Time: 101 Minutes
Age Rating: R16 – Bloody violence, horror & offensive language
Cast:
Maika Monroe as Lee Harker
Nicolas Cage as Longlegs
Blair Underwood as Agent Carter
Alicia Witt as Ruth Harker
Director: Osgood Perkins

I was very interested in Longlegs, an upcoming horror movie starring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage, and directed by The Blackcoat’s Daughter director Osgood Perkins. Plus, this had probably one of the best marketing campaigns for a horror movie in recent years. While I have seen some underwhelmed reactions, it personally delivered for me.

Longlegs is reminiscent of horror thriller mysteries like Silence of the Lambs, Se7en and Cure. It begins as a procedural thriller about an FBI agent hunting a serial killer which then turns into something else entirely. It had me locked in from its engaging and ominous opening. The mystery isn’t entirely unpredictable, but it is an intriguing psychological slow burn murder mystery which gets under your skin. There are even surprising little moments of humour which work well and don’t break the tone. I will say that perhaps the movie could’ve been a bit longer. Things towards the end wrapped up a little too quickly for my liking, even though I liked the note it ended on.

Maika Monroe is fantastic as the lead FBI agent taking on a serial killer case. She’s a powerhouse and convincing in expressing the stress, uneasiness and paranoia that her character feels. Blair Underwood is really good as Monroe’s FBI superior. Alicia Witt is also excellent as Monroe’s deeply religious mother, and was the most surprising performance of the film. Kiernan Shipka is in only one scene but she’s great in it. Finally, there’s the much talked about Nicolas Cage. As the titular serial killer, he delivers one of his most bizarre performances which was transformative, especially with the makeup used on him. It’s a very uncanny and creepy performance, absurd in his delivery, and surprisingly funny in parts. He isn’t in the movie a ton, and by using him sparingly, the movie really makes him feel special. Even when he’s not on screen, his presence is felt throughout.

Osgood Perkins has directed Longlegs exceptionally well. It’s incredibly shot and beautifully filmed, with amazing framing, lighting, composition and camera angles, especially making good use of wide shots. I really like the 90s time period it is set in. No, I wouldn’t say that Longlegs is nearly as terrifying as the marketing made it look, but is still effectively creepy, tense and uncomfortable. There is this emptiness throughout that makes the whole experience unsettling, and adding to the dreadful atmosphere. It makes you almost feel paranoid at what you are watching, it’s the type of movie where sometimes the scares are in the background or in the shadows that aren’t immediately noticeable. The effects and the use of the gore are hard hitting, and the deaths are jarring and impactful when they happen. Finally, Zilgi’s score adds a lot to the dread and fitted the vibes well.

Longlegs was a gripping, nightmarish and effectively unsettling horror mystery thriller, excellently directed and with amazing performances from Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage.