Moth

Director(s) - Gergo Elekes (Bodom, Blue Dream) and Jozsef Gallai (09.12.04, Bodom)
Starring - Lidia Szabo, Jozsef Gallai, and Balint Egri
Release Date - 2016
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "The legend has returned"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I'd be hard pressed to find someone from the mountain state that has not heard to story of the Mothman of Point Pleasant.  The Mothman has been fascinating people for decades now and has earned its place a spot among Patty and Nessie as a beloved cryptid.  Over the years there has been several films and documentaries inspired by this West Virginia tale.  Movies like The Mothman Prophecies, The Mothman's Curse, The Mothman of Point Pleasant, Eyes of the Mothman, Mothman, and the 2016 found footage film Moth.  Sometime ago my friends over at Wild Eye Releasing released this U.K. based film on DVD.  They were kind enough to send a copy my way.  Thanks guys for allowing Horror Society and myself the opportunity to check it out.

     The film follows a professor who is studying a new wave of Mothman sighting in the U.K. and decides to go investigate them with a student.  They head out to the area where a majority of the sightings occurred and discover abandoned cars and no sign of human life.  Will their investigation into the unknown lead them to the scientific find of the century or will they come face to face with a monster from the legends?

   

      I guess I hold stories about my home state in high regard and for that I am a little biased.  If it looks like I am being a little too harsh on the film I apologize.  I mean no disrespect.  I do have an interest in cryptozoology and the Mothman just happens to be one of my favorite cryptids.  With that being said, Moth was not one I particularly cared for.  The acting in this one is decent considering the cast has no real prior experience.  They take charge of their roles but their lack of experience shows in almost every scene.  They really give it their all but struggle with making the dialogue feel genuine.  It is because of this that several of the scenes are awkward to watch.  The story for this one is hit and miss with me.  The film begins with a brief overview of the legend of the Mothman and the Silver Bridge collapse in Point Pleasant.  The film then quickly switches gears and we dive straight into the story already told in the first Blair Witch film.  We follow two people as they go to where the Mothman was sighted in order to document proof that it actually exists in a similar fashion to BW.  Sadly, this portion of the film completely abandons the Mothman mythos.  Each and every scene is full of dialogue that just drags the film on.  So much so that I believe the dialogue was adlibbed.  At times the dialogue is pointless and has no conviction what so ever.  The director needed to be a little more hands on.  Finally, if you want a blood bath you wont find it here.  Hell, if you want a blood bath you shouldn't watch any film about the Mothman.  The film itself focuses on story and trying to make the found footage angle look authentic.  Overall, Moth just wasn't for me.  Even if it wasn't about a cryptid I enjoy the film itself was still falling short.  The story is predictable and unoriginal and the acting needed improvement.  Overall, I would recommend checking out Mountain Devil if you want some cryptid mayhem from Wild Eye.