Longlegs (2024)
Longlegs is a twisted nightmare, a thriller that’s mercilessly effective from beginning to end. It stars scream queen Maika Monroe (It Follows), Watcher, Significant Other) as Lee Harker, a rookie FBI agent living in 1990s Oregon. Harker is investigating a mysterious string of murder-suicides. In each case, a father shoots his wife and kids before turning the gun on himself.
The killings all occur near the family’s daughter’s ninth birthday. Creepy dolls and strange coded messages are found at the crime scenes. The FBI pursues a theory that the murders are somehow related.
It’s, like, a long dream. And so dark. A world of dark. Like, a nowhere, between here and there.
Lee, who apparently possesses psychic abilities, believes that a killer with supernatural powers is responsible. Her boss, Carter (Blair Underwood), is skeptical of the paranormal. Even if Lee is right, can they build a case against a perp who wasn’t physically present when any of the murders occurred?
Undeterred, Lee pursues Longlegs (Nicolas Cage), an enigmatic serial murderer with demonic abilities. In one of the movie’s creepiest scenes, she conducts an unsettling interview with Carrie Anne Camera (Kiernan Shipka), the lone survivor of Longleg’s rampage.
In a development that appears inspired by the real-life Zodiac Killer, Longlegs sends Lee a creepy birthday card with a coded message. After Lee deciphers the cryptic note, her investigation leads her to discover the horrifying truth about the killings.
Director and writer Osgood Perkins crafts an effective thriller with a compelling mystery and plenty of tension. That said, his script is kind of overbooked. Does Longlegs really need satanic magic, demonic dolls, and a psychic detective?
The film could have worked as a straightforward police procedural, like Seven (1995) or the Netflix series Mindhunter. The supernatural elements are handled well, they just seem a bit excessive.
Longlegs has beautiful dark cinematography. This movie looks gritty and dreary, which is the perfect aesthetic for a film like this. The striking imagery by cinematographer Andres Arochi perfectly captures the film’s atmosphere and setting. It’s hard to make gruesome images look beautiful, but Arochi pulls it off.
Monroe vs. Cage
Maika Monroe excels as Lee, despite this being a significant departure from her previous roles. She has played the alluring sexy blonde in a bunch of previous horror movies. This time, she delivers a subdued, low-key performance. Lee, analytical and dispassionate, is unfazed by the carnage that Longlegs leaves in his wake. She views the case as a fascinating puzzle to be solved.
It’s easy to compare Lee to Clarice (Jodie Foster) from Silence of the Lambs. Both are rookie agents who pursue serial killers. Each joined the FBI during an era when female agents were a novelty. Unfortunately, Lee doesn’t have a Hannibal Lecter to help her. She’s pretty much on her own in pursuit of Longlegs. On the other hand, Clarice wasn’t a clairvoyant. So let’s call it even.
Nicolas Cage takes the opposite extreme in his role as Longlegs. Cage rarely plays villains, and when he does, they’re usually comedic characters. Longlegs, on the other hand, with his cackling laugh, pasty makeup, and erratic behavior, is incredibly creepy and weird.
It’s a good performance, but sometimes Cage goes over the top. Anyone can see that this guy’s a creep from a mile away. He might as well have “I’M A SERIAL KILLER” tatooed on his forehead. To me, the most dangerous villains are usually the seemingly normal ones who are capable of seamlessly blending into society.
In a weird way, Lee and Longlegs remind me of Batman and the Joker. There’s a similar personality dichotomy between the hero and the villain.
Rating
Although it tries a bit too hard at times, Longlegs is a twisty, well-made chiller. Maika Monroe gives the best performance of her career in one of the most effective horror films of 2024.
Rating from 1 (avoid at all costs) to 10 (masterpiece): 8
