The Mothman Prophecies film review

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THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES

What is it about horror films that render their characters impervious to sound advice? You know that when John Klein (Richard Gere) is warned that "something terrible is going to happen in Point Pleasant, don't go back", it's inevitable he's going to go back. The fact that The Mothman Prophecies is based on real events hasn't made it immune from generic clichés. At its root is an intriguing myth told with an unhurried and suspenseful restraint, but even with much embellishment of the truth the film only manages to provide an occasional jolt.

The mysterious appearance of a giant mothlike creature in the small West Virginia town of Point Pleasant inspired John A. Keel's book from which Richard Hatem adapted the screenplay. The prologue's claim to veracity seems redundant though, when almost everything that follows is so clearly fictitious. Even the central character, Klein, is a creation.

Klein's life is good. He is a star reporter at the Washington Post and he and his beautiful wife Mary (Debra Messing) are about to buy their dream home when they are involved in a mysterious car accident. Mary survives just long enough to draw some chilling pictures of the strange creature she had seen seconds before the crash. For Klein, who hadn't shared his wife's vision, this is the first clue that weird forces are overtaking his once charmed existence. The next clue is when his car breaks down en route from Washington to Richmond and he knocks on a door to seek help. His surprise at being greeted by the hostile Gordon Smallwood (Will Patton) brandishing a gun is compounded when Smallwood claims it's the third night in a row Klein has disturbed him followed by the realisation that he is also 400 miles off course.

Klein's presence draws the attention of the police in the composed and friendly form of Sgt Connie Parker (Laura Linney), who listens to his confused explanation before revealing that it is only the latest inexplicable incident and that, "Things have been a little strange round here lately". Turns out there have been a number of sightings of a large, winged creature with red eyes. With his reporter's curiosity focussed on such a personal cause Klein sets about to unravel the mystery. When he discovers that the entity's appearance usually signals some impending tragedy, his task becomes to convince the sceptical locals of their plight before disaster strikes.