Where to watch Mothman
1 1/2 Stars
Mothman is the kind of film that gets its cues from well known titles in the genre like
I Know What You Did Last Summer and the first
Friday the 13th. The opening ten minutes showcase the drowning of a young boy during a prank pulled by bullish jock teenagers. Once the older kids realize they’ve inadvertently murdered the tween they decide to concoct a bogus story that the victim died from a head injury. They each take turns bashing the corpse’s head in to make the alibi more believable. It’s a familiar sequence that as played feels totally perfunctory. The story then shifts forward ten years (although none of the actors look to have aged a day). Katherine (Jewel Staite) is summoned back to her hometown to cover an annual festival. Once there Katherine is forced to face her estranged friends and the truth of the drowning they covered up as teenagers. Turns out the local town legend about ‘Mothman’, a vengeful spirit, aren’t just tall tales.
Then it’s time for assembly line murder by the demon known as ‘Mothman’. He systematically dispatches victims by what is intended as horrifying means but are laughable due to the poor CGI effects. This strictly by the numbers horror film benefits from the presence of lead actress Staite (Serenity), a shining bright spot within a group of novice actors. Credit must be given to the cast who all are capable to act their parts with appeal, despite the wooden dialogue. Director Sheldon Wilson offers a few moments of suspense, but the story is unconvincing and utterly predictable.
Mothman is unoffensive but too routine to recommend.
Director: Sheldon Wilson
Stars: Jewel Staite, Connor Fox, Susie Abromeit
