Longlegs (2024)
The buzz was that the new horror
thriller Longlegs is scary as hell. Great! I'm game. I love a good
fright fest. Well I am glad I didn't completely buy into the hype, because I
found the film underwhelming.
The story kicks off with green FBI
Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe in an effectively understated performance) being
assigned to an unsolved case involving a serial killer known as Longlegs
(Nicolas Cage). During her investigation, Lee discovers ties to the occult and
that she has a personal attachment to the killer. Of course, she needs to stop
him before he strikes again.
Drawing inspiration from serial killer
classics like Manhunter (1986), Seven (1995), and Silence of
the Lambs (1991), writer/director Ozgood Perkins (The Blackcoat's
Daughter, Gretel & Hansel) manages to make a movie that is its
own entity and not a rip-off. I like the way he frames interior shots, teasing
us with out of focus doorways in the background. It's a little unnerving,
because I was totally expecting a shadowy figure to pass by one of those door
frames.
The first part of Longlegs is
quiet and chilling. And yes, it's kind of scary. During these early scenes, we
never get a good look at Cage's Satan worshiping serial killer. He is either in
shadows, there is a quick cut before his face comes into view, or he is
concealed by the angle of the shot. When we finally do get to see him at about
the midway point, the movie ceases to be scary. We get several classic Nicholas
Cage freak outs and, with the supernatural element really kicking in at this
point, it all just gets kind of goofy.
A plot twist is revealed in the final
act, but it is easy to figure out since it is sloppily telegraphed very, very
early in the film. I called it in an early scene.
Longlegs is fairly engaging,
with good supporting performances from Blair Underwood and Alicia Witt, but,
ultimately, it is a letdown.
