Welcome to today’s installment of 31 Days of Halloween! This is our chance to set the mood for the spookiest and scariest month of the year as we focus our attention on horror and Halloween fun. For the month of October we’ll be talking to creators working in horror and share and recommend various pieces of underappreciated scary media-books, comics, movies, and television-to help keep you terrified and entertained all the way up to Halloween.
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A creepy thriller is one of my favorite things to curl up and watch. If done right, these can be some of the most entertaining films you’ll ever see. “If done right” are of course the key words there, I’ve seen incredible ones that made my hair stand up and I’ve seen god awful ones that make a mockery out of the genre. Luckily, The Mothman Prophecies is one of the good ones. I didn’t think this film would be successful in scaring me but oh was I wrong. I absolutely love the way this film was able to get me.
What makes this movie effective? The Mothman Prophecies does wonders with teasing/leaving things up to the imagination. There are scenes where things are shown and heard but it doesn’t give everything away, it simply gives you enough. There is one scene in particular that really makes the film in my opinion and it does that by giving us a very eerie/intriguing moment. The filmmakers were smart enough to give us blurry images and vague representation, not a clear image. A clear image of what we’re frightened of or of what the mystery is kills everything. What’s done with sound and voices is uber effective also. There’s one scene where I actually got goosebumps from something that was being said. I can’t get specific because if you watch this I don’t want to spoil anything but suffice to say it spooked me for sure.
The writing is up to par as well. The storyline keeps you intrigued all the way through and ties events together in a clever way. That’s another detail that must be paid attention to with a creepy thriller. A well written plot is a must have. The cast is filled to the brim with very talented actors: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Debra Messing, and Will Patton. Richard Gere gives a very skilled performance here, he’s able to tap into the proper emotions and is believable in the role. Laura Linney, who I’ve always been a big fan of, is very lovable in this role. Linney is a good fit for this character because she’s good at being lovable and this character must come across that way. Debra Messing, who I’ve watched on one of my all time favorite shows Will and Grace, makes the best out of her limited time. Messing is a supporting character but does have several scenes where she’s able to shine.
Will Patton must be talked about because he really turns in a great performance – and a very important one. Patton’s character is crucial to the storyline and I love the manner in which he played this role; deep and affecting. The ending is done in a clever way, the details and bread crumbs do lead somewhere and it makes great use out of information we learn earlier in the film. One great thing about The Mothman Prophecies is the way it’s able to both intrigue and spook viewers. It doesn’t succeed in doing these things by being gory/violent or laying out clearly what you’re supposed to be afraid of, no it does it by being clever. The best creepy thrillers know that teasing something can be so much more effective than pulling back the curtain.
I highly suggest watching The Mothman Prophecies because it truly is successful at doing what it wants to do. If you’re in the mood for a creepy thriller that will actually give you goosebumps, check this out!
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