The Mothman Legacy

Seth And Adrienne Breedlove’s ‘The Mothman Legacy’ (2020): Documentary Film Review

I never really believed in folklore monsters like Loch Ness or Bigfoot, even as a kid. I’d hear about those legends, and I was always suspicious. It just seemed too far fetched. The Mothman, however, is different for me. I was and perhaps still am at times skeptical, but The Mothman fascinates me. So of course, I needed to check out The Mothman Legacy, Seth and Adrienne Breedlove’s latest documentary about the humanoid creature with red glowing eyes and giant wings. What did I think? Read on to find out!

The Mothman Legacy Synopsis:

The Mothman Legacy is the story of one of the most frightening American urban myths, the legend of The Mothman, a red-eyed creature seen by some as a harbinger of doom in 1960s rural West Virginia, where sightings of the winged demonic beast were first documented near an old munitions dump known by locals as TNT.

Many believe the Mothman to be a 1960s phenomenon, an omen only appearing before tragedy, and disappearing after a flap of sightings and the subsequent Silver Bridge collapse in 1967. But what if there’s more? What if the origins of this omen trace back much further and go much deeper than anyone realized? And what if…the sightings never ended?

The Mothman Legacy

My Thoughts:

I hadn’t heard of The Mothman until I saw the 2002 film, The Mothman Prophecies, starring Richard Gere. That film is loosely based on John A. Keel novel of the same name. After seeing The Mothman Prophecies, I was hooked and wanted to know more. If you have any interest whatsoever in The Mothman, I can’t recommend the book enough. After reading, I had a lot of questions. I was fascinated by a “Harbinger of Death” named Mothman. My interest has grown over time. Two things I can say now after all these years: one – a trip to Point Pleasant is on my bucket list; and two – if there’s a documentary about The Mothman, then I’m watching it.

The Mothman Legacy is a direct sequel to 2017’s The Mothman of Point Pleasant. In that documentary, the creature is introduced along with the details the thirteen months of events leading up to the Silver Bridge collapse in Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

This documentary is a sequel; however, it can stand alone. It packs a lot in over just 77 minutes. The film covers the origin of the folklore and the events leading up to the Silver Bridge collapse in 1967.  It delves even further into to sightings after 1967, which adds enough to please the veteran Mothman fanatic. The interviews are well done and from knowledgeable people. The documentary flows with re-enactments, interviews, and the opening scene is just phenomenal!

Final Thoughts:

Small Town Monsters knows how to make watch worthy documentaries. These include: The Flatwoods Monster: A Legacy of Fear (2018 read our review here), Momo: The Missouri Monster (2019 read our review here), On The Trail of Bigfoot (2019 – read our review here), and The Bray Road Beast (2018 – read our review here). I’d definitely add this one to that list.

I suppose I am a bit biased on the subject, but I don’t believe that skews my view of this documentary. It is compelling for both Mothman fanatics and newbies to the subject. Providing a solid, historical background of West Virginia, the film includes well-researched folklore behind the Mothman. It is presented in such a way that leaves the viewer to make up their own mind about the subject.

The Mothman Legacy is available on VOD platforms, physical Blu-rays and DVDs available for purchase here.

Here’s the trailer!

About JenniferLeigh

I love a good scare. I have a collection of over 500 horror movies and I am an avid reader as well. I'm also a fan of other nerdoms, Star Wars, Star Trek, X-Files, Firefly and Doctor Who to name a few. I live in Illinois with my husband and cats who share my nerdoms.

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