One of the year’s biggest movies, writer-director Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs, starring Nicolas Cage, is now on VOD. Here’s your warning: There are some spoilers ahead in this review of Longlegs.
The movie centers on Harker (Maika Monroe). She’s a gifted rookie FBI agent pursuing an investigation into a series of terrifying murders where whole families are wiped out. As she delves more deeply, the case takes a shocking turn. A horrifying truth is revealed that connects Harker to the killer in a way she never could have predicted.
Maika’s Harker is a strange character; she’s reserved and slightly off. She seems out of place wherever she is. And it is, on some level, a bit psychic. Speaking of characters, Nicolas Cage has had some odd roles, but nothing like in this film. He’s very unsettling but, unfortunately, not quite scary as the villain in the movie.
The pacing is pretty slow. Don’t jump into the movie expecting a ton of action and thrills. The film takes a lot of time to build tension and mystery, but that’s not a bad thing.
The characters in Longlegs are not particularly likable. Harker is distant and reserved, Cage’s Longlegs is weird, and Harker’s mother is odd. We don’t get Longlegs’ backstory, which I would have liked to have seen, and Cage doesn’t get much screen time.
There are many supernatural aspects. We get the bare minimum of how Longlegs’ satanic magic works, using lifesize hyperrealist dolls and metal balls. It feels like the movie had more story to tell but possibly had to sacrifice some things for the sake of screen time.
Don’t get it twisted; I am not saying Longlegs is a bad film. I don’t regret the $20 I spent to watch it. I will say the story is original (Perkins is good about that). While we have seen many serial killer movies, you’ve never seen one like this.
The cast gave great performances, especially Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage in his strangest role to date (and that’s saying a lot). But the supporting cast, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, and Kiernan Shipka, also impressed.
The film looks creepy but beautiful at the same time. Hazy, light-flooded scenes contrast with dark, shadow-filled ones. Bold artistic flashes bathed in red feature things we usually associate with evil, such as snakes. We mostly see these as Harkers begins to remember her past and gets closer to Longlegs—my compliments to the cinematographer, Andrés Arochi Tinajero.
This movie specializes in leaving you feeling off-kilter and uneasy. It does this through its unsettling characters, cinematography, and the story. If that is Perkins’ goal, and I assume it is, he nailed it.
One aspect of the murders in the movie is that they happen around the victims’ birthdays. However, I was unaware of this when I began to watch it. It’s an interesting coincidence that I watched it the day before my birthday. That may have added intrigue to it for me.
In summary of our review, Longlegs has an interesting concept and a fresh story (something we desperately need). It’s creepy as hell and will leave you feeling unsettled. The movie is well executed, and the cast is spot on. The best way I can sum it up is Longlegs is creep AF. I would definitely recommend that you check it out; just be prepared for a slow burn. Watch it now on Digital and VOD.
