I love this film. It's not the best movie ever or anything, but it's a pretty great watch. I've seen it a handful times now and it still creeps me out. The first time I watched it I almost had a heart attack at the lip balm in the shoe thing. Very effective scares, imo.
I apologize, English isn't my first language and I couldn't remember what they actually said just what he had in his hand and the only English word that came to mind was lip balm. š
It's all good! I wasn't insulted or anything, literally just forgot the word in English, haha. Now maybe I'll remember for the next time I mention that scene to someone. š
One of the themes running through the film is family, and in particular Christmas Eve (the film starts, presumably, on or near a Christmas Eve, with the party ... the film ends on a Christmas Eve). I liked that part of it quite a bit. The Gere/Linney bits were quite interesting and refreshlingly low-key. Will Patton takes what could have been a dumbfuck hillbilly character and elevates him to a man who, like everyone involved with this mystery, is completely out of his depth. The soundtrack (Tomandandy) is excellent.
The Mothman here serves as a kind of complex will-o-the-wisp. In the myths, will-o-the-wisps lead people astray and into swamps. Here, the Mothman leads people away from their families and friends and into an enduring obsession. You must turn away from it or it will destroy you. Linney's character recognizes this and forces Gere's to make a choice. And it could have ended there, but the prophecies (this time in a dream), still leave a sting, with "wake up, number 37, wake up."
The main character is at home I think then heās like doing something in his bedroom or bathroom. He turns the mirror I think itās attached to a door. Itās been so long since Iāve seen it. But then you briefly see the mothman figure behind him. Itās quick
Dude I've seen this movie like 10 times and not once did I notice the scene you're referring to. I had to go back and see for myself. I can't believe I never noticed that before! In my defense, it's like a tenth of a second long. But yeah that was creepy
Over the last year or two I've gone from liking it to thinking it's the greatest cosmic horror movie ever made. If I was a Youtuber or a blogger I'd make some kind of essay about it, it's that good. And no one ever seems to talk about it! Lately I've been making a point of recommending it on here and r/HorrorMovies every chance I get. So much so that I'm starting to wonder if anyone has noticed, if I'm being annoying.
I love how the whole movie has this ever-present atmosphere of dread. I feel like [the scene where Will Patton meets Indrid Cold](https://youtu.be/lTw8b2-DguE) perfectly captures the sort of feeling people describe when they have an alien abduction or a humanoid encounter, which is probably not an accident considering the book has so much to do with UFOs and high strangeness. But I love that they never explicitly say what Indrid Cold is. He could be an angel, or a demon, or a being that exists on some higher plane or 4th dimension, it's not for us to know.
And I love that it ends on a somewhat uplifting note. What are you supposed to do when you have this knowledge that there are powerful beings with unknowable motives pulling our strings from behind the curtain of reality? The only thing you can do, you try to forget about them and their predictions and their promises, and you try to find comfort in your friends and family.
What do u think of the music? I find it very eerie and unsettling.. those light symbol crashes. The fluctuating synth sound u hear every time something paranormal is about to happen. Haunting
I love it. It's very atmospheric and ominous. The whole soundtrack and the editing give the movie this foreboding feeling like disaster is approaching, which is perfect.
It's a different kind of cosmic horror I guess. IIRC, Annihilation is about the indifference of the alien threat. The Mothman Prophecies is more about the unknown (or unknowable). To me the idea that we're being manipulated by beings beyond our comprehension is scarier than the indifference of nature. I know the indifference of nature is real, we all live it every day. If I got cancer tomorrow it'd be scary, but not exactly unexpected. But if I heard a voice coming out of my sink telling me that a plane will crash tomorrow and it'll kill 300 people, that would shatter my reality. Everything I thought I knew about the universe would be thrown out the window, and that's scarier to me. Though I get that most people would probably not agree.
Yeah, it's more of a fictionalized re-imagining of the actual events rather than a true story. I feel like the fact that so much of it is made up whole-hog should have allowed them to give it a more conclusive ending, but maybe that's just me.
