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

143 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.

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Critics Consensus

A creepy thriller that poses more questions than it answers.

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Bill Stamets

Chicago Reader

Jun 23, 2022

3/4

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...

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Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

Oct 9, 2020

B+

One of the creepiest movies ever made.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 28, 2010

2/5

Psychological thriller may deeply upset some kids.

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

May 25, 2026

7/10

A stylish and effective supernatural thriller boosted by smart, effective performances and an excellent soundtrack by musical duo tomandandy.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Mar 19, 2026

3/5

‘…a more than decent genre time-passer that just about escapes from the shadow of a goofy title…’

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Akos Peterbencze

The Screen

Nov 14, 2025

...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.

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Terry H

@RT83445150 1 day ago

Hadn't seen this one in decades since shortly after it came out. Much better than I remember. I'm a fan of twilight zone type sci fi and this one doesn't disappoint. Found myself completely mesmerized by how it was filmed. The scene editing was fantastic in bringing out the suspense and emotions of the scene. Really enjoyed this one.

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B P

@Bradster69 6 days ago

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

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Quinn R

@qrossi Sep 2, 2026

The main problem with this movie is that it's too long. I really wanted the story to lean more into Richard Gere's character being an unreliable narrator, but it seems like his fears and suspicions throughout are always being confirmed by other characters. Also, this movie earned an extra half-star from me just for casting Laura Linney in an uncharacteristic role.

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Jeux T

@RT23605591 Aug 30, 2026

I had a great time watching this movie !

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J H

@UpstateNYThriller Aug 13, 2026

6.4/10 Not great, not enough Mothman Early 2000s, cryptid, legend Early 2000s movie but strange thing happening in west Virginia with the Mothman legend Ricard Gene and Laura Linney from Ozark are in it.

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Paul S

@PManRager Aug 13, 2026

It was a little underwhelming and overdramatic at times, but this was still an incredibly intriguing movie. The Mothman has intrigued many for decades, and this movie perfectly encapsulates the mystery, mysticism, and terror that surround the legendary creature. I definitely recommend this for mystery, thriller, paranormal, and sci-fi fans!

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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)

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