Number 10 — THE PROPHECY
For the month of October, we’re counting down the best horror movies of 1995! Check back every day for a new entry in the list.
The mid-1990s film landscape is a peculiar and fascinating period in entertainment history that often goes unmentioned. While many people highlight CLERKS as a pioneer in the independent film scene, celebrate the success of PULP FICTION, and discuss the dark intensity of SE7EN, this era deserves more thorough exploration. It wasn't just about box office hits; the rise of home video provided a second life for smaller, genre-bending films. One work that exemplifies this trend is writer/director Gregory Widen's 1995 film, THE PROPHECY.
The storyline, though sometimes unwieldy, can be summarized succinctly. For centuries, a stalemate has existed in the war between angels in heaven, who turned against each other after discovering that God favors humanity over them. In a desperate attempt to change the tide of the battle, archangel Gabriel (Christopher Walken) seeks a truly evil soul on Earth. If he can capture it, he believes it will reignite the conflict and swing the advantage to his side. Unfortunately, another angel named Simon (Eric Stoltz) learns of Gabriel's scheme and enlists the help of Thomas (Elias Koteas), a former seminary student turned police officer.
What seems like a straightforward solution quickly becomes complicated. The soul gets surprisingly transferred to a young Native American girl named Mary (Moriah ‘Shining Dove' Snyder) in a small, derelict Arizona town. Setting the stage for a low-level showdown with humanity's fate hanging in the balance.
At its core, THE PROPHECY perfectly merges elements of Widen's greatest successes: his scripts for BACKDRAFT and HIGHLANDER. It blends the soap opera qualities of the former with the rich mythology and stylistic flourishes of the latter, resulting in a film that feels both intellectually engaging and emotionally resonant. While also engaging in some campy tonal beats that merely add to the overall experience.
Widen goes beyond simply depicting angels on Earth; he delves into the implications for both the faithful and the faithless when confronted by the unknown. This internal struggle is central to Thomas' character. While he attempts to follow a murder case to its bitter conclusion, he also grapples with how these supernatural events affect him personally. He evolves from being relatively content in his life and job to experiencing a series of disconcerting events, that have him reexamining what had him lose his faith in the first place.
The film reaches a peak in the dynamic between Thomas and Gabriel, highlighting their shared experience of feeling abandoned by God. For Thomas, this disillusionment drives him away from the clergy and towards a career in law enforcement. In contrast, Gabriel reacts like a petulant child, envious of humanity's worthiness and lashing out in anger. The pair takes the lack of acknowledgement or comfort as a form of desertion, rather than a test to try and be worthy of the divine.
While THE PROPHECY addresses significant religious themes and moral complexities, it is also defined by its graphic and striking imagery. The film features hearts being torn out, bodies crushed in car accidents, eyeless faces, shadows transforming along walls, decomposing bodies, and horrifying depictions of angels being impaled by the hundreds. Although some special effects have not aged particularly well, they still deliver a visceral impact that enhances the film's overall atmosphere.
None of this would matter were it not for the stellar cast, which is stacked top to bottom with brilliant character actors. Walken, in a role specifically written for him, is captivating, primping, preening, and strutting through each scene. He is flanked by equally game performances from Adam Goldberg and Amanda Plummer as his recently deceased "assistants", and Virginia Madsen appears as Mary's school teacher, who develops a strong connection with Thomas. Even minor characters, like beat cop J.C. Quinn and coroner Steve Hynter, contribute depth to the story.
One standout performance comes from Viggo Mortensen as Lucifer. Rather than portraying the ruler of hell with bombast or flamboyance, Mortensen opts for a quieter, more matter-of-fact delivery. His Lucifer embodies a nuanced perspective on manipulation, suggesting that he prefers the status quo. As he states, "For while Heaven may be closed, I am always open, even on Christmas." This portrayal is both charismatic and commanding, even though Mortensen only appears on screen for about six minutes. It's easy to understand why this ranks amongst the best takes on the prince of darkness.
As great as so much is in the film, it isn't completely flawless. It's painfully apparent at times that this is Widen's directorial debut, as the pacing is off, coming across as languid at times. The same can be said of its heavy-handedness. It's both refreshing and then laid on a tad thick, as some elements are repeated more than once. Something covered up occasionally, thanks again to the actors conveying the text.
Though it focuses on a backdrop of angels and demons, heaven and hell THE PROPHECY actually fits nicely alongside other genre-bending films from 1995. Where a focus on free will vs predestination, good vs evil, sense of identity, and being powerless before ancient powers was the name of the game. Topics covered by the likes of 12 MONKEYS, THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, GHOST IN THE SHELL, LORD OF ILLUSIONS, and THE ADDICTION. Call it serendipity or something in the water, but weighty topics were in the minds of filmmakers on the fringes in a big way that year.
What's strange is that THE PROPHECY doesn't quite get mentioned in the same breath as those other films. Be it due to the more ambitious nature or smaller budget, it's hard to tell. The film was embraced well enough to get two other sequels with Walken (and two films we don't need to discuss). With so many films garnering newfound appreciation or discussion upon rerelease, Wider's film deserves a second chance. There are a few works out there that have attempted to stack the deck so highly against themselves and end up with such compelling results.
