Movie Reviews
‘Longlegs’ review: More creepy than scary
In 1992, The Silence of the Lambs became the first, and to this date, only horror film to win Best Picture at the Oscars. The success of Jonathan Demme’s masterpiece paved the way for not only for more instalments featuring Anthony Hopkins’ Oscar-winning turn as Hannibal Lecter, but more serial killer chillers that hope to grab the Academy’s attention. Not even David Fincher with his excellent slew of serial killer movies like Seven and Zodiac bagged a single nomination. Considering the influence of The Silence of the Lambs towards Longlegs, it is unlikely that Osgood Perkins’ latest feature is going to an Oscar contender, but that is not a bad thing.
Being no stranger to horror as he previously directed The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Netflix’s I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, as well as being the son of Psycho star Anthony Perkins, it is a genre that Osgood Perkins can’t seem to let go of, with the hope of mainstream attention. And with Longlegs, which features Nicolas Cage as the titular creeper, that is sure to get the notice of someone. The film centers on Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), an up-and-coming FBI agent who uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to apprehend a serial killer who simply goes by “Longlegs”.
From those aforementioned serial killer movies, you can see the influence here, even during a couple of scenes where Agent Harker deciphering Longlegs’ cryptic letters that are left at the scene of the crime. During the course of the investigation, it is implied that the killings are based on some form of Satanism, which is a well-worn trope in the horror genre. On paper, Longlegs has the ingredients for something that is overly familiar with horror films, and yet where it succeeds is in the execution.
The film is drenched in its unnerving atmosphere where you feel the isolation that the FBI agents go through when they walk through mundane houses where murder has (or is about) to occur. Along with Andrés Arochi’s striking cinematography, Zilgi’s atmospheric score and the impressive sound design get under your skin. Whilst you may feel a sense of uncertainty, Longlegs isn’t particularly scary as there are moments where humor comes out of nowhere, which some may find this tonally confusing, but the performances compliment it.
By this point, Nicolas Cage has become an over-the-top should be a meme, whether or not he understands that himself. However, Cage is having a lot of fun playing the eponymous antagonist, in which he is covered pale-white makeup to the point he looks unrecognizable. Sure, there are cases where you see that Cage insanity, but he immerses himself in a role that is closer to a classic horror monster performance which appropriately doesn’t fit into normal society.
Considering Cage’s showy presence which could have overshadowed everything else, the film, along with its promotion, never loses sight who our hero is. Having proved herself as a horror icon in 2015’s It Follows, Maika Monroe has the star-power to rival Jodie Foster with a deadpan performance that serves as a counter-balance to Cage’s turn. With the film being about Harker going deeper into this case, as well as looking back at her own past, it is captivating seeing Monroe trying to maintain her composure, looking like she is about to break. As much the film somewhat loses its ambiguity towards the end by giving us the big scene that explains it all, Maika Monroe dominates from start to finish.
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