One day, years ago, I got my wisdom teeth removed. My mom brought me home and sat me on the couch. I was all drugged up and woozy. She turned on the Mothman Prophecies and left... I'll never recover.
I had a similar experience, but with Halloween 6 (arguably the worst movie in the franchise, but I'd say it's better than a couple of the others). I was 15 or 16. I didn't watch that movie for years, but when I did I realized it wasn't even remotely as scary as I remember. My memories of the movie are much scarier even today knowing most of what I thought happened didn't happen the way I previously thought. One scene in particular still sticks with me. It's the scene where everybody's taking shelter in the neighbor's house and lightning strikes in the background and you see Michaels silhouette at the window. My memory of his silhouette still creeps me out, even though the actual scene looks kinda stupid lol.
As a West Virginian I was starting to wonder if anyone outside of the state and Richard Gere even knew this movie existed. Thankfully I was proven wrong
I live in Sweden and found out about this movie, I don’t think it’s far too unknown to people who really like thriller / horror movies, whether they are from the states or elsewhere
I remember watching this in the theaters when it came out and I was sooo disturbed for a week or two. It was a different kind of scary. It's not your typical horror film, it doesn't have jump scares, but it has a psychological eerie effect on you that haunts you for a while. I love it. I still love it 20 years later!
@@tmgn7588 it did have some jump scares, but I don't think the movie heavily relied on it to scare viewers as much as other thrillers. It relied more heavily on the psychological aspects.
"What do you look like?" "It depends on who's looking." I'm so happy to see other people like this movie, and that they really were affected by it! Unsettling and cerebral is the perfect description. I also have the book, and I pick it up every once in a while to read a bit. If I read too much of it at once, I just get uncomfortably creeped out for a few days and it's just not fun anymore haha. And Chris is right, the book isn't set up to be scary, it's just a collection of accounts, said plainly, and that's what makes it chilling. It's just the implication of it all.
Guilty pleasure of mine. Not quite horror enough for horror fans to talk about it and not quite drama enough for the average movie goer to talk about. So underrated :(
Honestly, I don't even call it a guilty pleasure because there's nothing to feel guilty about when enjoying this movie. It's not cheesy or full of jump-scares, it's just a solid movie through and through.
This is one of the most eerie, unsettling, and creepy movies I've ever seen. It sneaks up on you; and it's hard to describe, but there is a feeling of terror and dread that bubbles underneath the surface of my being every time I watch this film.
Totally agree. I think the fact that the mothmen are never truly show and they're motivations are inhuman and beyond comprehension makes it so much creepier
@@EmeraldBayMovies absolutely. And the only images you get are in those demonic, tortured drawings. Makes it all that much more elusive, mysterious, and sinister.
Stop That Band Oh sorry if that sounded flippant. I agree. Don't get me wrong American Gigolo is still the gold standard but you're right the other date movies are low on my list. Primal Fear & Internal Affairs 👍
@@isimonsez i sed not enough movies... Not that he wasn't in a lot 😒... It was a compliment to him...the sentiment being even if he was was in 100 movies it wouldn't be enough ( slight exaggeration) and that while he is in a lot of films the stereotype is he's a date movie guy... 😒
Even by watching this review I got the chills. Because of it's eeriness it reminds me to The exorcism of Emily Rose. Both films are amongst my fave suspense/horror thrillers
When I was around 11yo I started suffering from sleep paralysis, and on the night before my first episode, a figure appeared, telling me it's name (which I can't remember), and also how it would not hurt me. I saw this in theaters 12 years later. When Will Patton describes his run-in with "Indrid Cold" I froze up, heart pounding. My mom had to ask if I was okay due to the blood draining from my face. Even though I don't actually think it's related to the figure I saw, I'll definitely never forget that . Side note: I have family from point pleasant who were amongst some of the witnesses back before the bridge fell.
I live in Nova Scotia Canada & i FULLY Believe there are spirits out there among us ALL...... whether good or bad, we should stop & try to understand them & what they want.....if possible. 💯
As I've always said, the best type of horror is the eerie type, jumpscares are not horror. ANYONE can make a scare that makes you jump, not everyone knows how to control horror pacing.
@@leonardofarias8843 This is true, but they are rare. When they're good they are also used sparingly. The majority of movies that use them, have them about every 5 minutes and it's just a loud noise out of nowhere for no reason.
Jump scares do have a place within the horror genre. Or even just suspenseful thrillers. Its just that to make it good the jump scares should ideally only be reserved for characters/items that pose legitimate and immediate danger for other characters. Plus they shouldn't be THE only aspect of the film that is scary
I’m comforted somehow, knowing that this movie got to you the same way it got to me. I saw it once, and for some reason I actually bought it. I tried several times to watch it all the way through but I would struggle. NOT showing the Mothman is far scarier since it requires me to use my own imagination. Also, the fact that the idea of the Mothman being something people have reported on for hundreds of years just makes it even more unsettling. I am too affected by horror films to ever watch this again, but I’m glad you reviewed it.
Hit the nail on the head. The idea that these creatures have existed for thousands of years and just sort of do their own thing is super creepy, especially considering that their motivations are so ambiguous and inhuman. Really makes them feel like an actual creature that could exist
Chris, don't forget the moment in the film when Gere was on the phone and he's talking in front of and around a mirror. Although you are riveted to what he's saying at some point you realize that the mirror image of Gere is not doing precisely what Gere is, but it is very subtle and no audio cue is given to draw attention to it. It is just an extremely unsettling moment that creeps me out just thinking about it today. The implication of the unreal interacting with the real in a malevolent or unintelligible way is profoundly unnerving.
I just watched the movie based on Chris' review, and this - "the implication of the unreal interacting with the real in a malevolent or unintelligible way is profoundly unnerving" - was my whole experience of this film. Well put.
Yep - that scene made the hairs on my neck stand up. What comes immediately after that is great too - in frustration, he slams the door to the room he's in (that has a mirror on it), and as the door bounces back off the frame in front of the camera, you catch a glimpse of an eyeless face in the mirror just as the scene ends. It is freaky as hell.
This movie scared the everloving Christ out of me as a teenager. So happy to see it get Stuckmannized. I love when Chris’s old soul shows in his reviews, like when he describes this as being a film about grief and how compelling a character is through trauma.
This is probably the most underrated thriller/horror film of all time. This film is so brilliantly executed that most people do not see that there are secrets on display throughout the whole film. Very subtle images that many people overlook and don't notice. I've seen this film probably about 30 times since it first came out and every time I watch it I see something new and shocking. It is actually one of the smartest films I've ever seen because of how it hides things in plain sight. It has more to offer than just the surface story. There's alot going on in this film if you have the eyes to see it. The musical score of the film is also fantastic (except for the end credits song unfortunately).
Totally agree. I have the soundtrack on CD... Once you're aware of the letter-"Y" appearing everywhere throughout the movie, it's great to try and find them on a re-watch.
I loved this movie. The great thing about it is that, ultimately, the "Mothman" was actually kind of a "hero" in a sense... doing nothing other than trying to warn people of impending tragedy, but seemingly unable to communicate effectively due to what amounts to a language barrier. It didn't kill Debra Messing's character, it appeared to her which inadvertently caused a crash... and then the doctors found the issue with her brain, unrelated to the crash. Was Mothman trying to warn her about her terminal illness? It repeatedly appeared to Will Patton's character, culminating in Will's suicide... but was it the anxiety caused by the sightings that drove that character to suicide, or was he destined for it already, and Mothman was trying to warn him about his inherent suicidal tendency? It repeatedly tried to make contact with Gere's character... and Gere was aware, and in tune by the end of the film, and was able to save at least one life - and possibly his own. Obviously its warnings about the plane crash and other things were insufficient, but it's clear that it was trying to help in the only way it knew how.
In the book John Keel, the author, comes to the conclusion that these things, Mothman, the M.I.B.s, Indrid Cold, etc. are all one in the same: Some kind of entity or entities that either intentionally or unintentionally toy with us, promising wonderful knowledge and insight to us and then abandon us before we achieve epiphany. They basically hypnotize their "victims" with a light (the Mothman's eyes, the beam of light from a UFO etc.) and what happens next is like hypnosis, the entity becomes something appropriate to the viewer in the viewer's mind: In ancient times it might have been Gods or angels, in medieval times they appeared as fairies, and in the 1960s they were UFOs and MIBs and such. They "prove" their abilities of foresight and then they make one big prediction which either doesn't come true or comes true but in a different place or way, making their powers untrustworthy and, ultimately, a curse to whoever experiences them. But yeah, I know you were discussing the movie. Just a little background from the book.
