less than interested in what was happening.
The flaws lies in the film's script and plotting which tends to be all over the place at times. This is a mood-focused rather than plot-orientated movie so some moments do tend to drag a little, especially in the second half, giving an episodic feel to the production which works against it and sent some viewers in my cinema off to sleep! Thankfully things work out for a tense set-piece finale which is one of the most suspenseful I've seen in quite some time and literally had me on the edge of my cinema seat. Once Alan Bates' character is introduced to explain the plot a fine sense of foreboding and impending doom is worked up which nicely carries the film throughout and retained my interest. Although the movie does well not to lay explanations for everything out on a plate at the end, pandering to the dumbest viewer, some of what happens is too confusing and needs clarifying a little further.
Another strong highlight is the cast of seasoned performers who acquit themselves well with the various roles. These guys have us caring for the people involved and keep us watching. First of all we have Richard Gere, well cast as the Washington Post reporter whose inner sadness comes from the tragic death of his wife, which occurs in the first fifteen minutes of the movie and lets us know that we're in for a heavy journey. Gere is charismatic and darned likable - more than I've ever seen him before actually - as the slightly neurotic Mulder-style investigator and his pivotal role makes the film for me. Excellent support comes from Laura Linney as the warm-hearted town sheriff and especially Will Patton, who excels here as the town oddball who becomes the focus of the town's manifestations. Finally, Alan Bates is on hand to lend some gravitas as a slightly kooky professor who knows more about the events than he initially lets on; although it's an easy part to play, Bates has fun with it and that wears off. Despite being flawed and somewhat unsatisfying (hard to put my finger on what exactly was wrong with it, other than I was left feeling a little disappointed in what had not happened, that somehow we had been led down the garden path), THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES is a step ahead of most modern teen slasher fare and deserves kudos for its old-fashioned approach to the horror genre. It may be clichéd and a little predictable but the cast keeps you engaged throughout and I was never less than interested in what was happening.