MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Horror Thriller/Stars: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-Lee, Dakota Daulby, Kiernan Shipka, Jason Day, Lisa Chandler, Ava Kelders, Carmel Amit, Peter James Bryant, Rryla McIntosh, Maila Hosie, Lauren Acala/Runtime: 101 minutes
It might come as a shock to some of you out there to learn this, but I consider myself to be a part of a very exclusive group. No it’s not the group of people who have gotten to be in the proximity of a working member of Britain’s royal family while visiting London, the Pope while visiting Vatican City, and the President of the United States while visiting Washington D.C. by the age of 30 though I am definitely proud of that personal achievement in my life. Nor for that matter is it the I Hate Mondays Fan Club of which I am in their record book for being the youngest person elected to serve as a chapter president for (birth to now and still counting). Rather, it’s the group that really doesn’t seem to be all that scared when it comes to the cinematic phenomenon known as horror films and yet for the life of me, I can’t seem to figure out why that is the case. Maybe it’s the fact that I am just a proud, true, and honest cynic who can look at these, arguably, terrible things being done on screen and just laugh them off as being ridiculous. Or maybe it’s the fact that, through my own fascination with true crime, I have just become so desensitized to the type of things that a human being can do to another human being that while everyone else is shrieking in terror or leaping out of their seat I’m able to just sit there, shrug my shoulders, appreciate the movie for what it is, and go on about my day without worrying about any potential monsters under my bed later that night. Perhaps then that’s why when a slice of horror cinema actually does manage to get under my skin it’s not only rarer than catching Mewtwo with a simple Poke Ball on the first try, but also worth writing about. The reason I bring this up to you dear reader is because the movie I happen to be reviewing for you today, a 2024 slice of cinema known as Longlegs, is definitely a wonderful example of this in action. Indeed here is a film that might have some components to it that are ones you have seen before yet it then manages to take those parts and use them against you in a dual-tiered mission to both mess with your psyche and subsequently have you feel a significant degree of both dread and unease long after it’s over. A mission that I am proud to say it was successful at accomplishing (and not because I’m totally looking over my shoulder and under my desk at the same time as I write this). To be sure, it’s not a flawless film, but with the aid of potently nightmarish work on both sides of the camera Longlegs is definitely one cinematic exercise in terror that I can promise will sink it’s claws into you and not let go even after the end credits have at long last begun to roll……
The plot is as follows: Following a 1970s-set prologue which I shan’t spoil for you here, Longlegs gets its spine-chilling and blood-curdling narrative underway in 1990s Oregon. It is here where we meet our heroine, and guide, in this tale of madness by the name of Lee Harker. A young woman who, among other things worth knowing about her, is a newly christened rookie in that most distinguished of organizations known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (or FBI for those who like to keep things short and sweet). She is also someone who, based on her ability to capture a suspect her and her partner were looking for entirely on grade-A intuition, might possibly be classifiable as what could be deemed by an episode of Unsolved Mysteries as “clairvoyant”, made the subject of record in an X-File for Scully and Mulder to look into, or honestly both. Yet, besides the first option (minus the involvement of Unsolved Mysteries), we see that it also does something else as well. Namely it inspires her supervisor, one Agent William Carter, to see if her abilities can aid in a case involving a string of ghastly murder-suicides that have been taking place. It seems that in each incident there are at least three elements present. The first is that each family had a 9-year-old daughter that was brought into the world on the 14th of the given month, the second is that it was the family patriarch who murdered everyone, and the third is the presence of a letter at each of the crime scenes that is signed by someone calling themselves “Longlegs” yet the writing on the letter matches none of the deceased family members’ handwriting. In short: our heroine is looking for a serial killer who, the aforementioned letter aside, is able to viciously murder an entire family without seemingly being physically present at even one of the crime scenes. As she begins to try and decipher the clues which have been left however to try and stop this nefarious individual before they strike again, we see that it isn’t long before our intrepid heroine discovers not only a terrifying (and potentially personal) link between herself and the person that she is hunting, but also something else as well. That being that what may on the surface appear to be, for all intents and purposes, engaging in just another case involving just another twisted serial killer might in fact actually be the first steps on a truly terrifying journey. One that will not only introduce our heroine to the properties of horror and the components of fear in a way she could never have imagined, but might also prove to be a chance for her to square off against a being that is less a human being like you or I and instead might just be more in the vein of pure and unadulterated evil instead. As to how this nightmarish tale unfurls from there however that is something which I feel is best left for you to discover on your own…..
