The Mothman Prophecies

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The Mothman Prophecies

PG-13

2002

1h 59m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

52%

Tomatometer

141 Reviews

56%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

From the director of Arlington Road comes a spine-tingling, super-natural thriller based on actual events that will rattle your nerves and shake your beliefs. Distraught by the sudden, tragic death of his wife (Debra Messing), John Klein (Richard Gere), a journalist for The Washington Post, finds himself mysteriously drawn to a small West Virginia town when his car inexplicably strands him. Rescued by the sympathetic but skeptical local police sergeant (Laura Linney), he soon learns that many of the town's residents have been beset by bizarre events, including sightings of an eerie "moth-like" entity, similar to the one seen by his late wife. Investigating further and having his own terrifying encounters with the creature, he becomes obsessed with the idea that this supernatural being can predict impending calamities and is trying to warn the town of one. Is this a psychic delusion brought on by his grief or can he convince the police sergeant that there's a tragedy that must be averted? His life, and potentially others' lives, depend on his making the right choice before time runs out.

Critics Consensus

A creepy thriller that poses more questions than it answers.

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Bill Stamets

Chicago Reader

Sights that might have been comforting before suddenly seem strange and menacing, and the technological landscape we depend on for our survival becomes the mise-en-scene of a horror film...

Rated: 3/4

Jun 23, 2022

Full Review

Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

One of the creepiest movies ever made.

Rated: B+

Oct 9, 2020

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Psychological thriller may deeply upset some kids.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 28, 2010

Full Review

Akos Peterbencze

The Screen

...as disappointing as my rewatch ended up being two decades later, I’ll always be indebted to Pellington’s vision and Hatem’s script for nourishing my fascination with atmospheric horrors and paranormal phenomena.

Nov 14, 2025

Full Review

Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

More of a vibe than it is a narrative-driven thriller, but it's an extremely chilling vibe nonetheless.

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 4, 2023

Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

A handful of creepy sequences aside, it's ultimately a hokey and uninformed adaptation of a genuinely bizarre series of events.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 20, 2023

Full Review

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Alexander S

The Mothman Prophecies is a thought-provoking thriller that delves into the intriguing legend of the Mothman and Indrid Cold, providing a unique backdrop for Richard Gere's character to navigate his grief and desperation, resulting in a film that can be both haunting and mesmerizing. Grading: B-

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/20/25

Full Review

Jacob S.

Just a beautifully filmed psychological horror film with one of the greatest horror soundtracks. The anomaly of the Mothman is fascinating in this and the connecting subplot of Gere’s late wife makes for a very interesting mind-screw. Also, one the best horror finales I have ever seen which an extraordinarily tense climax. Deserves far more credit as it’s under appreciated. Don’t let the PG-13 fool you, this is a dark movie with a mature concept.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/16/25

Full Review

Shawna R

An underrated gem of a movie that more should be talking about and inspired by a true story too

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/14/25

Full Review

Review N

Not a scare fest but it does the legend good. The Sheriff was miscast.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/24/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas de terror são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/12/25

Full Review

Miami J.

This movie is certified garbage. Lots of talking between characters they want you to care about yet do such an awful job at building them up and the best part is all that talking ultimately leads to literally nothing. Tons of “flashbacks”, even more than a Shonen Anime. You literally never even truly see the Mothman itself. Save your self some time and just pick another movie.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/12/25

Full Review

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Mark Pellington

Director

Richard Gere

John Klein

Laura Linney

Connie Parker

Will Patton

Gordon Smallwood

Debra Messing

Mary Klein

Lucinda Jenney

Denise Smallwood

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Synopsis

From the director of Arlington Road comes a spine-tingling, super-natural thriller based on actual events that will rattle your nerves and shake your beliefs. Distraught by the sudden, tragic death of his wife (Debra Messing), John Klein (Richard Gere), a journalist for The Washington Post, finds himself mysteriously drawn to a small West Virginia town when his car inexplicably strands him. Rescued by the sympathetic but skeptical local police sergeant (Laura Linney), he soon learns that many of the town's residents have been beset by bizarre events, including sightings of an eerie "moth-like" entity, similar to the one seen by his late wife. Investigating further and having his own terrifying encounters with the creature, he becomes obsessed with the idea that this supernatural being can predict impending calamities and is trying to warn the town of one. Is this a psychic delusion brought on by his grief or can he convince the police sergeant that there's a tragedy that must be averted? His life, and potentially others' lives, depend on his making the right choice before time runs out.

Director: Mark Pellington
Producer: Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Gary Goldstein
Screenwriter: Richard Hatem, John A. Keel
Distributor: Screen Gems
Production Co: Screen Gems, Lakeshore Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Some Sexuality|Language|Terror)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 25, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $35.2M
Runtime: 1h 59m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)