@@MandleRoss Keel also has a tendency to create links between incidents and phenomena that fit a preconceived conclusion. Reading Mothman Prophecies became a real slog for me after a while as Keel's writing and logic gradually become unmoored, which I know was essentially the catalyst for his ultimate conclusion that these entities thrive off of chaos. It honestly felt like reading one man's narcissistic self aggrandizing reach a fever pitch into a full psychotic break during the last 3/4 of the book, and how that very process was then uncritically and conveniently slotted into the foregone conclusion that he was one man standing against an unknowable and vast enemy, as opposed to being the impetus for some serious self reflection on his mental health. Keel exacerbated a small town's growing collective paranoia in the face of unexplainable phenomena, and catapulted it into the mainstream, while being willfully blind to his own psychological impulses. To anyone that read this far, I would not recommend the book. It's just Keel's version of Chariot of the Gods.
I don't think Indrid Cold was trying to warn or help anyone. It's a bad omen, a harbinger of tragedy, drawn to it like a moth to a light. There's a very simple yet intriguing quote in the film that pretty much perfectly sums up the Mothmen, "Their motivations... aren't human." Their purpose throughout the film is basically unknown, but as someone else mentioned they seem to be toying with everyone.
So awesome to see Chris talk about this movie it always felt underrated to me. The scene that always fucking freaked me out was one a lot of people seemed to miss and it’s when Richard Gere is on the phone and burns himself on the kettle and gets frustrated and slams the door and for a brief moment when the mirror moves back into place you can see a really horrifying alien-esque face reflected in the mirror. If you didn’t notice that go back and watch that scene it’s always stuck with me.
Having read the book a few years before this movie came out, I was really excited for it. The book was really creepy in parts because I had been in some of those exact spots that John Keel had written about. I saw the movie opening night in Huntington, WV and there were people in the theater who had lost family due to the actual Silver Bridge collapse. During that part in the movie, you could hear people starting to tear up. Another thing that brought more realism to it is that the Television news casts in it were actually from our local news station. Even though the movie wasn't filmed in Point Pleasant WV, there is a "Mothman Museum" there dedicated to not only John Keel's book, but also the movie with actual props and costumes from it. Worth checking out if you are ever in the area.
One thing I didn't understand is why at the movies end it states that the reason for the bridge collapse was never discovered. A quick online search will tell you exactly why the bridge collapsed.
"I started the book and I couldn't finish it" "I started watching the film and I couldn't finish it" Chris are you gonna be able to finish this review?
The scene in the hotel where the mysterious Indrid Cold calls Richard Gere and when he asks the voice, "Where's my watch?" The voice says, "it's in your shoe... Under the bed." That freaked me out!😱
Chill out, what ya yellin' for? Lay back, it's all been done before. And if you could only let it be, you will see that I am the funniest RUclipsr of all time. Admit it, my dear follower shaine
I feel the same way about this film, Chris! The “cccchhhhhAAAAAAAPSTICK” scene makes my eyes water every time. Debbra Messing’s double gasp during the beginning of her car crash. The mounting music during the climax . Amazing movie! Love you, Chris.
I was thinking the same thing when he was talking about the creep factor. Although you do see aliens and the spaceship, the aliens are just downright malicious looking, and so uncaring, and the ship is a pig sty of forgotten human belongings semi-floating about...CREEPY!!
April Anonymous That was one thing I thought made it way more unsettling was how organic, fleshy and dirty the aesthetic of the ship was. Made me think of the underground lairs in 12 Monkeys a little bit
Yay, I didn't think anyone else rated this film, I'm so glad there's like minded people here. Chris got it. The feeling of wrongness that permeates this film is truly unnerving. It's very rare; The original Japanese Ringu (The Ring) had something like it but I can think of few others. Mothman Prophecies is an incredibly satisfying experience even though it leaves questions.
I absolutely LOVE this movie. I agree with everything you said. I really miss movies like this. The haunting of hill house was as close to this style of eerie as weve gotten in a long time and Im excited for Blye Manor. This movie had hidden horror like The shining. The scariest things are the things we cannot see. Great review!
While Carpenter’s The Thing is my favorite horror flick, this is the subgrenre of horror I like most. A drama that has just a enough Lovecraftian elements to unsettle you and the characters. Also read Operation Trojan Horse by the same author. Both are the closest “Lovecraftian nonfiction” I know of.
Really unique movie and one of the very, very few that gave me some genuine cosmic horror vibes. The sheer otherness of Indrid Cold and the thought of actually being on the phone with "him "is horrifying to me. What also got to me was that piece of dialogue about how these creatures usually remain outside of humans perception but when you pick up on their existence they notice in turn that you have noticed them. What a horrible thought.
This film really stuck with me for a long time after watching it, sort of like Donnie Darko... It was very clever in the way it chose what to show the viewer. Definitely recommend watching this one!
True. That’s the word. Chris seems to be missing the point quite a bit here. This movie isn’t “creepy” for the sake of being creepy. Nor is it trying to “get inside your head and fuck with you” just for the sake of doing so. But, on the other hand, it does have this eerie atmosphere up to its finale. The thing is that Chris is probably making one more and even more serious mistake when he’s defining the subject matter. Yes, this movie is also about grief and overcoming a loss, but it’s not about a person who is thus deranged and goes to great lengths searching for the answers that “don’t exist”. A good case can be made that the movie’s main point is that reality might be much more complex than people often choose to believe. And the answers might actually exist. It’s just that those answers and the path to them aren’t necessarily what people expect them to be when they simply go along with their wishes or, say, religious stereotypes. To move forward one has to venture into the unknown. But the unknown scares people so much that most of them never even try. But Gere’s character, as a result of what’s happened to him, has to become a little less risk-averse and a bit more open-minded. And many lives get saved in the end. So that’s the brilliance of this movie. The director masterfully maintains this uncanny feeling throughout - just to show the audience at the end that the only thing they were scared of was their own fear. Indrid Cold wasn’t evil. He was doing his best to help all along. But people’s perspective distorted by terror they felt led to one tragedy after another. Which would probably be the scariest thing. So yes, this movie is d-i-s-t-u-r-b-i-n-g. Exactly as it’s meant to be …
@@EmeraldBayMovies IC’s general “motivations” were supposed to remain unexplained, since he is an entity from another world people know very little about. That’s the whole point. But encountering him - with the eyes of, say, curiosity rather than fear - could give vital information which could be used to help oneself at critically important moments. This is exactly what happens to Gere’s character, doesn’t it? In other words, IC is not a stereotypical all-benevolent deity but some being that simply has better knowledge of reality being able to access the deeper levels of it. Pretty much like in the story about a skyscraper window cleaner told in the movie. He’s also “helpful” enough to be prepared to share his knowledge. So you are right in a way that the wording might not have been exact, but the point still stands, I guess …
Gere's character is depressed over his wife's death so when he's told he can meet up with her again and Linney tries to talk him out of it, very high drama. She's one of my favorite actresses, she's also in "The Exorcism of Emily Rose".
I have been telling my friends for years now to watch this movie or at least give it another watch. There are few movies that unsettle me as much as this one. Please watch the movie with the directors commentary too, you'll see all the little things they did to make scenes feel just off the whole time, there are some things I didnt notice until Pellington talked about it. Great to see it get some respect!
@@esyphillis101 I am afraid you'll only get it when buying the dvd or blu ray. I recommend doing that. There is a scene where John is on the phone next to a mirror, and his reflection is totally out of sync with the real John. I always knew that scene was off but only realised why until the director pointed towards it. It's awesome and really freaky.
This movie really got under my skin because the mystery was bigger than the mothman, it never really showed what the being was like, what really got in to my head or bothered a little, is the thin line between this being a psicólogical or a phisical horror movie, we never knew if this was all in their heads or if it was a REAL creature/alien trying to make contact!!!!
this movie has always stayed with me, as well. there's just this ominous dread of impending doom that permeates each interaction. but i don't think having a few more millions to flesh out the creature or disaster scene would've hurt it; especially, if the director is still able to keep it all tonally even
I remember seeing this in the theater at 15 and just feeling so sad for Richard Gere's character. That line with him on the phone crying "I miss my wife so much!" Tugs at your heart.
The scene with Gere and Linney when shes like yea your friend was here asking about you and hes like who? And shows a pic of his wife...his dead wife and linneys like it might have been her...whew.