Now right off, it should be said that, when looking at it in terms of the work done by the various and assorted units operating behind the camera, this is an undeniably solid little slice of cinema. Without question this starts with the effort done by Osgood Perkins (and yes this would be Anthony Perkins of Psycho fame’s son…in case you were wondering) in the director’s chair and he does a wonderful job of showcasing for us that he is very much a chip off the ol’ nightmare-tinged block. Indeed there are a couple of things that Osgood does here which really help to showcase his talents on this particular film. The first is that he does a wonderful job of utilizing the ordinary in any given moment to his advantage in creating a consistent vibe of dread that permeates the entire film. The second is that Perkins makes the brilliant choice to make this a slow-burn type of horror film. As a result, not only are the moments of terror more terrifying, but it also ensures that we as movie goers are left on the edge of your seat at practically all times throughout this film’s 101-minute runtime. Along with Perkins’ work in the director’s chair, he also penned this slice of cinema’s screenplay and it is here where the film does, in all fairness, lose a bit of its power. Not because the film is badly written by any means; far from it. Rather, it’s because, despite wanting to operate with a tone that makes the film feel like a waking nightmare there are moments where the script doesn’t handle the tone as well as it should with particular regard to one moment that definitely feels a bit out of left field and not in a good way. Besides the solid work done by Osgood Perkins as both the director and, albeit to a lesser extent, as the scribe on this slice of horror cinema, this film is also the blessed recipient of some truly jaw-dropping work done by relative newcomer Andrés Arochi Tinajero in the cinematography department. Indeed through utilizing such ingredients as a more restrained color palette plus some truly subtle camera angles through both windows and doors, we see that Tinajero is able to do a truly potent job of both magnifying the unsettling vibe of the film while also driving home just how exhausted and creeped out the community is by the events that are taking place. Lastly, I feel like this section would definitely be lacking if I didn’t devote some time during it to talk about the crucial work done here by Osgood’s brother Elvis Perkins (credited under the pseudonym Zilgi) on this film’s musical accompaniment. Indeed not only is the score just delightfully sinister and creepy right from frame one, but it also does a masterful job of (much like the score for say something like Jaws) really increasing the suspense and tension present at certain moments throughout the movie. As a result, not only are you left on the edge of your seat by what you see unfurl before your eyes, but you are also given a fair number of chills as well whenever the score kicks in. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in nightmarishly effective work from the editing and hair/make-up department (especially on one character in particular, but the less said there the better) among others I think it’s pretty clear that the various teams working behind the camera know exactly what kind of film they are making and, through each of them working near the pinnacle of their respective abilities, are able to come together and give us one that, a few miniscule issues here and there aside, definitely operates as a wonderful new addition to that distinct genre’s legacy in the history of cinema.
