Richard Gere has created a niche for himself in Hollywood: the romantic hero. Pretty Woman, Sommersby and Runaway Bride have all formed a light appeal around an actor who is capable of so much more.

In The Mothman Prophecies he proves himself a true professional. In as far a departure from the typical Hollywood fare as you could imagine, he plays the emotionally ruined John Klein who lives his life like a zombie after the sudden death of his wife (Messing).

A top notch Washington Post journalist who had reached the peak of his professional and personal happiness just before the tragedy, Klein is trying to come to terms with life on his own and attempts to recreate normality on a daily basis.

Klein remains listless and can't find peace. Something his wife said just before she died - "You didn't see it, did you?" - preys on his mind continually.

One night Klein sets off to interview a politician in a nearby town. After a couple of hours on the road his car breaks down and he knocks on the door of the nearest house. To his surprise the occupant seems to have been expecting his visit and before he can blink Klein finds himself immersed a world where nothing is normal and the people are full of fear.

He has inexplicably reached a small place called Point Pleasant in West Virginia which should have taken him six hours to get to from Washington DC. The god-fearing people of this average middle America town are beginning to hallucinate about a black, angled creature which is terrifyingly similar to a drawing which Klein's wife drew just before she died.

Klein forms a friendship with Connie Mills, the local police officer, and together they attempt to delve into this weird and frightening phenomenon. The townspeople become even more freaked out when some of their hallucinations turn into predictions of plane crashes and natural disasters on a colossal scale.

The movie builds to a satisfyingly thrilling climax, which allows the audience to believe that these strange goings on actually sort of make sense.

"This is not sci-fi," says director Mark Pellington. It is, in fact, an examination of a paranormal or supernatural force which is seen is different forms by all those who encounter it. Based on true events, the story as seen through the eyes of Klein becomes real and absorbing.

Mothman is a suspense-filled thriller with frights and twists at every turn. The score adds to the chilling atmosphere and the dark and menacing night sequences create a chilling piece of cinema which will get inside your head and make you think about the consequences of ignoring dreams and premonitions.

No Hollywood movie is complete without a top-notch special effects team. In this movie the climax is built up by emotional tension but the Grande Finale is a feat of pure physical brilliance. Such realistic scenes of chaos will leave you stunned as the credits roll.

Natalie Stone