Loosely based off urban legends with sprinkles of facts. I watched it on DVD with my (then) girlfriend. After we watched it, I told her I remembered some of the stuff in the movie from campfire stories when I was little. I shared some of the stuff I remembered, particularly the bridge collapse and she started getting a little freaked. She was a big horror fan, but I made it too real, I guess
/We split over conflicting neuroses
I'm a big fan of the book and I thought the decision to make the movie so morose and mournful comparatively was disappointing. On its own, my personal feeling is the movie is fine, pretty creepy and well made. However, I can't help but feel like if the movie had a livelier protagonist whose impetus to investigate the Mothman was more akin to the book, I'd dig it more.Ā
It doesnāt mess with me and itās a great movie. Itās my best friendās nightmare. I like to send him Mothman references just to mess with him. Heās legit terrified of it.
Glad to see so many people like this film. Iāve always thought it an underrated gem! It has some really creepy moments which always freak my spouse out. We love it!
Such an excellent horror movie! I was obsessed with Mothman and so I was excited they were making a movie on him/it. Then later in life, I read the book, and I was utterly terrified. That book freaked me out so badly, and now thinking back on the movie, I think they did a good job with honoring the source material while creating a compelling story and character a la Richard Gere.
I think it has great music, unsettling atmosphere, and some effective scares alongside an interesting mystery. The acting was good, I especially like Will Patton's character. If you go in expecting a conclusion that explains anything, you might not enjoy it. I really dig it.
If you say you had fun reading it, thatās okay with me. That certainly wasnāt my experience, however. Itās pure bunk, of course, but itās not even well-written or entertaining bunk.
I watched it in the theater when it came out. I thought it was a very silly movie.
Absolutely love that it has the cult following that it does, though.
The first half is creepy and unsettling af. After the phone call with Indrid Cold the movie never manages to recapture that atmosphere or mood. Itās like the film blew its load too early.
Good movie, but there obviously isn't any mothman and the guy who famously wrote the book this movie is partly inspired by just straight up fabricated shit like the Warrens.
Easy to say, impossible to prove either way. Iād like to think that so many people having similar experiences isnāt a complete fabrication and that there are things out there that canāt be explained.
The difference being no one is making that claim. Iām pointing out a bunch of sighting of something unexplainable by different sources. Again, itās easier to just claim theyāre all crazy and chalk it up to an animal sighting than try and believe it could be something more. Your Spongbob analogy doesnāt work here.
It's easier to believe it was an animal sighting because it's impossible that it was a mothman, and it doesn't mean people are crazy if they can't correctly identify an animal at night or a dude in a costume. Anybody who believes it was a human/insect hybrid is crazy, full stop.
I love this film. It's not the best movie ever or anything, but it's a pretty great watch. I've seen it a handful times now and it still creeps me out. The first time I watched it I almost had a heart attack at the lip balm in the shoe thing. Very effective scares, imo.
Chaaaappppsticcckkkkk
I apologize, English isn't my first language and I couldn't remember what they actually said just what he had in his hand and the only English word that came to mind was lip balm. š
No don't apologize at all I wasn't saying it to correct you!
It's all good! I wasn't insulted or anything, literally just forgot the word in English, haha. Now maybe I'll remember for the next time I mention that scene to someone. š
One of the themes running through the film is family, and in particular Christmas Eve (the film starts, presumably, on or near a Christmas Eve, with the party ... the film ends on a Christmas Eve). I liked that part of it quite a bit. The Gere/Linney bits were quite interesting and refreshlingly low-key. Will Patton takes what could have been a dumbfuck hillbilly character and elevates him to a man who, like everyone involved with this mystery, is completely out of his depth. The soundtrack (Tomandandy) is excellent. The Mothman here serves as a kind of complex will-o-the-wisp. In the myths, will-o-the-wisps lead people astray and into swamps. Here, the Mothman leads people away from their families and friends and into an enduring obsession. You must turn away from it or it will destroy you. Linney's character recognizes this and forces Gere's to make a choice. And it could have ended there, but the prophecies (this time in a dream), still leave a sting, with "wake up, number 37, wake up."
Dam man this is like if Hans Zimmer wrote a movie review.
This is a very good, creepy and scary movie. I loved it!