As delightfully scary as the work done by the various departments behind the camera is, I definitely feel that it would not turn out to be nearly as effective if the performances in front of the camera were not able to match it beat for horrifying beat. Thankfully, I can confirm that is not a worry this slice of cinema has to concern itself with since every single one of the performers assembled to bring this spooky story’s collection of characters manage to bring their A-game to this and then some in the best way possible. Without a doubt in my mind, this starts with the work done by Maika Monroe in the lead role and she is terrific here. Indeed as Lee, we see that Monroe does a wonderful job of giving us someone who is meant to be our guide through this nightmare yet who can’t really comprehend either the case or these gifts that she possesses. As a result, not only does that uncertainty effectively transition over to us as viewers, but as events begin to escalate we also start to feel her ever-rising degree of both fear and unease as well. Alongside the electric work done by Monroe, this slice of cinema also contains a phenomenal performance from Alicia Witt in the pivotal role of Lee’s mom Ruth. Yes this might seem like the typical concerned and doting mom-type role, but trust me when I say, without going too far into spoilery territory, that there is so much more to her role than meets the eye and yet Witt manages to play every single facet of the character remarkably well here without ever once overplaying things. Besides the work done here by both Monroe and Witt, we are also treated to a spot-on turn from Blair Underwood (2000’s Rules of Engagement and the T.V. show L.A. Law) as Lee’s supervisor Agent William Carter. Indeed, in contrast to the rest of the movie, we see that Underwood does a wonderful job of bringing a genuine yet grounded presence that really provides the film with a sense of normalcy it desperately needs. Now for those of you who were wondering I would just like to make it clear that I didn’t forget that Nicolas Cage is a part of the cast in this, but trust me when I say that I definitely wish I could. To be fair, I can see how that might have you thinking that’s a dig against his performance in this at best and at worst a sign that his performance in this is absolutely terrible, but it’s definitely not. Indeed there really isn’t a whole lot I can say about Cage’s performance for fear of spoilers, but what I can tell you is that he is absolutely nightmare fodder here in the best way possible. Yes he may only be in the movie for about 30-40 minutes tops, but Cage does a wonderful job of providing this equal parts riveting, chilling, and even gripping individual with a very discernable vibe of maliciousness about him that enables Cage to effectively transition between being both calmly intimidating and intensely violent with frightening ease. Indeed, it’s one heck of a turn and, in Cage’s more than capable hands, this individual becomes someone who is easily one of the most chilling villains in a horror film in quite some time. Suffice it to say that when you also throw into the mix chillingly good efforts from such talents as Kiernan Shipka (the latest live-action incarnation of Sabrina the Teenage Witch), former Canadian mixed martial artist Jason Day, and Peter Bryant among others it’s clear that this slice of cinema might have its issues, but trust me when I say that the work done by the cast in front of the camera is most assuredly not one of them.
All in all and at the end of the day is Longlegs a perfect cinematic fright fest in every sense of the word? Sadly as much as I would like to say that, I am afraid that I cannot though most assuredly not for lack of effort on the part of either the cast or the crew involved in bringing it to life. With that in mind, is this the worst slice of cinema made by anyone involved on either side of the camera? Oh no. Not by a long shot. Trust me when I say that, for as much as I admire Nicolas Cage as an actor, there are some slices of cinema on that man’s resume that are downright chilling and not in a good way by any stretch of the imagination either. To be sure, this is one slice of horror cinema that is not going to be everyone’s spooktastic definition of a good time. Not just because this is by no means a slasher film with buckets of blood and gore to spare nor for that matter is it one that has jump scares virtually every 5 seconds, but also because the script does have some hiccups here and there to say nothing of the fact that this slice of horror cinema is one that, if I’m being honest, isn’t meant to scare you in the traditional way. Rather, it is a film that is designed to both leave you, like the film’s heroine, in a continual state of unease and suspense to say nothing of try to get under your skin at literally every given opportunity. A feat that it manages to pull of spectacularly well in the best way possible. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in solid work at the helm, incredible cinematography, a spine-tingling musical accompaniment, and nightmarishly great work from the cast (with particular regard to Monroe, Witt, Underwood, and especially Cage) there is no denying that Longlegs is definitely one entry in the horror genre that might not be for everyone, but for those willing to give it a shot like I did I promise that this will definitely leave you chilled to the bone long after you have finished watching it. Now if you’ll excuse me: I have to make sure I still have that playlist of relaxing jazz music to listen to. Something tells me that I’m going to need it in order to get to sleep the next few nights….Make of that what thou will dear reader and Happy Friday the 13th! On a scale of 1-5 I give Longlegs “2024” a solid 4 out of 5.
