The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

	Directed by: Mark Pellington	COUNTRY USA GENRE Thriller/Horror/ Mystery NORWEGIAN TITLE The Mothman – dødens budbringer RUNNING TIME 119 minutes
	Produced by: Gary W. Goldstein Gary Lucchesi Tom Rosenberg
	Written by (based on the 1975 book by John Keel): Richard Hatem

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
John Klein	Richard Gere
Officer Connie Mills	Laura Linney	½
Gordon Smallwood	Will Patton
Mary Klein	Debra Messing	½
Denise Smallwood	Lucinda Jenney	½
Alexander Leek	Alan Bates	½
Ed Fleischman	David Eigenberg	-

Review

This thriller-mystery from director Mark Pellington (Arlington Road) does ultimately step into one or two genre pitfalls, but apart from that, The Mothman Prophecies bridges the gap between the supernatural and the realistic in an impressive and quite effective manner. A typically invested and dependable Richard Gere performance leads the way, and together with an engaging Laura Linney and a perfectly cast Will Patton, he unravels a mystery supposedly based on true events with a curiosity and conviction that will likely rub off on you. Despite its occasional horror-style turns, The Mothman Prophecies is surprisingly nuanced. Thanks to delicate editing and Pellington’s visual flair, the film manages to ground its well-maintained – if somewhat manipulative – mystery in a framework of reality. The material may not exactly blow you away, but it’s handled with such care that it remains atmospheric and suspenseful all the way up to the nicely crafted and satisfyingly ambiguous conclusion.