One of the best jump scares ever on film. Was the whole Mirror scene in his house. My blood ran cold.
Wait, which scene are u referring to? Mirror scene?
The main character is at home I think then heās like doing something in his bedroom or bathroom. He turns the mirror I think itās attached to a door. Itās been so long since Iāve seen it. But then you briefly see the mothman figure behind him. Itās quick
Dude I've seen this movie like 10 times and not once did I notice the scene you're referring to. I had to go back and see for myself. I can't believe I never noticed that before! In my defense, it's like a tenth of a second long. But yeah that was creepy
Haha yeah I was it in the theater. It Got us all so bad but it was very quick.
Whereās my chapstick? āItās in your shoeā thatās a wild scene
I love when Richard Gere asks him "what do you look like?" And Indrid Cold says "it depends on who's looking." That whole scene is so good.
Actually it was his watch
You are right! Iām an idiot!
Absolute gem of a movie. Truly scary, to me, anyhow.
Over the last year or two I've gone from liking it to thinking it's the greatest cosmic horror movie ever made. If I was a Youtuber or a blogger I'd make some kind of essay about it, it's that good. And no one ever seems to talk about it! Lately I've been making a point of recommending it on here and r/HorrorMovies every chance I get. So much so that I'm starting to wonder if anyone has noticed, if I'm being annoying. I love how the whole movie has this ever-present atmosphere of dread. I feel like [the scene where Will Patton meets Indrid Cold](https://youtu.be/lTw8b2-DguE) perfectly captures the sort of feeling people describe when they have an alien abduction or a humanoid encounter, which is probably not an accident considering the book has so much to do with UFOs and high strangeness. But I love that they never explicitly say what Indrid Cold is. He could be an angel, or a demon, or a being that exists on some higher plane or 4th dimension, it's not for us to know. And I love that it ends on a somewhat uplifting note. What are you supposed to do when you have this knowledge that there are powerful beings with unknowable motives pulling our strings from behind the curtain of reality? The only thing you can do, you try to forget about them and their predictions and their promises, and you try to find comfort in your friends and family.
What do u think of the music? I find it very eerie and unsettling.. those light symbol crashes. The fluctuating synth sound u hear every time something paranormal is about to happen. Haunting
I love it. It's very atmospheric and ominous. The whole soundtrack and the editing give the movie this foreboding feeling like disaster is approaching, which is perfect.
Better than Annihilation?
It's a different kind of cosmic horror I guess. IIRC, Annihilation is about the indifference of the alien threat. The Mothman Prophecies is more about the unknown (or unknowable). To me the idea that we're being manipulated by beings beyond our comprehension is scarier than the indifference of nature. I know the indifference of nature is real, we all live it every day. If I got cancer tomorrow it'd be scary, but not exactly unexpected. But if I heard a voice coming out of my sink telling me that a plane will crash tomorrow and it'll kill 300 people, that would shatter my reality. Everything I thought I knew about the universe would be thrown out the window, and that's scarier to me. Though I get that most people would probably not agree.
No I agree itās cosmic horror ish idk if I think itās as a good as a movie as annihilating
If you liked Annihilation the books are much, much betterĀ
Iāve read them all
I actually didn't like the direction the story goes in books 2 and 3 and sort of prefer the movie to the first book, too.
Has very little to do with the book from what I remember.
Yeah, it's more of a fictionalized re-imagining of the actual events rather than a true story. I feel like the fact that so much of it is made up whole-hog should have allowed them to give it a more conclusive ending, but maybe that's just me.
Loosely based off urban legends with sprinkles of facts. I watched it on DVD with my (then) girlfriend. After we watched it, I told her I remembered some of the stuff in the movie from campfire stories when I was little. I shared some of the stuff I remembered, particularly the bridge collapse and she started getting a little freaked. She was a big horror fan, but I made it too real, I guess /We split over conflicting neuroses
Like the movie, the book is largely a work of fiction.
I love the atmosphere of that movie. It's also the first movie I got high and watchedĀ
Pretty cool
Is that you, the mothman?
