By Jamil Weeks

Horror is making a comeback on the silver screen in 2024. Films like The First Omen, In A Violent Nature, A Quiet Place: Day One, and MaXXXine have enjoyed modest critical and commercial success, with Heretic and Nosferatu slated for releases later this year. Film studios like A24 and Neon have gained traction with their brand of “elevated horror”. Neon’s latest picture, Longlegs, is no exception to this phenomenon. A psychological horror thriller offering a fresh makeover of classic serial killer movies from the 90s. Directed by the son of Anthony Perkins (famously known for his portrayal of Norman Bates in the Psycho films), Osgood Perkins, Longlegs is the story of an FBI investigation into a series of mysterious unsolved murders over the course of decades. FBI agent, Lee Harker (played by Maika Monroe), has been assigned to the case due to her highly intuitive ability for sniffing out trouble. She is recruited by Agent Carter, played by the criminally underrated Blair Underwood, who is desperate to solve the case. The mystery that lies at the center of these bizarre murders is a man known as Longlegs, played by Nicholas Cage.

Perkins draws on inspiration from classic horror and thriller films, in Longlegs. One cannot help but notice the similarities between Lee Harker and Clarice Starling from The Silence of the Lambs. The female FBI protagonist who experienced childhood trauma recruited to stop a serial killer before he kills again does sound familiar. Almost every scene pays homage to Stanley Kubrick stylistically with Perkins’ use of symmetric shots and clever use of lighting to technically enhance the storytelling. Each scene is meticulously shot to display every intricate detail from the foreground and background within the frame. The film might also remind you of David Fincher serial killer films with its disturbing imagery and dreadful tone that takes you to some very dark places psychologically. With all the nods to these types of films aesthetically, it makes sense that Perkins sets the events of the film to take place in the early 90s. Despite these likenesses, Longlegs, fortunately, is not a carbon copy of these films. Perkins merely uses these familiar elements to invoke nostalgia. Disclaimer: Longlegs is not what you think it is.

Longlegs has potential to be a polarizing film amongst audiences. If you are expecting a straightforward detective/serial killer tale, you may be underwhelmed by what Perkins is doing here. Without giving away too much of the plot, the film flirts with the idea of there being an underlying supernatural component to the slayings. This idea is explored but never fully explained, leaving more questions than answers by the time the end credits roll. Perkins is sure to rub some people the wrong way by doing this while simultaneously catering to moviegoers who appreciate not being spoon-fed plot points. Safe to say the story unravels in a way you do not expect, given the footage from the trailers. The movie introduces several ideas that you do not understand how they interconnect until the third act where Perkins ties everything together.

Cage is nuts. We all know this given the types of films he has appeared in for the past 10 years. And, yes, Nicholas Cage does go full Nicholas Cage in moments. Surprisingly Cage manages to tame the crazy somewhat in the majority of scenes. Longlegs has potential to be an iconic horror character given how well the movie will be received by audiences. You have never seen Cage like this in any of his other films. Besides being unrecognizable with the facial makeup prosthetics, Cage delivers a truly creepy performance that keeps you fixated on him for every second of screen time Perkins allows due to the unpredictably unhinged nature of his character. You can tell he had a lot of fun playing the demented character as Cage milks every second he can with the screen time he is given. Cage is in the movie just enough and his portrayal of Longlegs is worth the price of admission alone.

Perkins juxtaposes the over-the-top theatrics of Cage’s performance with a subdued and quietly fierce performance from Monroe. Lee Harker is as shy and awkward as she is cunning and determined. The closer she gets to solving the case, the more is revealed about her troubled past. Harker wears her emotional drama in her introverted facial expressions with her cumbersome interactions with the other characters. Monroe does a great job portraying a character who struggles with underlying psychological damage. Barker’s conversations with her mother, played by Alicia Witt, subtly imply she did not have a normal upbringing as a child. As mentioned earlier, the movie hints of mystical factors at play with Harker’s investigation. She is a little too good at her job, almost as if she has some sort of psychic ability. The movie may be titled Longlegs, but this is Maila Monroe’s movie as Lee Harker is the headt of the film.

A few weeks ago, I had no idea this movie even existed. The momentum seemingly came out of nowhere due to the grassroots marketing and brilliant viral campaign leading to word-of-mouth spreading like wildfire. In the span of a couple of weeks, Longlegs became one of my most anticipated films of the year. Did it live up to the hype? Yes and no. If you’re expecting an ending that will shock you like Seven, you might be let down. The conclusion may be a little too predictable for some so the build up may not lead to a satisfying pay-off. However the movie does maintain an edge-of-your-seat uncomfortable tension throughout intriguing you on where the story will take you. The movie does keep you guessing as Harker gradually assembles the pieces to this puzzle. Great performances all around from the cast and Perkins will put himself on the map as a horror director after this film. Longlegs is not a film for everyone. With its art-house style of filmmaking, I would only recommend this movie to cinephiles and horror fans who have the patience to sit through a movie that takes its time telling the story. The less you know about this movie going in, the better the experience will be. Longlegs is creepy, unsettling, and will linger in your thoughts long after you leave the theater.