Her acting in that scene was brilliant. Pure 😙👌. How her face betrayed that the person she saw was Mary, and when John noticably starts to breakdown in front of her she has to vehemently deny what she saw, not just to calm John down (which it didn't), but to preserve her own understanding of the world when faced with the impossibility of what she knows she just saw.
@@mothsforeyes well said. She was like trying to reason with her experience and writing it off as if she mistaken her for someone else. Awesome acting. They were working in this movie.
Yes, with the Christmas presents plunging into the water, and the cars going in. It gives you goosebumps. Compared with the bridge-collapse scene in Final Destination 5, which probably had a much bigger budget and newer effects, but it had no feeling.
That movie easily has one of the best twist I have ever seen. Technically a double twist. Such a blast watching that for the first time. I wish I could erase it from my brain and watch it again lol.
The scariest part of Se7en IMO is the part when the dude describes how he killed a prostitute with a sharp strapon. So yeah, sometimes in horror its better to tell, not show
I am way more scared of horror books and podcasts than of movies for this reason. Imagination can be more powerful and surreal than images
3 года назад+17
yey! I love not being the only one that LOVED this movie. One thing that really shocked me is that in the movie they are trying to give you a feeling of what kind of being we are dealing with: a being that lives in higher dimensions. And through very interesting visual transitions that mix light and macros, and zooms, and i don't know what more, they give you an idea of how many dimensions or perspectives exist that we are not aware of, and that could explain where the perception of this being is coming from. Great review. One of my favourite Richard Gere movie also.
Can we just take a moment to appreciate how underrated an actor Richard Gere is? Like Days of Heaven, An Officer and a Gentleman, Breathless, American Gigolo, just to name a few. An all time favourite and I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of this film.
Extremely underrated movie, one of the best horrors of the early 2000s, very atmospheric and creepy as hell. And acting is marvelous, especially by Will Patton and Richard Gere in the lead. There is a recent documentary on the subject, called The Mothman of Point Pleasant, which unfortunately I haven't seen...
When you said "unsettling" I almost threw my phone. For years I've loved those movie for that EXACT REASON. It's one of the creepiest, most unsettling movies I've ever seen and is so without being an Ari Aster psychological mind fuck or a gory bloodfest. The sounds, music production, and of course the VOICE, make it so scary. Even in the end when things pan out how they do, I'm still left feeling so terrified.
@@elektronzer3809 AGREED. It's the real horror for me. Still watch documentaries on the case if they come, hearing the way different people describe the interactions they had with... whatever he was.
One of my favorite movies. I DID appreciate the scenes with Alexander Leake, the author that explored this creature and gave backstory which grounded it more in reality for me. Plus, there’s two scenes that go by so quick, you blink and you’ll miss them that were very good. There was the male nurse in the doorway talking to John after his wife’s death that said “she was seeing angels” in reference to the drawings of this thing she was sketching in a notebook. John looked away for 1 or 2 seconds and looks back and the nurse is gone. Upon repeated viewing, I’m convinced this is mothman/Indrid Cold appearing in his human form. The other scene I did not discover until my second viewing was a pretty decent hint of the Mothman’s face reflected in the mirror of John’s motel room.
One of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen. It gave me a sleepless night back in 2002, and it does the same every time I’m foolish enough to watch it again.
I really have to give the director credit on this one. The scene you showed where the woman talks of her experience outside of her house, that house is literally right down the road from me. On the other side of the fence is big gas pipes, in fact, if you pause @4:46, next to the knee cap of the guy in the red jacket, you can see the very top of one. Also, on the other side of the road is railroad tracks. So, the director does a real good job of hiding this stuff. Unfortunately the house burned down about 10 years ago.
I can watch real life documentaries about serial criminals but once someone proposes the possibility that beings in a different phase of universe can see us, scares the bloody hell out of me! Also Debra Messing crying asking if he saw it or not really speaks to me.
I was around the same age 11-13 when I saw this film and I have always felt the exact same way... for years afterward I was actually afraid and hesitant to look at windows at night time for fear of seeing two red eyes staring at me. This is one of the best examples of creepy atmosphere just getting under your skin. The book is great also.
@@MrLynksys1000 Especially the season 3 ending, my God! You felt both of their persepectives, but you ultimately agreed with Marty, regarding that Ruth should not quit her job. And when Ben died, you really felt for Wendy as she burst out crying, wailing and drinking. And then season 3 ends on a cliffhanger. Goddamn it! It's an amazing hook for the next season! Give me more dammit!
Not gonna lie, I hated her character for the majority of Ozark. After the Ben incident though her character began a redemption arc of sorts for me. Ruth is the best though. She don't know shit about fuck.
I was about the same age as Chris when I saw this and can tell you it gave me nightmares. This is the blueprint of how you make a horror movie. Implied dread is so much more effective than actually seeing the source of the dread physically. I agree though the middle of the film is paced poorly but the end is good.
I was a huge cryptozoology nerd about a decade ago when I was in middle school/high school. And I found this movie on DVD and bought it. I watched it and it was so freaking creepy and unsettling and I absolutely loved it! I just rewatched this with my gf last night for the first time in several years, she had never seen it before, and she really liked it too. She actually kept burying her face in my chest from how creeped out she was and she actually jumped at the part where John has the vision of his wife in the motel room. I love this movie. I don’t care what the critics say but the music score is eerie, the cinematography is amazing. The way the camera moves and looks like we’re the Mothman creeping up on people or flying over the town is just *chef’s kiss*. 10/10 definitely worth adding to the Halloween movie list
Living here in Ohio you hear all about the Mothman. My aunt had a friend whose dad was killed when the Silver Bridge collapsed. Also the book is a good read.
@@courthogan3140 maybe some of them do. I'm sure if you go looking you'll find somebody that meets that description. Like they say when you go looking for something often times you'll find it especially if you look in the right place.
Never before or since in my life have I had the feeling that someone or something was in the room, watching me from a corner, as I have while I was watching this movie for the first time.
I'm not a horror fan, honestly I'm a chicken. Lol, but I remember watching this movie and I felt like I couldn't look away. The scene that got me and made me almost crap myself is when Richard Gere is on the phone in his hotel standing in front of the mirror and he walks away and his reclection stays or turns late, I can't remember exactly, but that made me scared because it's like it could be anywhere I am and I wouldn't even know it. Lol, I love this movie though, a lot.
This really reminds me of Lovecraft's writing. A lot of the reason his creatures and horrors are SO damn unsettling is that he implies he's describing something INDESCRIBABLE! So as gross/uncanny as his words are, you know that whatever you're seeing is beyond that somehow...so creepy! I wish more horror directors realized that their viewer's' mind will ALWAYS be able to make them more scared than anything they actually see!
@@PatricioINTP Yeah, you can read the book simply as the journal of a man slowly losing his mind and assume the supernatural stuff is a part of that. Or you can read it as a man who lost his mind because of the supernatural stuff he experienced. It's really up to the reader and works well either way.
I remember seeing this in theaters and just as the end credits started to roll and people were leaving I heard someone in the theater say “what? No mothboy?!”🤣
This movie spooked me as a kid. I watched it again and I totally miss this type of horror/suspense. A lot of it was dramatized, but some of the events were said to have happened. There’s a book and documentary out there.
This is one of those movies that just fell through the cracks. Definitely underrated. Not really "scary" per se, but it does have a certain atmosphere to it that's kind of effective. I remember this movie being like the most high profile film that Chiller channel ever got the rights to! XD
I saw this when I was a teen too and have never watched it again because I was so scared. It still unnerves me now, this has made me curious about watching it again now 18 years later
I adore this movie, but I never thought there was a problem with the second half. Now Phantoms, that's a horror film that's brilliant in it's first half but falls completely apart in it's second.
@@TH3F4LC0Nx The second half does indeed suck, but I stand by that the first half is some of the best horror/suspense you'll find in movies. I've read the book btw, it's pretty good but also much more consistent.
@@circa81 Yeah, I still think it's pretty bad. The runtime is way too short. The book was effective because it had ample build-up. The movie gets going way too fast. The characters aren't developed at all and that lessens the suspense because you don't care what happens to them. The effects are terrible. Besides, it's all boo scares anyway. Didn't do the book justice at all.