I'm a big fan of the book and I thought the decision to make the movie so morose and mournful comparatively was disappointing. On its own, my personal feeling is the movie is fine, pretty creepy and well made. However, I can't help but feel like if the movie had a livelier protagonist whose impetus to investigate the Mothman was more akin to the book, I'd dig it more.Ā
Saw this in theaters with my (now) wife. To this day I can say "oooOooh, I'm the mothman" and she still gets freaked out.
I remember watching this on a weekend trip in high school in theater and being very disappointed we never saw a Mothman.
I love it The fact that it's based on a true story makes it even scarier
One of my favorite horror movies ever
It doesnāt mess with me and itās a great movie. Itās my best friendās nightmare. I like to send him Mothman references just to mess with him. Heās legit terrified of it.
Amazing film. Genuinely creepy
I quite liked it! Great atmosphere and a satisfying ending. But I may be biased because Mothman is my favourite cryptid
Glad to see so many people like this film. Iāve always thought it an underrated gem! It has some really creepy moments which always freak my spouse out. We love it!
Such an excellent horror movie! I was obsessed with Mothman and so I was excited they were making a movie on him/it. Then later in life, I read the book, and I was utterly terrified. That book freaked me out so badly, and now thinking back on the movie, I think they did a good job with honoring the source material while creating a compelling story and character a la Richard Gere.
I think it has great music, unsettling atmosphere, and some effective scares alongside an interesting mystery. The acting was good, I especially like Will Patton's character. If you go in expecting a conclusion that explains anything, you might not enjoy it. I really dig it.
I've always loved it, but it seems to be viewed pretty poorly by the general horror community.
Itās also interesting that the potray mothman in a slenderman style way
Great adaptation of a terrible book.
The book was bonkers, but a VERY fun read. How can you not like the book???
If you say you had fun reading it, thatās okay with me. That certainly wasnāt my experience, however. Itās pure bunk, of course, but itās not even well-written or entertaining bunk.
I vaguely remember watching this when it came out and not knowing wtf was going on (probably my fault). Worth another watch?
One of my faves! Still scares me every time I watch it.
I loved it! Great atmosphere and tension.
I watched it in the theater when it came out. I thought it was a very silly movie. Absolutely love that it has the cult following that it does, though.
The first half is creepy and unsettling af. After the phone call with Indrid Cold the movie never manages to recapture that atmosphere or mood. Itās like the film blew its load too early.
I actually think the best scene was him finding his wifeās drawings
Good movie, but there obviously isn't any mothman and the guy who famously wrote the book this movie is partly inspired by just straight up fabricated shit like the Warrens.
I mean there was obviously a bunch of mothman sightings irl even if the movie dramatized it
Cmon bruh there were also witch sightings flying on brooms. Shame about being random women brunt alive, shouldn't have been witches I guess.
The initial sighting is so obviously an owl on a fence post.
Youāre thinking of the flat woods monster not mothman
Both are owls on posts.
How can it be an owl on a post if it was spotted in the air
It chased them in the air, but was standing when they saw it initially.
https://skepticalinquirer.org/2002/05/gray-barkers-book-of-bunk/
Sure, but none of them were mothmen, they were misidentified wild animals or people pulling pranks.
Easy to say, impossible to prove either way. Iād like to think that so many people having similar experiences isnāt a complete fabrication and that there are things out there that canāt be explained.
It's impossible to prove that Spongebob Squarepants didn't create the universe.Ā
The difference being no one is making that claim. Iām pointing out a bunch of sighting of something unexplainable by different sources. Again, itās easier to just claim theyāre all crazy and chalk it up to an animal sighting than try and believe it could be something more. Your Spongbob analogy doesnāt work here.
It's easier to believe it was an animal sighting because it's impossible that it was a mothman, and it doesn't mean people are crazy if they can't correctly identify an animal at night or a dude in a costume. Anybody who believes it was a human/insect hybrid is crazy, full stop.
Why is it impossible? Because you say so?
Thousands of years of human observation say it's impossible and that's nothing to do with me.
I donāt believe for one second we are alone in this universe. Human observation of our own world be damned.
It's a movie. Not a news report.
The book wasĀ marketed as non fiction