PLATFORM: DIGITAL / RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 20

For anyone with an interest in the horror genre or in urban legends, you’re likely well aware of the famed Mothman. And now, this mysterious being is having a spotlight shone on it again in Seth Breedlove’s The Mothman Legacy.

Honing in on the sleepy town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, The Mothman Legacy takes a documentary approach to the subject matter on the table. Breaking down the rumoured origins and speculated backstory of the forewarning, red-eyed, winged Mothman, the film serves as an initial history lesson into this creature and then regales its audience with tales from those who claim to have experienced the Mothman first-hand. Not only do we hear about the impact of this cryptid being on those who have seen it, but we also get to hear about what impact the Mothman phenomena – which first surfaced in the 1960s – has had on the town of Point Pleasant.

It’s here where The Mothman Legacy excels, with the focus being more on the people and places influenced by this creature rather than the creature itself. Rather than 75 minutes of where the Mothman came from, how it came to be, and why it does what it’s reported to do, that portion of the documentary is nicely wrapped up in the early goings of The Mothman Legacy. In that way, this helps The Mothman Legacy stand out from certain similar offerings centred on the Mothman. Instead, it’s left to us to hear the stories of others and to make our mind up on what we believe.

Featuring input from the Mothman Museum’s Jeff Wamsley and his daughter Ashley, authors Susan Sheppard and Heather Moser, The Mothman Prophecies screenwriter Richard Hatem, and other local Point Pleasant residents, The Mothman Legacy is engaging viewing for those both familiar and unfamiliar with the Mothman legend – and the film’s brisk runtime and hands-on reports make it an easy, enjoyable, informative watch.