@@TH3F4LC0Nx I mostly agree with what your saying, but I I really do contend the first half works so well becuase it's not all big scare moments and takes it's time to build incredible tension. But all of that just deflates instantly once the it's explained to the audience what's actually going on. The effects are almost exclusive to the second half where the movie shifts from the spooky, out of the corner of your eye type scares to just a big budget monster movie.
You should have mentioned the scene where Will Patton talks about meeting the Mothman. We see a quick flashback with a blurry tall man. That is okay by itself but that score in the background makes me sweaty like I was in an oven. And of course where Will Patton saw a weird reflection. So scary!
The area those stories came from are plagued by large migrating flocks of vultures during certain times of the year. Those large birds can appear very creepy looking and bizarre if encountered late at night perched in unusual places. I've always wondered if this creature was just a late night vulture encounter that bloomed into a life of its own.
Makes me wanna re-watch the movie. I would say a couple other films that hold a similar kind of tension throughout their runtimes would be Zodiac and Prisoners. Although they're not paranormal, so it's a little different.
Great to come here and see this film so deservingly shown much love. It is a part of you forever once you've seen it. I have always wondered if the title didn't help it's cause? It almost gives the impression of a documentary rather than a feature film.
I remember watching this in the theater and came out feeling like I just watched a two hour X-files show. It felt kind of like one of the mystery monster episodes, plus the way it was filmed and edited also seemed similar to some episodes of the X-files.
@@damianshumate5927 💯. I’ve gotta go back and check whether Mark Pellington ever guest directed an episode. If not, he and Chris Carter could be soul brothers from another mother. 👽
As for scenes that spooked me. If you watched "in the mouth of madness" there is a particular painting in the foyer. I won't spoil it but if you ever watch it, that painting spooked me when [that thing] happened. It spooked me so much that every scene involving that foyer made me close my eyes. The movie isn't the least bit scary but that one thing was done brilliantly. Fear is a weird thing.
Honestly the scene that scared the shit out of me was when he saw himself and he kept moving his arms and then the face of his reflection turns while he's already walked away. Seriously...GOOSEBUMPS even THINKING ABOUT IT
Will Patton deserves more recognition in this. His rural, tough guy character is completely overtaken with fear, dread and hopelessness. He is absolutely flawless in presenting that.
There is a few frames of the mothman about 3/4 of the way through when Richard Gere slams his medicine cabinet. Either that or it’s just a camera man in the shot. I used to rent this sucker from Blockbuster often.
@@2012thefreshprince I'm asking what you are trying to tell me? Or you're just saying 7 year olds get scared from horror movies? That seemed to obvious when I first read it.
I LOVE this movie! I saw it the first time when I was 10 and have never forgotten it BECAUSE it is dreadfully eerie and it just sticks with you. Most everyone I know who has watched it, I thinking expecting something more horrifying, has said it was disappointing or just dumb BUT I have always thought the fact that we see so little of the Mothman makes it far more terrifying and more realistic. Especially in correlation with the story of the Silver Bridge and how they were being told it was going to happen, very subtle and creepy.
Been waiting years for this review, its an underrated film for sure. The only other film like this would be Session 9 which is another underrated eerie film. Nice work Chris.
Glad to see you enjoyed this one, Chris. I remember having watched it years back and really enjoying it and not understanding some of the poor reviews it got. I felt like for its time this movie did some really good things to stand out from the average run-of-the-mill horror flick. It was truly a creepy one.
Развлечения
One day, years ago, I got my wisdom teeth removed. My mom brought me home and sat me on the couch. I was all drugged up and woozy. She turned on the Mothman Prophecies and left... I'll never recover.
An instant argument against parents letting the TV act as the babysitter. Jim Carrey as The Cable Guy said it best.
I’m at once sympathetic and a little envious 🤤🥴😆
Did she ever come back?
I had a similar experience, but with Halloween 6 (arguably the worst movie in the franchise, but I'd say it's better than a couple of the others). I was 15 or 16. I didn't watch that movie for years, but when I did I realized it wasn't even remotely as scary as I remember. My memories of the movie are much scarier even today knowing most of what I thought happened didn't happen the way I previously thought.
One scene in particular still sticks with me. It's the scene where everybody's taking shelter in the neighbor's house and lightning strikes in the background and you see Michaels silhouette at the window. My memory of his silhouette still creeps me out, even though the actual scene looks kinda stupid lol.
@@Uouttooo haha no she never came back. Terrified of mothman forever
As a West Virginian I was starting to wonder if anyone outside of the state and Richard Gere even knew this movie existed. Thankfully I was proven wrong
lol, I saw it in theaters when it came out, and i'm from slovenia :o) i still love it !!
This is one of my favorite movies.
Parents rented it all those years ago. We're down here in Houston.
I watched it today on Starz. It's pretty good 👍
I live in Sweden and found out about this movie, I don’t think it’s far too unknown to people who really like thriller / horror movies, whether they are from the states or elsewhere
I remember watching this in the theaters when it came out and I was sooo disturbed for a week or two. It was a different kind of scary. It's not your typical horror film, it doesn't have jump scares, but it has a psychological eerie effect on you that haunts you for a while. I love it. I still love it 20 years later!
Then what is 3:17, huh?
@@tmgn7588 it did have some jump scares, but I don't think the movie heavily relied on it to scare viewers as much as other thrillers. It relied more heavily on the psychological aspects.
@@tmgn7588 - 🤓
"What do you look like?"
"It depends on who's looking."
I'm so happy to see other people like this movie, and that they really were affected by it! Unsettling and cerebral is the perfect description. I also have the book, and I pick it up every once in a while to read a bit. If I read too much of it at once, I just get uncomfortably creeped out for a few days and it's just not fun anymore haha. And Chris is right, the book isn't set up to be scary, it's just a collection of accounts, said plainly, and that's what makes it chilling. It's just the implication of it all.
I’m glad somebody in 2020 is talking about this film.
Same here. Nobody really talks about urban legends anymore.
Me, too - I was starting to wonder whether I might have imagined it!
‘This is the only movie that I won’t watch twice it messed me up
@@rayh.8222 great call, saw it the yesterday, Thanks!!!!
Astonishing legends podcast! They deep dive all sorts of crazy legends, this was one of their best episodes
Guilty pleasure of mine. Not quite horror enough for horror fans to talk about it and not quite drama enough for the average movie goer to talk about. So underrated :(
Love this movie
Love this movie too
Honestly, I don't even call it a guilty pleasure because there's nothing to feel guilty about when enjoying this movie. It's not cheesy or full of jump-scares, it's just a solid movie through and through.
This movie and Fourth Kind are 2 movies that genuinely freaked me out.
Nothing guilty at all with this film. It's mostly very well done and creepy AF.
This is one of the most eerie, unsettling, and creepy movies I've ever seen. It sneaks up on you; and it's hard to describe, but there is a feeling of terror and dread that bubbles underneath the surface of my being every time I watch this film.
Absolutely bang on, Seth.
Totally agree. I think the fact that the mothmen are never truly show and they're motivations are inhuman and beyond comprehension makes it so much creepier
@@EmeraldBayMovies absolutely. And the only images you get are in those demonic, tortured drawings. Makes it all that much more elusive, mysterious, and sinister.
Mothman was framed.
Richard Gere is not in enough movies... he’s underrated cuz of all the date movies he’s in... people forget how talented he is.
But he must be doing something right, sold his Hamptons house to Matt Laurer for over 41 million
@@samanthab1923 he's great... I just meant sometimes ppl only think of the date movies... They overlook stuff like this cuz it's not his normal thing.
Stop That Band Oh sorry if that sounded flippant. I agree. Don't get me wrong American Gigolo is still the gold standard but you're right the other date movies are low on my list. Primal Fear & Internal Affairs 👍
What are you talking about ? Lol he’s been in a lot of movies outside the date movies. Look up his filmography on IMDb
@@isimonsez i sed not enough movies... Not that he wasn't in a lot 😒... It was a compliment to him...the sentiment being even if he was was in 100 movies it wouldn't be enough ( slight exaggeration) and that while he is in a lot of films the stereotype is he's a date movie guy... 😒
Best parts of the movie: great acting and no overwhelming CGI
I actually like this film a lot. Very underrated film.
One of my favorite horrors of all time
Even by watching this review I got the chills. Because of it's eeriness it reminds me to The exorcism of Emily Rose. Both films are amongst my fave suspense/horror thrillers
It's so fucking good, extremely underrated.
Yup, excellent movie. Acting was perfect too.
