My thoughts on Longlegs:
A modern masterpiece and Oz Perkin’s best work to date. Sometime in the 90s Lee Harken (Maika Monroe), a young and “highly intuitive” FBI agent, is given the task of investigating a decades-long serial killer case. That’s about all I can say plot-wise without going into spoilers.
Maika Monroe stars as Lee, and puts on something quite different from what we’ve seen from her before. Lee is quiet and emotionally distant, though she does grow to show more emotion as the film progresses. She resembles a mix of Clarice Starling from Silence of the Lambs and Will Graham from Red Dragon/Manhunter. It’s always good to see Monroe on the big screen, and it’s a joy to see her back in a horror film (where she belongs).
Blair Underwood shines as Carter, Lee’s friendly but no-nonsense FBI superior. His role is certainly a supporting one, but Carter is a likable and very memorable character. Alicia Witt is also pretty good as Lee’s extremely religious mother.
Nic Cage plays Longlegs, the unhinged and cocoa-for-cuckoo puffs serial killer at the center of the film. Wow. Just wow. We are so lucky to have Nic Cage. He is such a gift. As Longlegs, he puts on one of his all-time best performances and in the process emerges as a horror icon. On display are all of his usual Cage-isms, but here you will laugh out of nervousness and unease. To put it simply: Cage’s Longlegs is unsettling and terrifying. The stuff nightmares are made of. Although I couldn’t stop smiling every time he was on screen, I was still very much afraid of him. Long legs has minimal screen time in the film named after and about him, but Cage easily runs away with the entire proceedings.
Oz Perkins (son of the late, great Anthony Perkins. Yes, THAT Anthony Perkins) directs and writes, and does both masterfully. The script is expertly crafted and the direction is taut. Just about every scene is filled with an almost unbearable building dread and tension.
The cinematography by Andres Arochi fits this film perfectly. There is an expert use of negative space, changing aspect ratios, and wide shots throughout (all of which only add to the tension and unease for the viewer). The editing by Greg Ng and Graham Fortin is pretty great too. The score by Zilgi is exquisite and creepy, perfectly adding to the dread and suspense in each scene. The sound design by Eugenio Battaglia is superb as well, and is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Longlegs plays like an ultra-dark, very twisted take on Thomas Harris material (author of Silence of the Lambs, Red Dragon, and Hannibal) with a hard occult/satanic edge and some supernatural shadings. The film moves like a slow freight train gradually picking up speed. The events play out like unavoidable, unstoppable horrors. The ending doesn’t quite hit the mark, but it comes close enough to the bullseye and makes sense considering the subject matter and influences we’re dealing with.
Longlegs is easily in contention for best horror film of the year. It’s guaranteed to linger long after the end credits roll, and might even give some nightmares. It’s the real deal. If you love horror, Oz Perkins, Maika Monroe, Nic Cage, or Thomas Harris then you owe it to yourself to check out this sick, ugly (and I say ugly in the best way possible) little flick.
5 STARS