Longlegs is one of the most unsettling movies of the year. Written and directed by Osgood Perkins, this film follows FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) investigating a Satanic serial killer named Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). As the investigation continues, she begins to realize a personal link between herself and the killer. This movie operates under a particular type of horror, blending two genres: the serial killer and the supernatural. It does a beautiful job with both, creating an unnerving experience unlike anything you’re used to seeing in a horror movie.
Perkins is no stranger to the horror genre. Not only is his father Anthony Perkins (the actor who played Norman Bates in Psycho), but he has made films like The Blackcoat’s Daughter, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, and Gretel & Hansel. I have only seen the latter of these movies and was not a fan. But something about Longlegs made me very excited about it. Perhaps it was the marketing campaign, which featured some inventive ideas, scary imagery, unconventional trailers, a phone number you could dial to hear Longlegs pick up (458-666-HELL), and a website revealing some information about the killer (thebirthdaymurders.net).
NEON has outdone itself with this one. Perkins does a spectacular job from the start, knowing you can craft a jump scare without buildup. Sometimes, that can be the best way to make sure it works. The sound design through all of Longlegs is bone-chilling. It can be grating to hear occasionally, which adds to the experience. As Lee continues investigating this string of gruesome murders, the story goes in darker directions, and the film delivers on every bit of its premise. Perkins creates an atmosphere that allows Longlegs to crawl under your skin in the best possible way.
This is a serial killer movie directed like a supernatural horror movie. At its center, Longlegs is a 1990s detective story. We’ve seen stories like this in films like The Silence of the Lambs and Seven. Maika Monroe, famous for her role in It Follows, portrays Lee Harker, the police officer searching for the serial killer known as Longlegs. This film works so well because of its mystery. He’s connected to numerous cases of fathers who killed their families and then themselves. He leaves letters at every crime scene. But there is no sign of forced entry. So, how is he committing these killings?
The answer remains at the core of Lee’s investigation. Another shining element of the film is how intelligent she is. She’s a good detective and a very active protagonist, dedicating most of the movie to the case. She does research, acts rationally, and is an easy character to latch onto. This is particularly the case as we uncover parts of her past and her connection to the killer and delve into her relationship with her religious mother, Ruth (Alicia Witt). There’s a lot of subtext happening at every given moment, and it’s the type of movie that requires you to pay attention to each line of dialogue.
Perkins’s framing is also unconventional. He often centers his subjects, which creates a strange feeling. He also uses his background phenomenally and knows how to create paranoia. In one shot, Lee and Agent Carter (Blair Underwood) exit the frame, and the camera lingers on where they once stood. The audience is left to examine every inch of the shot. The film has fun with the scary idea of knowing a serial killer is somewhere around but not knowing where they might be.
As for the performances, they are top-notch. Monroe is excellent as the protagonist, getting us to care about her. But let’s talk about Nicolas Cage. He’s one of the most iconic actors ever and has become a meme. He’s unrecognizable in this film. He is horrifying as this serial killer. The way he behaves and talks is otherworldly. This may be the best performance of his career. He gets a few scenes where he yells, just like a classic Cage performance, but it feels scarier this time. He’s nothing short of excellent in this film.
The ending is another risk because it is dark. There’s too much exposition at the end, and it’s made to tell the audience what the story has been about without leaving enough ambiguity. Longlegs remains an excellent horror movie with an eerie atmosphere that exists in nearly every moment. The marketing team has used many quotes to say this is one of the scariest films ever made. It didn’t give me that level of fear, but it unnerves you in all the right ways and knows how to shock you without relying on cheap tricks like false jump scares and gore. I love it when horror movies are executed this well.
SCORE: 8/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.
Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our Longlegs review.