I liked it as well, and also scared the shit out me
When I was around 11yo I started suffering from sleep paralysis, and on the night before my first episode, a figure appeared, telling me it's name (which I can't remember), and also how it would not hurt me. I saw this in theaters 12 years later. When Will Patton describes his run-in with "Indrid Cold" I froze up, heart pounding. My mom had to ask if I was okay due to the blood draining from my face. Even though I don't actually think it's related to the figure I saw, I'll definitely never forget that . Side note: I have family from point pleasant who were amongst some of the witnesses back before the bridge fell.
Definitely dont read the book this is based on lol cuz they do tie sleep paralysis into it
@@naturesquad9174 I started reading and yep I'm traumatized, lol.
I live in Nova Scotia Canada & i FULLY Believe there are spirits out there among us ALL...... whether good or bad, we should stop & try to understand them & what they want.....if possible.
💯
@@dianashepherd3241excellent advice listen to this lady
“A broken smile beneath her whispered wings...” when Indrid Cold recites the random line from the book during the phone call- so good
You described this film perfectly - just unnervingly eerie. The phone call with Indrid Cold scene freaks me out every time I watch it without fail.
Have you paused it when you can see the Mothman in the mirror reflection? It's like he was in the room with him the entire time and couldn't see him.
Okebel32 Yeah I’ve caught that one. Definitely freaky.
Perfect description of the movie! That phone call scene just raises the hair on your neck.
This guy nails these films so good.
Christopher Huber he does nail them so well
As I've always said, the best type of horror is the eerie type, jumpscares are not horror. ANYONE can make a scare that makes you jump, not everyone knows how to control horror pacing.
True
You're describing bad jump scares, actually good jumpscares exist
@@leonardofarias8843 This is true, but they are rare. When they're good they are also used sparingly. The majority of movies that use them, have them about every 5 minutes and it's just a loud noise out of nowhere for no reason.
Jump scares do have a place within the horror genre. Or even just suspenseful thrillers. Its just that to make it good the jump scares should ideally only be reserved for characters/items that pose legitimate and immediate danger for other characters. Plus they shouldn't be THE only aspect of the film that is scary
@@CoOlKyUbI96 Indubitably.
I’m comforted somehow, knowing that this movie got to you the same way it got to me. I saw it once, and for some reason I actually bought it. I tried several times to watch it all the way through but I would struggle. NOT showing the Mothman is far scarier since it requires me to use my own imagination. Also, the fact that the idea of the Mothman being something people have reported on for hundreds of years just makes it even more unsettling. I am too affected by horror films to ever watch this again, but I’m glad you reviewed it.
Hit the nail on the head. The idea that these creatures have existed for thousands of years and just sort of do their own thing is super creepy, especially considering that their motivations are so ambiguous and inhuman. Really makes them feel like an actual creature that could exist
Chris, don't forget the moment in the film when Gere was on the phone and he's talking in front of and around a mirror.
Although you are riveted to what he's saying at some point you realize that the mirror image of Gere is not doing precisely what Gere is, but it is very subtle and no audio cue is given to draw attention to it.
It is just an extremely unsettling moment that creeps me out just thinking about it today.
The implication of the unreal interacting with the real in a malevolent or unintelligible way is profoundly unnerving.
I just watched the movie based on Chris' review, and this - "the implication of the unreal interacting with the real in a malevolent or unintelligible way is profoundly unnerving" - was my whole experience of this film. Well put.
@@lunacouer thank you for sharing your thoughts, and very glad you watched it.
Yep - that scene made the hairs on my neck stand up. What comes immediately after that is great too - in frustration, he slams the door to the room he's in (that has a mirror on it), and as the door bounces back off the frame in front of the camera, you catch a glimpse of an eyeless face in the mirror just as the scene ends. It is freaky as hell.
This movie disturbed me more than any slasher or gorey flick as a kid.
Same. Same...
Saaaame
same x3
SAME! My mom let me watch it and it literally haunted me for years lol
Same. As an adult.
All the scenes where he's on the phone with Indrid are friggin terrifying
Yes! It's pure psychological horror!
That part stood out to me the most. The sound of the voice is...
This movie scared the everloving Christ out of me as a teenager. So happy to see it get Stuckmannized. I love when Chris’s old soul shows in his reviews, like when he describes this as being a film about grief and how compelling a character is through trauma.
This movie makes me feel sad, scared, hopeless, and doomed.
yup.. me too.
I feel unsatisfied.
I think that's just 2020.
Scared the most for me
Hahaha
This is probably the most underrated thriller/horror film of all time. This film is so brilliantly executed that most people do not see that there are secrets on display throughout the whole film. Very subtle images that many people overlook and don't notice. I've seen this film probably about 30 times since it first came out and every time I watch it I see something new and shocking. It is actually one of the smartest films I've ever seen because of how it hides things in plain sight. It has more to offer than just the surface story. There's alot going on in this film if you have the eyes to see it.
The musical score of the film is also fantastic (except for the end credits song unfortunately).
Totally agree. I have the soundtrack on CD...
Once you're aware of the letter-"Y" appearing everywhere throughout the movie, it's great to try and find them on a re-watch.
Would you be so kind as to elaborate on this subtle imagery throughout? I’m genuinely curious.
I actually loved the credits song!
@@RemyUFO - Half Light by Low - great tune! 🎶
I’d love to know some of the things you keep finding. I’m too freaked out by this to watch it again for myself
I loved this movie.
The great thing about it is that, ultimately, the "Mothman" was actually kind of a "hero" in a sense... doing nothing other than trying to warn people of impending tragedy, but seemingly unable to communicate effectively due to what amounts to a language barrier.
It didn't kill Debra Messing's character, it appeared to her which inadvertently caused a crash... and then the doctors found the issue with her brain, unrelated to the crash. Was Mothman trying to warn her about her terminal illness?
It repeatedly appeared to Will Patton's character, culminating in Will's suicide... but was it the anxiety caused by the sightings that drove that character to suicide, or was he destined for it already, and Mothman was trying to warn him about his inherent suicidal tendency?
It repeatedly tried to make contact with Gere's character... and Gere was aware, and in tune by the end of the film, and was able to save at least one life - and possibly his own.
Obviously its warnings about the plane crash and other things were insufficient, but it's clear that it was trying to help in the only way it knew how.
In the book John Keel, the author, comes to the conclusion that these things, Mothman, the M.I.B.s, Indrid Cold, etc. are all one in the same: Some kind of entity or entities that either intentionally or unintentionally toy with us, promising wonderful knowledge and insight to us and then abandon us before we achieve epiphany.
They basically hypnotize their "victims" with a light (the Mothman's eyes, the beam of light from a UFO etc.) and what happens next is like hypnosis, the entity becomes something appropriate to the viewer in the viewer's mind: In ancient times it might have been Gods or angels, in medieval times they appeared as fairies, and in the 1960s they were UFOs and MIBs and such.
They "prove" their abilities of foresight and then they make one big prediction which either doesn't come true or comes true but in a different place or way, making their powers untrustworthy and, ultimately, a curse to whoever experiences them.
But yeah, I know you were discussing the movie. Just a little background from the book.
@@MandleRoss
Keel also has a tendency to create links between incidents and phenomena that fit a preconceived conclusion.
Reading Mothman Prophecies became a real slog for me after a while as Keel's writing and logic gradually become unmoored, which I know was essentially the catalyst for his ultimate conclusion that these entities thrive off of chaos. It honestly felt like reading one man's narcissistic self aggrandizing reach a fever pitch into a full psychotic break during the last 3/4 of the book, and how that very process was then uncritically and conveniently slotted into the foregone conclusion that he was one man standing against an unknowable and vast enemy, as opposed to being the impetus for some serious self reflection on his mental health.
Keel exacerbated a small town's growing collective paranoia in the face of unexplainable phenomena, and catapulted it into the mainstream, while being willfully blind to his own psychological impulses.
To anyone that read this far, I would not recommend the book. It's just Keel's version of Chariot of the Gods.
@MasterOnion North This is exactly what I thought as well
I don't think Indrid Cold was trying to warn or help anyone. It's a bad omen, a harbinger of tragedy, drawn to it like a moth to a light. There's a very simple yet intriguing quote in the film that pretty much perfectly sums up the Mothmen, "Their motivations... aren't human." Their purpose throughout the film is basically unknown, but as someone else mentioned they seem to be toying with everyone.
