by Caroline Sumner

Created on: July 27, 2010

As far as movies about paranormal phenomenon go, they can often fall into the trap of cheap scares and melodramatic effects, preferring to rely on creepy music and shock value to create their overall tones. Too often these films forget to include anything about the psychological effects that a scary situation like this would have on a person, leaving the viewers with two-dimensional, dynamic characters in unsatisfying situations.

This is fortunately not the case with “The Mothman Prophecies”. The film explores the legend of the Mothman, whose origins are as mysterious as the cases surrounding it. It takes place mainly in West Virginia, the place where the actual Mothman was said to appear and cause his mayhem and disaster. The characters encounter him in different ways, sometimes in visions, sometimes physically, and, in the case of Richard Gere’s character, in ways that are psychologically tormenting and frightening.

It is unclear just what the Mothman really is. He does appear to be a prophet of some kind, as the title of the film suggests, as he seems to show up just before great disaster or tragedy strikes and predicts it in some way. But whether he is a well-intentioned being who wishes to allow people the chance to prevent such tragedy, or whether he is the actual cause of it and is just taunting folks with his so-called “prophesies”, making them believe they could have a chance to prevent everything if they only figure out his complicated riddles in time.

The film is as dark in design as it is in its subject, which occasionally makes viewers wonder if there is a problem with the brightness level of their television screens, but overall creates a nice effect. Darkness, after all, causes one to lose much of the control they may have by light, and the film uses our natural uneasiness in darkness to great advantage.

A particularly good performance by Richard Gere takes place in the film, as he plays an obsessed and tortured widower bent on figuring out the mystery behind the Mothman who seems to have played a role in his wife’s death. He does a great job in bringing to life the emotions that would naturally accompany this terrifying ordeal.

“The Mothman Prophecies” is a film that stands out due to its terrific storyline and its use of emotions rather than jump-out-and-scare-you thrills to create the resounding tension that ensues. 

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