THE PARANORMAL PASTOR: Number 10: The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

The Mothman Prophecies gives us realistic investigative procedures and witness psychology then falls apart at the end.

Kicking off the list at the number 10 spot is The Mothman Prophecies. This film is one you probably didn’t expect to be on the list. The movie isn’t flashy. It isn’t over the top. It’s quiet yet it has this creepy, dreadful tone that starts slow then spreads like an infection as it progresses. Richard Gere stars as John Klein, a reporter who begins to investigate some strange and unsettling phenomena in Mount Pleasant, West Virginia. The deeper he digs; he discovers that everything points to the legend of the Mothman. If you haven’t seen the film, don’t worry, I’m keeping everything mostly spoiler-free in these articles.

Before we jump into it, I want to remind the reader of the rubric I’m using to evaluate these movies in case you missed the first entry.

1. Paranormal Investigator Behavior- Do the investigators in the movie portray the real process? Do they accurately depict how it is in the field and how investigations should be conducted?
2. Field Reported Phenomena- Are the things presented in the films real phenomena investigators experience or is it over dramatized? Can the phenomena really be captured using the equipment they use or is it made up bs for the movie?
3. Naturalistic Presentation- Does the presentation of the events, phenomena, and investigation feel real, or is it based more on what would make a good movie? Is it a spectacle or are they going for accuracy? Is this movie logic with larger-than-life effects or does it seek to portray realism?

Now, on to The Mothman Prophecies. This film creeps into my top ten list for multiple reasons. For one, it’s based on the Point Pleasant incidents that took place from 1966-1967. Even though it deals with cryptids and strange subject matter, its portrayal of witness psychology, phone interference, and synchronicity closely matches real life UFO/Cryptid/Paranormal cases. It’s not 100 percent spot on, but it does a good job at integrating multiple aspects investigators in these fields claim to encounter: UFO’s, prophetic dreams, phone disturbances, and “men in black” are a case in point. It also portrays real, in the field phenomena like premonitions, technological malfunctions, and witness anxiety over what was experienced. The sense of psychological distress and communication breakdown among the witness accounts rings eerily true to experience. The other thing I like about this film is the phenomena stays elusive and indirect, much like real life investigations.

So where does it veer off the rails? The major flaw in this movie is the depiction of the Mothman. I won’t describe it in case some of you reading haven’t seen it yet. What I will say is that the Mothman in the film looks nothing like what real life witnesses have said. The film gives us a somewhat detailed look at the creature, whereas those who have actually encountered the Mothman present something far less defined. The glaring inaccuracy in this aspect drops the film a notch for me. It was clearly done on purpose for dramatic effect, as I find it hard to believe the writers would get so much right then somehow miss the real-life testimonies of what the Mothman looked like to those who claimed to encounter it. 

The Mothman Prophecies gets an overall rating of 3/5 for realism using the rubric I described above. Though John Klein is not a paranormal investigator, he does a lot right as a reporter in seeking to gather evidence and make sense of the phenomena and witness testimonies. This one is definitely worth a watch if you have not seen it. For the next article, we will look at the film that slipped just ahead of The Mothman Prophecies.

Known by his fans as “The Paranormal Pastor”, JD Hill brings a unique and original touch to the dark fiction genre. His twenty plus years in ministry have afforded him the opportunity to encounter people from all walks of life and in a myriad of situations. These experiences have leaked into his stories in numerous ways. He is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and has four children.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.