Longlegs Review

Hell is empty and all the devils are here

I am unwell, and that's all thanks to Osgood Perkins Longlegs. This movie will unsettle you, leaving a dark, bleak hole in your heart. To say that dread sweeps over this movie is an understatement. Its incredible atmosphere is devoid of joy, and the Fincher-inspired, clean digital cinematography of this gross and dirty world of the 90s makes it so. I say all this, which matches the viral marketing of Longlegs (check my heartbeat while I type this up), to say that the film is so funny, which might be the most surprising thing! It's relieving to know that humor can still exist in a cruel and undeserving world.

Longlegs is a tense FBI thriller, more than your typical horror, but it will scare you. Maika Monroe is sensational and matches this forboding world perfectly. Nicholas Cage is going for it as our satanic maniac, which worked here and there for me, but overall, I loved what he was trying to do. There are tonal issues in the third act, and I never felt that the film cut deep enough into the dark themes they were trying to present about religion or the nuclear family. Its greatest strength is its unnerving aura, which feels like a dark shadow looms over you, making you feel empty.

We follow FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) as she tries to apprehend a serial killer who the FBI believes is at the heart of over 40 murders. Slowly, she discovers that some satanic practices are going on and that she has a special connection to the horrifying Longlegs, who force these families to kill each other and commit suicide. We will spend most of the time with Maika Monroe as she breaks down Longlegs codes and feels the weight of this awful world in every scene with her. The looks of terror and how every word slowly falls out of her mouth as if she's going to break down at any moment are lovely. She still gives a commanding physical presence as she moves from room to room with her pistol, but you can sense that darkness is falling over her during this fantastic performance.

Nic Fucking Cage. Oh, man. He is giving us the bravado of a disturbing and unsettling performance as the titular Longlegs. He feels like something out of a 1920s horror like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari or something otherworldly mixed with his vintage nuttiness. This physically strange performance will be divisive, but I loved it! What he represents or what themes Osgood Perkins is getting at did not fully land or adequately develop. Cage has done enough here to be included in the horror icons of the 21st Century.

As I've said a dozen times by now, the two things I love about the film are the atmosphere and the humor. Every scene is perfectly shot on this crisp digital lens and enhanced by superb lighting. The use of blood oranges paired at times with uncomfortable fluorescent yellow lights is a chef kiss. The camera movement and how it lingers in shots with your eyes darting around the screen, looking for some presence, just had me on the edge of my seat for most of the film. Haunting images flashing across the screen will be some nightmarish stuff I won't soon forget. I also can't emphasize that the film is hilarious. Multiple scenes had the entire theater howling, dry deliveries, and clever dark jokes that weren't distracting from the film's tone. Agent Carter (Blair Underwood), Maika's boss, stands out with great one-liners but keeps the film grounded.

My issues stem from the lack of depth given to the dark underbelly of religious families that it's trying to tackle. The lies we are told about prayer and the facade religious families use to justify their actions can be exciting, but it felt like they needed to be fully developed. It doesn't get there, and the third act shifts from the disturbing and unsettling to the more classical horror we've come to expect, which I still liked! I thought we were all on the same page with the tone and unnerving stuff, but I was delighted with how it wrapped up nonetheless. The action, blood, and gore you wanted come if that's what you were seeking!

Longlegs is inspired by Seven, True Detective, Silence of the Lambs, and Cure, but that evil feeling I got from Longlegs reminded me most of The Wailing. I love The Wailing because a few movies feel evil to me. I feel terrible watching it, and something I don't understand lingers over it and me. The Wailing is also really funny. Longlegs will linger over you like a dark cloud for days to come, and it fully delivers something extraordinary. If I'm saying your film gave me Cure or The Wailing feelings, you've nailed this one.

Final Score: 8.5/10

Written by: Kevin J. Pettit