Synopsis

After the sudden death of his wife, Washington Post reporter John Klein becomes stranded near Point Pleasant, West Virginia. There, he encounters residents who describe strange visions, cryptic phone calls, and a mysterious winged figure. As Klein investigates, he begins to suspect that the entity is connected to his wife's final days and may be warning of an approaching catastrophe.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is adapted from John A. Keel's 1975 book, which documents alleged paranormal events surrounding Point Pleasant, West Virginia, between 1966 and 1967. The movie reshapes the material into the story of a fictional reporter.

• Although the story is set in West Virginia, most of the production took place in Pennsylvania. Kittanning doubled for Point Pleasant, while Pittsburgh stood in for several other cities, including Chicago.

• The bridge collapse was filmed at Kittanning Citizens Bridge. Digital effects added suspension cables and other structural elements to make the location resemble the Silver Bridge.

• Cinesite created approximately 60 visual-effects shots. Some bridge imagery combined live-action footage, miniature work, and computer-generated elements, while other shots used a bridge, river, and industrial plant built entirely in CGI.

• The film's end credits state that the Silver Bridge collapse was never explained. In reality, investigators attributed the December 15, 1967, disaster to the failure of an eye-bar in the bridge's suspension chain. Forty-six people died.

• The film was released in the United States on January 25, 2002. Made for an estimated $32 million, it earned approximately $55.3 million worldwide.

• The score was composed by the electronic duo tomandandy, who also produced a two-disc soundtrack release containing the film's music and related material.