@@MandleRoss u guys are too smart for me
So awesome to see Chris talk about this movie it always felt underrated to me. The scene that always fucking freaked me out was one a lot of people seemed to miss and it’s when Richard Gere is on the phone and burns himself on the kettle and gets frustrated and slams the door and for a brief moment when the mirror moves back into place you can see a really horrifying alien-esque face reflected in the mirror. If you didn’t notice that go back and watch that scene it’s always stuck with me.
My dad pointed it out after watching it 3 times
Having read the book a few years before this movie came out, I was really excited for it. The book was really creepy in parts because I had been in some of those exact spots that John Keel had written about. I saw the movie opening night in Huntington, WV and there were people in the theater who had lost family due to the actual Silver Bridge collapse. During that part in the movie, you could hear people starting to tear up. Another thing that brought more realism to it is that the Television news casts in it were actually from our local news station. Even though the movie wasn't filmed in Point Pleasant WV, there is a "Mothman Museum" there dedicated to not only John Keel's book, but also the movie with actual props and costumes from it. Worth checking out if you are ever in the area.
One thing I didn't understand is why at the movies end it states that the reason for the bridge collapse was never discovered. A quick online search will tell you exactly why the bridge collapsed.
"I started the book and I couldn't finish it"
"I started watching the film and I couldn't finish it"
Chris are you gonna be able to finish this review?
The scene in the hotel where the mysterious Indrid Cold calls Richard Gere and when he asks the voice, "Where's my watch?" The voice says, "it's in your shoe... Under the bed." That freaked me out!😱
...ccchapstick
Chill out, what ya yellin' for? Lay back, it's all been done before. And if you could only let it be, you will see that I am the funniest RUclipsr of all time. Admit it, my dear follower shaine
Still more proof Jon Klein
I will see you in time.
@@The3rdGunman
Got goosebumps just reading that
Just whispering “chapstick” to myself scares me 😭 lol.
"In your shoe....under the bed" 👀 I loved that exchange.
YES YES YES
Agreed
I feel the same way about this film, Chris! The “cccchhhhhAAAAAAAPSTICK” scene makes my eyes water every time. Debbra Messing’s double gasp during the beginning of her car crash. The mounting music during the climax . Amazing movie! Love you, Chris.
The quote that stayed with me from my early teens: "What are you?" Indrid: "How do you explain your existence to a cockroach?"
It was "You're more advanced than a cockroach - have you ever tried explaining yourself to one of them?", and Leek said it; not Cold.
Chris should review Fire in the Sky. Good little 90’s sci-fi horror flick with an absolutely mind blowing alien abduction scene
I was thinking the same thing when he was talking about the creep factor. Although you do see aliens and the spaceship, the aliens are just downright malicious looking, and so uncaring, and the ship is a pig sty of forgotten human belongings semi-floating about...CREEPY!!
Yes that movie is very underated the best alien movie ever,very creepy and surreal
April Anonymous That was one thing I thought made it way more unsettling was how organic, fleshy and dirty the aesthetic of the ship was. Made me think of the underground lairs in 12 Monkeys a little bit
He talked about it in a video about the movies scenes that have scared him the most
davyjones2001 Hm I must have missed that one
Chris has put my exact feelings about this movie into words. One of the most unsettling and lingering terrifying films I've seen.
Yay, I didn't think anyone else rated this film, I'm so glad there's like minded people here. Chris got it. The feeling of wrongness that permeates this film is truly unnerving. It's very rare; The original Japanese Ringu (The Ring) had something like it but I can think of few others. Mothman Prophecies is an incredibly satisfying experience even though it leaves questions.
That movie was filmed down the road from my house. The hotel he was in was about 3 minutes from my house.
My god. I always thought this movie would be nothing without the setting. The road and yard, I could never go there without feeling watched.
I absolutely LOVE this movie. I agree with everything you said. I really miss movies like this. The haunting of hill house was as close to this style of eerie as weve gotten in a long time and Im excited for Blye Manor. This movie had hidden horror like The shining. The scariest things are the things we cannot see. Great review!
While Carpenter’s The Thing is my favorite horror flick, this is the subgrenre of horror I like most. A drama that has just a enough Lovecraftian elements to unsettle you and the characters. Also read Operation Trojan Horse by the same author. Both are the closest “Lovecraftian nonfiction” I know of.
Thanks for the recommendation. Have you ever read, Hunt for the Skinwalker?
Can you kindly suggest similar films?
@@nisathsalsabilrob1680
Lake Mungo
Empty Metal
Lost Highway
Hellier
@@naturesquad9174 thanks a lot man
@@nisathsalsabilrob1680 add Annihilation and Color Out Of Space to the list!
Really unique movie and one of the very, very few that gave me some genuine cosmic horror vibes. The sheer otherness of Indrid Cold and the thought of actually being on the phone with "him "is horrifying to me. What also got to me was that piece of dialogue about how these creatures usually remain outside of humans perception but when you pick up on their existence they notice in turn that you have noticed them. What a horrible thought.
That Mothman story always creeped me out especially since I'm kinda next to West Virginia
This film really stuck with me for a long time after watching it, sort of like Donnie Darko... It was very clever in the way it chose what to show the viewer. Definitely recommend watching this one!
The word for the Mothman Prophecies is “disturbing”
True. That’s the word. Chris seems to be missing the point quite a bit here. This movie isn’t “creepy” for the sake of being creepy. Nor is it trying to “get inside your head and fuck with you” just for the sake of doing so. But, on the other hand, it does have this eerie atmosphere up to its finale. The thing is that Chris is probably making one more and even more serious mistake when he’s defining the subject matter. Yes, this movie is also about grief and overcoming a loss, but it’s not about a person who is thus deranged and goes to great lengths searching for the answers that “don’t exist”. A good case can be made that the movie’s main point is that reality might be much more complex than people often choose to believe. And the answers might actually exist. It’s just that those answers and the path to them aren’t necessarily what people expect them to be when they simply go along with their wishes or, say, religious stereotypes. To move forward one has to venture into the unknown. But the unknown scares people so much that most of them never even try. But Gere’s character, as a result of what’s happened to him, has to become a little less risk-averse and a bit more open-minded. And many lives get saved in the end. So that’s the brilliance of this movie. The director masterfully maintains this uncanny feeling throughout - just to show the audience at the end that the only thing they were scared of was their own fear. Indrid Cold wasn’t evil. He was doing his best to help all along. But people’s perspective distorted by terror they felt led to one tragedy after another. Which would probably be the scariest thing. So yes, this movie is d-i-s-t-u-r-b-i-n-g. Exactly as it’s meant to be …
i'd go with lovecraftian
@@bluenoirpics I never got the impression that indrid cold was there to help. His motivations seem pretty unexplained.
@@EmeraldBayMovies IC’s general “motivations” were supposed to remain unexplained, since he is an entity from another world people know very little about. That’s the whole point. But encountering him - with the eyes of, say, curiosity rather than fear - could give vital information which could be used to help oneself at critically important moments. This is exactly what happens to Gere’s character, doesn’t it? In other words, IC is not a stereotypical all-benevolent deity but some being that simply has better knowledge of reality being able to access the deeper levels of it. Pretty much like in the story about a skyscraper window cleaner told in the movie. He’s also “helpful” enough to be prepared to share his knowledge. So you are right in a way that the wording might not have been exact, but the point still stands, I guess …
Gere's character is depressed over his wife's death so when he's told he can meet up with her again and Linney tries to talk him out of it, very high drama. She's one of my favorite actresses, she's also in "The Exorcism of Emily Rose".
Ozark is ammmaaazing too
Bruh she’s been in everything since 2002, she’s a fantastic actress
I have been telling my friends for years now to watch this movie or at least give it another watch. There are few movies that unsettle me as much as this one. Please watch the movie with the directors commentary too, you'll see all the little things they did to make scenes feel just off the whole time, there are some things I didnt notice until Pellington talked about it. Great to see it get some respect!
Is it available here on RUclips?
@@esyphillis101 I am afraid you'll only get it when buying the dvd or blu ray. I recommend doing that. There is a scene where John is on the phone next to a mirror, and his reflection is totally out of sync with the real John. I always knew that scene was off but only realised why until the director pointed towards it. It's awesome and really freaky.
To my knowledge, no one has ever commented on the fact that Gere's acting style requires that he whispers in every movie he's been in...
Hes not whispering it the muffled screams of lemmiwinks the gerbil
Also during their pretty man yrs he and David Duchovny looked a little like one another.
@@ryancole4015 , I knew this would eventually come up.
