Two watch-at-night thrillers that rely mainly on mood and atmosphere for their impact, each very pleasurable in its own way. Be warned: Neither is very big on the element of surprise or particularly strong in plotting. Mothman is of the MTV generation in its abrupt, disconcerting imagery; it’s a glossy B-movie that charms by its unexpected visual verve. Director Mark Pellington has a terrific sense of tempo that makes the most of periodic creepy interludes. Not the least of its charms is the unshakably placid Richard Gere, an actor who was a great wooden Buddha long before he began stumping for the Dalai Lama. The Others , with its methodical, foreboding gothic air, is more substantial and more thoroughly fun. Its director, Alejandro Almenabar, is a talent to watch; he made Abre Los Ojos [Open Your Eyes], the original, superior version of Cameron Crowe’s Vanilla Sky . Which probably explains why we have this Tom Cruise-produced Nicole Kidman movie at all. It was surely part of a quid pro quo to secure the rights to Open Your Eyes . Ironic that The Others , the afterthought in the deal, turned out to be so much better than Crowe’s folly.
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