A Masterwork in Beginnings
While you may not have seen Longlegs yet, there’s a good chance that you’ve been hearing about it non-stop since director Oz Perkins and indie production company Neon began their legendary marketing campaign for the film. From mystifying billboards and trailers to a haunting ARG filled with grisly murder details, Longlegs’ marketing left the internet with insatiable appetite for any little detail that might reveal more about the film.
As the community came together to solve this mystery, the hype surrounding the release of the film grew far past any other horror movie in recent memory. While this was an obvious blessing for Longlegs, leading to it regularly packing the house at your local theater on any given night, it’s also been a curse in disguise. Could the film live up to the mythical movie viewers had been building up in their minds since the first teaser dropped in January? Could any movie?
A Detective Thriller With a Twist
In the lead up to Longlegs’ release, word began to spread that the film would be a new take on the detective thriller tropes established by The Silence of the Lambs (1991). At a glance, viewers would find this comparison to be especially apt. The film follows FBI Agent Lee Harker as she faces off with the elusive and cryptic Longlegs, a serial killer who seems to be convincing fathers to brutally massacre their families.
While this plot is interesting in and of itself, Longlegs wastes no time in setting itself apart from other detective thrillers by revealing early on that Lee has psychic powers which make her a genuine match for her opponent. This is far from the only sets this film apart, however (and spoilers ahead for those who haven’t seen the film!). As the film approaches it’s climax, it’s revealed that Longlegs and his accomplices are actually agents of Satan who use horrific dolls to corrupt young girls and lead their victims down a path of violent destruction.
While this twist gives the film a unique identity, it does come with some pretty glaring flaws.
When revealing it’s Satanist sub-plot, Longlegs commits one of the most annoying film sins out there: assuming the audience is full of idiots.
Instead of having the viewers discover the true purpose of Longlegs’ disturbing dolls through symbolism, action, or clever writing, the plot instead comes to a grinding halt as one character spends several minutes explaining exactly what the twist is.
Not only does it seem like the filmmakers didn’t trust the audience to understand their plot, but it completely destroys the pacing of what should be the start of the film’s climax. Additionally, while the Satanist plot is an incredibly angle for the film to tackle, it never feels like it goes quite far enough. While the overall plot of the film is thoroughly enjoyable and will have viewers leaving the theater happy they saw the film, there will likely be a small lingering since of dissatisfaction that Longlegs tripped right at the finish line.
Have You Been Saying Your Prayers?
From the opening shots of Longlegs to the moment the credits start the roll, a pervasive sense of tension and discomfort can be felt. This oppressive atmosphere is masterfully crafted by Oz Perkins unique style of cinematography. Where a less creative director may have chosen to center Lee Harker during scenes of high tension, Perkins instead places her to the side of the frame, drawing the viewers gaze to hauntingly dark doorway or window behind her.
Not only does this keep the shot more visually interesting, but it drastically raises the stakes of the scene. If the director is choosing to show you a creepy doorway then surely there must be something lurking in the darkness…right? Luckily, Perkins doesn’t shy away from rewarding viewers for staring into the void. Keen-eyed viewers will be able to spot a certain lurking figure stalking Lee throughout the film, adding to the creepy and haunting atmosphere that Longlegs maintains. T
his method of building fear and tension is not dissimilar to another divisive modern horror film: Skinamarink (2023). While the two movies could not be more different in terms of plot, they both take a similar approach to scares. They focus on showcasing seemingly dark and empty portions of the shot, allowing the viewers’ minds to run amok and scare themselves more than a blatant visual ever could.
Throughout Longlegs runtime, Perkins also flexes his mastery of the art of the jump scare. While jump scares are contentious in the horror community and can be a sign of an amateur director, Perkins manages to utilize them in a way that isn’t cheap or overdone. Instead of relying on a sudden loud noise and scary image to illicit a reaction out of the viewer, Longlegs takes it’s time building and building the tension until the audience is on the edge of their seats waiting for the jump scare. Right when they think the scare is never going to arrive, Longlegs delivers a jump that always subverts expectations.
The Golden Age of Cage
Between Mandy (2018), Color Out of Space (2019), Willy’s Wonderland (2021), and Renfield (2023), Nicolas Cage has quickly established himself as a staple of modern horror. His horror roles are all distinctly different from not only themselves but also anything else in the horror sphere. His role as the titular Longlegs was kept hidden during the film’s promotion, and has remained largely under the rug even after release.
Keeping Cage’s performance out of Longlegs’ trailers and having the audience going into theaters blind about what they were about to witness was a genius move on the parts of Perkins and Neon. Not only does it keep the audience from creating their own expectations for Cage’s performance, but it makes his actual performance all the more shocking.
Speaking of his performance, it can be surmised in just one word: WOW. Cage’s expert control over his physicality and voice make him completely unrecognizable as Longlegs, and truly lead to the character becoming one of the creepiest horror figures of the last decade. Longlegs is somehow both childlike and disturbingly old in a way that toes the line between perversion and revulsion. Every frame that he’s on screen fills the audience with a pervasive feeling of disgust and primal fear.
In praising the character of Longlegs, due credit has to be given to the film’s hair, makeup, and costuming teams. While those looking for him will be able to see Nicolas Cage beneath the prosthetics, the makeup does a lot to make Longlegs seem almost more (or perhaps less) than human in a way that perfectly supports Cage’s unhinged acting. Particular love has to be given to the film’s interrogation scene, which sees Lee Harker facing off directly with Longlegs for the first time. This scene really is the perfect storm of Cage’s phenomenal performance coming together with the costuming and makeup to deliver a scene so shockingly horrific that it even had actress Maika Monroe petrified during shooting.
A Legacy of Horror
The past decade of horror has seen many legacies of horror bringing familiar names back to the big screen. Where Brandon Cronenberg might be following in his father’s footsteps a little more directly (and with great success in my opinion), Oz Perkins is really setting himself apart from his father, famed actor Anthony Perkins. Not only is he making a unique name for himself as a director, but I think Longlegs and films like it are going to be the future of the horror genre.
In all likelihood the next decade of horror will be defined by slow burn, arthouse films that take their queues from the aesthetics of internet horror. For some this might be a nightmare, but I, for one, can’t wait. For those who have read to this point, you’ve likely already seen Longlegs, but who those that haven’t and can’t make up your minds, I implore you to give the film a chance. There’s no denying that it’s a flawed film that will leave lots of viewers feeling alienated, but for those who look a little deeper under the surface you’ll find a truly unique experience driven by passion, vision, and an undeniable love the the genre. Give Longlegs the chance it deserves and don’t forget: Hail Satan!
Longlegs (2024) - Hail Satan: An In-Depth Look - Malevolentdark
Director: Oz Perkins
Date Created: 1970-01-01 00:33
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