@Chris Stone yeah its an old one that has been fact checked to be false. Didnt mean to spread lies just laughs
actor trope
This movie really got under my skin because the mystery was bigger than the mothman, it never really showed what the being was like, what really got in to my head or bothered a little, is the thin line between this being a psicólogical or a phisical horror movie, we never knew if this was all in their heads or if it was a REAL creature/alien trying to make contact!!!!
this movie has always stayed with me, as well. there's just this ominous dread of impending doom that permeates each interaction. but i don't think having a few more millions to flesh out the creature or disaster scene would've hurt it; especially, if the director is still able to keep it all tonally even
I remember seeing this in the theater at 15 and just feeling so sad for Richard Gere's character. That line with him on the phone crying "I miss my wife so much!" Tugs at your heart.
The scene with Gere and Linney when shes like yea your friend was here asking about you and hes like who? And shows a pic of his wife...his dead wife and linneys like it might have been her...whew.
Her acting in that scene was brilliant. Pure 😙👌. How her face betrayed that the person she saw was Mary, and when John noticably starts to breakdown in front of her she has to vehemently deny what she saw, not just to calm John down (which it didn't), but to preserve her own understanding of the world when faced with the impossibility of what she knows she just saw.
@@mothsforeyes well said. She was like trying to reason with her experience and writing it off as if she mistaken her for someone else. Awesome acting. They were working in this movie.
@@Solodolo84
Gere and Linney almost had a Mulder and Scully dynamic throughout the film.
@@mothsforeyes facts 🍻 they were locked in those roles. Top notch stuff
you can say what you want Chris, but that bridge collapse scene is still one of the most suspenseful scenes I ever watched.
Yes, with the Christmas presents plunging into the water, and the cars going in. It gives you goosebumps. Compared with the bridge-collapse scene in Final Destination 5, which probably had a much bigger budget and newer effects, but it had no feeling.
Richard Gere and Laura Linney were also both terrific in Primal Fear
That movie easily has one of the best twist I have ever seen. Technically a double twist. Such a blast watching that for the first time. I wish I could erase it from my brain and watch it again lol.
The scariest part of Se7en IMO is the part when the dude describes how he killed a prostitute with a sharp strapon. So yeah, sometimes in horror its better to tell, not show
If it were shown, that would have gotten Se7en an instant NC17, in my opinion.
@@fromthehaven94 More like NC44... jesus, that film was fucking intense.
I am way more scared of horror books and podcasts than of movies for this reason. Imagination can be more powerful and surreal than images
yey! I love not being the only one that LOVED this movie. One thing that really shocked me is that in the movie they are trying to give you a feeling of what kind of being we are dealing with: a being that lives in higher dimensions. And through very interesting visual transitions that mix light and macros, and zooms, and i don't know what more, they give you an idea of how many dimensions or perspectives exist that we are not aware of, and that could explain where the perception of this being is coming from. Great review. One of my favourite Richard Gere movie also.
That phone call scene gets under my skin to this day
Can we just take a moment to appreciate how underrated an actor Richard Gere is? Like Days of Heaven, An Officer and a Gentleman, Breathless, American Gigolo, just to name a few. An all time favourite and I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of this film.
Seeing clips of this movie, I just realized that Laura Linney HAS NOT AGED AT ALL.
Extremely underrated movie, one of the best horrors of the early 2000s, very atmospheric and creepy as hell. And acting is marvelous, especially by Will Patton and Richard Gere in the lead. There is a recent documentary on the subject, called The Mothman of Point Pleasant, which unfortunately I haven't seen...
When you said "unsettling" I almost threw my phone. For years I've loved those movie for that EXACT REASON. It's one of the creepiest, most unsettling movies I've ever seen and is so without being an Ari Aster psychological mind fuck or a gory bloodfest.
The sounds, music production, and of course the VOICE, make it so scary. Even in the end when things pan out how they do, I'm still left feeling so terrified.
Dont need gore...this is way scarier.
@@elektronzer3809 AGREED. It's the real horror for me. Still watch documentaries on the case if they come, hearing the way different people describe the interactions they had with... whatever he was.
One of my favorite movies. I DID appreciate the scenes with Alexander Leake, the author that explored this creature and gave backstory which grounded it more in reality for me. Plus, there’s two scenes that go by so quick, you blink and you’ll miss them that were very good. There was the male nurse in the doorway talking to John after his wife’s death that said “she was seeing angels” in reference to the drawings of this thing she was sketching in a notebook. John looked away for 1 or 2 seconds and looks back and the nurse is gone. Upon repeated viewing, I’m convinced this is mothman/Indrid Cold appearing in his human form. The other scene I did not discover until my second viewing was a pretty decent hint of the Mothman’s face reflected in the mirror of John’s motel room.
Yes, to the first part of what you say. Leake is Alan Bates, a famous English actor when I was young. His scenes are absolutely necessary.
I love this movie! its more unsettling than scary and the cast is amazing.
The fear of red lights in this movie made me scared to have the red alarm clock in my room as a kid
Same
Yeah and then I saw a horror movie that had a monster with blue eyes and after that I could not bare the colour blue in the night lol.
Try TV static after watching White Noise haha
One of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen. It gave me a sleepless night back in 2002, and it does the same every time I’m foolish enough to watch it again.
I really have to give the director credit on this one. The scene you showed where the woman talks of her experience outside of her house, that house is literally right down the road from me. On the other side of the fence is big gas pipes, in fact, if you pause @4:46, next to the knee cap of the guy in the red jacket, you can see the very top of one. Also, on the other side of the road is railroad tracks. So, the director does a real good job of hiding this stuff. Unfortunately the house burned down about 10 years ago.
This is probably the only movie that still scares the shit out of me, its like that mothman is near me at all times
Thanks for being 💯
the fact that it was based on true events was creepy as well.
I remember seeing this as a teenager and it stuck with me for a while. The story-telling and flashbacks from the witnesses used to have me on edge.
I can watch real life documentaries about serial criminals but once someone proposes the possibility that beings in a different phase of universe can see us, scares the bloody hell out of me! Also Debra Messing crying asking if he saw it or not really speaks to me.
I was around the same age 11-13 when I saw this film and I have always felt the exact same way... for years afterward I was actually afraid and hesitant to look at windows at night time for fear of seeing two red eyes staring at me. This is one of the best examples of creepy atmosphere just getting under your skin. The book is great also.
haha you little baby
@@jamieroach5755 thanks for the compliment.
@@ginomoscati1976 thats okay its important i say this
Laura Linney has come a long way since then, being in the phenomenal Ozark television series (spoilers in this comment section for seasons 1-3).
Laura Linney and Julia Garner (Ruth) are carrying that show
The Mothman Prophecies is an old film, long before Ozark!
@@MrLynksys1000 Especially the season 3 ending, my God! You felt both of their persepectives, but you ultimately agreed with Marty, regarding that Ruth should not quit her job.
And when Ben died, you really felt for Wendy as she burst out crying, wailing and drinking.
And then season 3 ends on a cliffhanger. Goddamn it! It's an amazing hook for the next season! Give me more dammit!
She's great in the Truman Show too
Not gonna lie, I hated her character for the majority of Ozark. After the Ben incident though her character began a redemption arc of sorts for me. Ruth is the best though. She don't know shit about fuck.
I was about the same age as Chris when I saw this and can tell you it gave me nightmares. This is the blueprint of how you make a horror movie. Implied dread is so much more effective than actually seeing the source of the dread physically. I agree though the middle of the film is paced poorly but the end is good.
I was a huge cryptozoology nerd about a decade ago when I was in middle school/high school. And I found this movie on DVD and bought it. I watched it and it was so freaking creepy and unsettling and I absolutely loved it!
I just rewatched this with my gf last night for the first time in several years, she had never seen it before, and she really liked it too. She actually kept burying her face in my chest from how creeped out she was and she actually jumped at the part where John has the vision of his wife in the motel room. I love this movie. I don’t care what the critics say but the music score is eerie, the cinematography is amazing. The way the camera moves and looks like we’re the Mothman creeping up on people or flying over the town is just *chef’s kiss*. 10/10 definitely worth adding to the Halloween movie list
the score is also quite good - in particular ‘Composed of twelve members’ and the song ‘half light’ by low
Living here in Ohio you hear all about the Mothman. My aunt had a friend whose dad was killed when the Silver Bridge collapsed. Also the book is a good read.
do these people in Ohio who talk about the Mothman live in trailers and sleep with their cousins ?
court hogan ?
