I went into this movie half heartedly because: 1) I don't like Richard Gere and 2)....well, ok, there was just the Richard Gere thing. However, since I was bored stiff this weekend, I went with my dear business partner, TJ, to go see the movie. Now TJ and I agree that there is nothing like a good scary movie, especially one that lingers with you when you are walking to your car at night or trying to get some good shut-eye by telling yourself that that noise is "just the cat". Unfortunately, I have seen so many horror movies that I'm immune to all conventional scare tactics. In fact, the only things that really get a rise out of me is "realistic horror" such as "Unsolved Mysteries" (which I am hopelessly devoted to). And for horror fans like me, The Mothman Prophecies was made.
The film is based on supernatural phenomena named "Mothmen" that act as a messenger service from beyond to warn humans of a great tragedy that will happen in their town. It starts with the disclaimer that the movie was based on actual events that happened in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Part of the reason the film is so effective is that it plays on the fact that it's based on a real story. Therefore, it is somewhat done like an hour and a half long "Unsolved Mysteries" episode. The reason this works is because the entire movie is few on the "jump out at ya" scares (which is why I know this movie will not be popular with the Scream audience) but grows in this underlying creepiness until the audience absolutely cannot take the suspense anymore.
I have never in my adult life--or perhaps even in my childhood--been so riveted by a horror movie. The film grabs you from the opening sequence (The car accident is the most intense couple of seconds I have ever felt in a theatre) and just grows from there. While there is some things that were never explained (like the reason Richard's Gere's character appeared at the house two nights before he ACTUALLY arrived there or the phone calls that no one made), you don't expect these questions to be answered because since it was based on fact it basically remains an unsolved mystery. The creepiness grows until the very last scene which has no supernatural aspect and instead is based on true human terror (and this scene is probably made even more horrific due to the 9/11 events).
This movie got horrible reviews from what I've read, but based on the audience I saw this with (which was a full house), this was one case that the critics had no clue what the average moviegoer would enjoy. TJ (who admittedly scares easily) spent the entire movie painfully close to being on my lap and the audience around me was almost to the point of tears with suspense. While I was leaving the theatre I actually heard one woman say "I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown". That one line is a better review than I could ever write.
Is this movie for every horror fan? Of course not. In fact, it's probably not even for the majority. Gore-fans will be disappointed by the lack of blood. Slasher-fans will be disappointed by the lack of "jump out at ya" scares. And CGI-horror lovers will be disappointed by the lack of special effects. This is really for horror fans who realize that truth is much more frightening than fiction, no matter how distorted the truth is portrayed (actually, it's pretty well-documented that this is only VERY, VERY loosely based on actual events and by no means news-worthy.). If you are one of those fans that enjoy horror flicks but even the best horror films don't get a rise out of you, then see this movie. This just might be the flick to give you that adrenaline rush. |