@@courthogan3140 maybe some of them do. I'm sure if you go looking you'll find somebody that meets that description. Like they say when you go looking for something often times you'll find it especially if you look in the right place.
Never before or since in my life have I had the feeling that someone or something was in the room, watching me from a corner, as I have while I was watching this movie for the first time.
I'm not a horror fan, honestly I'm a chicken. Lol, but I remember watching this movie and I felt like I couldn't look away. The scene that got me and made me almost crap myself is when Richard Gere is on the phone in his hotel standing in front of the mirror and he walks away and his reclection stays or turns late, I can't remember exactly, but that made me scared because it's like it could be anywhere I am and I wouldn't even know it. Lol, I love this movie though, a lot.
This really reminds me of Lovecraft's writing. A lot of the reason his creatures and horrors are SO damn unsettling is that he implies he's describing something INDESCRIBABLE! So as gross/uncanny as his words are, you know that whatever you're seeing is beyond that somehow...so creepy!
I wish more horror directors realized that their viewer's' mind will ALWAYS be able to make them more scared than anything they actually see!
All fun and games until he describes the cat haha
John Keel books can be called “Lovecraftian nonfiction”. Heck, in this book he actually stated he has gone insane due to his experiences!
@@PatricioINTP Yeah, you can read the book simply as the journal of a man slowly losing his mind and assume the supernatural stuff is a part of that. Or you can read it as a man who lost his mind because of the supernatural stuff he experienced.
It's really up to the reader and works well either way.
That mirror face scene messes me up as a kid since no one I was with saw it
Totally!!!! Have you ever paused it to see what it is?
If you watch the scene again watch Geres character in the mirror before the face appears. His reflection moves independently from himself.
I remember seeing this in theaters and just as the end credits started to roll and people were leaving I heard someone in the theater say “what? No mothboy?!”🤣
This movie spooked me as a kid. I watched it again and I totally miss this type of horror/suspense. A lot of it was dramatized, but some of the events were said to have happened. There’s a book and documentary out there.
This is one of those movies that just fell through the cracks. Definitely underrated. Not really "scary" per se, but it does have a certain atmosphere to it that's kind of effective. I remember this movie being like the most high profile film that Chiller channel ever got the rights to! XD
This movie used to creep me out as a kid. I love this movie.
"Hollywood video" now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time.
I Get That Reference.
I saw this when I was a teen too and have never watched it again because I was so scared. It still unnerves me now, this has made me curious about watching it again now 18 years later
I adore this movie, but I never thought there was a problem with the second half. Now Phantoms, that's a horror film that's brilliant in it's first half but falls completely apart in it's second.
Phantoms sucked from start to finish. Which is a shame, because the book was actually fairly scary. But the movie was just awful.
@@TH3F4LC0Nx The second half does indeed suck, but I stand by that the first half is some of the best horror/suspense you'll find in movies. I've read the book btw, it's pretty good but also much more consistent.
@@circa81 Yeah, I still think it's pretty bad. The runtime is way too short. The book was effective because it had ample build-up. The movie gets going way too fast. The characters aren't developed at all and that lessens the suspense because you don't care what happens to them. The effects are terrible. Besides, it's all boo scares anyway. Didn't do the book justice at all.
@@TH3F4LC0Nx I mostly agree with what your saying, but I I really do contend the first half works so well becuase it's not all big scare moments and takes it's time to build incredible tension. But all of that just deflates instantly once the it's explained to the audience what's actually going on. The effects are almost exclusive to the second half where the movie shifts from the spooky, out of the corner of your eye type scares to just a big budget monster movie.
The first half of Phantoms really gave me a Silent Hill vibe. The second half lost something as soon as Peter O Toole entered the movie.
The feel of this movie, like Jacob’s Ladder is exceedingly rare now...some stories on Reddit’s r/nosleep have this feel though
You should have mentioned the scene where Will Patton talks about meeting the Mothman. We see a quick flashback with a blurry tall man. That is okay by itself but that score in the background makes me sweaty like I was in an oven.
And of course where Will Patton saw a weird reflection. So scary!
It’s a great movie. The subject matter is really goofy. But the film really gets under your skin. It’s really creepy.
It’s not that goofy since the Mothman was a phenomenon back in the day.
The area those stories came from are plagued by large migrating flocks of vultures during certain times of the year. Those large birds can appear very creepy looking and bizarre if encountered late at night perched in unusual places.
I've always wondered if this creature was just a late night vulture encounter that bloomed into a life of its own.
@@skylx0812 I heard about Men in black that kept appearing to eye witnesses as well asking questions. It’s quite interesting.
@@redbaron5308 It still is. Look up the hundreds of accounts and sightings around Chicago and Lake Michigan in the last few years.
I always expect the intro music to turn into the Breaking Bad intro 😂
Makes me wanna re-watch the movie. I would say a couple other films that hold a similar kind of tension throughout their runtimes would be Zodiac and Prisoners. Although they're not paranormal, so it's a little different.
Great to come here and see this film so deservingly shown much love. It is a part of you forever once you've seen it. I have always wondered if the title didn't help it's cause? It almost gives the impression of a documentary rather than a feature film.
This is my favorite time of year to watch your content. Awesome job Chris!
You could add Mulder & Scully cause it could work as an episode or X Files movie. Plus Will Patton is underrated.
He sure is underrated. :) He can't act multitude of roles but what he can? He shines.
They made a x-file episode about the mothman. I am pretty sure about that
@@markusrows1096 Yeah called Detour. Not exactly like the Mothman, more like the Predator. Plus the ending is so creepy, I still have it on VHS.
I remember watching this in the theater and came out feeling like I just watched a two hour X-files show. It felt kind of like one of the mystery monster episodes, plus the way it was filmed and edited also seemed similar to some episodes of the X-files.
@@damianshumate5927 💯. I’ve gotta go back and check whether Mark Pellington ever guest directed an episode. If not, he and Chris Carter could be soul brothers from another mother. 👽
As for scenes that spooked me. If you watched "in the mouth of madness" there is a particular painting in the foyer. I won't spoil it but if you ever watch it, that painting spooked me when [that thing] happened.
It spooked me so much that every scene involving that foyer made me close my eyes. The movie isn't the least bit scary but that one thing was done brilliantly. Fear is a weird thing.
Honestly the scene that scared the shit out of me was when he saw himself and he kept moving his arms and then the face of his reflection turns while he's already walked away. Seriously...GOOSEBUMPS even THINKING ABOUT IT
Will Patton deserves more recognition in this. His rural, tough guy character is completely overtaken with fear, dread and hopelessness. He is absolutely flawless in presenting that.
There is a few frames of the mothman about 3/4 of the way through when Richard Gere slams his medicine cabinet. Either that or it’s just a camera man in the shot. I used to rent this sucker from Blockbuster often.
I’m not saying it’s an alien... but it’s totally an alien. 😜
This movie scared the shit out of me when I was like 7. I haven't seen the movie since then but the phone scene has stuck with me.
Alot of films would have scared you when you were 7.
@@2012thefreshprince ok?
@@finnrater4812 ok?
@@2012thefreshprince I'm asking what you are trying to tell me? Or you're just saying 7 year olds get scared from horror movies? That seemed to obvious when I first read it.
@@finnrater4812 it's like saying wow I really liked using a pacifier when I was 3 years old!
I LOVE this movie! I saw it the first time when I was 10 and have never forgotten it BECAUSE it is dreadfully eerie and it just sticks with you. Most everyone I know who has watched it, I thinking expecting something more horrifying, has said it was disappointing or just dumb BUT I have always thought the fact that we see so little of the Mothman makes it far more terrifying and more realistic. Especially in correlation with the story of the Silver Bridge and how they were being told it was going to happen, very subtle and creepy.
The real Indrid Cold was scary af, witnesses said he had an erie grin.
Damn, seriously?
Been waiting years for this review, its an underrated film for sure. The only other film like this would be Session 9 which is another underrated eerie film. Nice work Chris.
There's not enough love for this movie, it feels kinda forgotten.
I’m glad someone else appreciates this film as much as me. I always enjoyed this and found it creepy as hell!
Glad to see you enjoyed this one, Chris. I remember having watched it years back and really enjoying it and not understanding some of the poor reviews it got. I felt like for its time this movie did some really good things to stand out from the average run-of-the-mill horror flick. It was truly a creepy one.
Humans aren't generally comfortable with uncertainty. This movie played of this very well.