“Longlegs” Delivers Many Chills and an Eerie Atmosphere

For last week’s edition, I took a look at “The Monkey,” which is based on a Stephen King short story and directed by Osgood Perkins. Last year, Perkins directed the surprise hit “Longlegs.” Now, I finally had the chance to check the surprise horror/thriller out and see if it was as good as the reviews said it was.

FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes an unexpected turn, revealing evidence of the occult.

Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

When I first saw the trailer for “Longlegs” last summer, the movie automatically went on my radar and stayed there. I also read quite a few online reactions praising the movie. After finally watching it, I can finally say that, even though it’s not nearly as great as some reviews were saying, “Longlegs” is still a solid thriller that can really send some chills.

The opening moments alone instantly reminded me of the vibes that some thrillers, such as “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Seven,” gave out. In fact, this entire movie sort of reminded me of those two films in a way with how they were shot and the dark, eerie atmosphere. And quick side note - speaking of “Seven,” that thriller turned 30 this year and might revisit the film down the road sometime.

Now, the first few moments can be kind on the slow-building side. But, for most thrillers (like this one), the slow-building moments can really help build the tension and some of the chilling moments that the movie offers. The first half of the movie does a decent job building up the tense chills with some of its horror elements, including where the FBI is slowly putting together their case.

“Longlegs” can also be really eerie at times, such as when Nicolas Cage’s Longlegs character is on screen. During the second half is when the movie dives more into the occult aspect which really gives it a more terrifying feel. There are a few scenes that can feel a little uneasy at times, so this movie won’t exactly be for everyone.

And speaking of Nicolas Cage, the actor really does a great job giving a chilling performance as the movie’s titular serial killer. As usual he gives a rather unhinged performance, and for this movie, his unhinged moments can easily give you the chills at times. 

Another thing I thoroughly enjoyed about this movie is that this thriller doesn’t rely on jump scares, which also helps the movie out as most thrillers and horror movies nowadays can become too over-reliant on jump scares. In fact, there aren’t really any moments that really jump out at yet, except for the few twists and turns that are revealed during the second half of the movie.

The ending of “Longlegs” is also really unexpected and adds a nice twist to this already intriguing story. Granted, a few of the chilling moments aren’t really that scary and there are a few moments where things can get a little on the confusing side. But, maybe if I give this movie a second viewing, I can put more of those pieces together.

Nonetheless, if you do enjoy thrillers that deliver the same vibe like “Silence of the Lambs” and “Seven,” then “Longlegs” may be right up your alley.

Cast: Maika Monroe (Agent Lee Harker); Nicolas Cage (Longlegs); Blair Underwood (Agent Carter); Michelle Choi-Lee (Agent Browning); Dakota Daulby (Agent Fisk); Lauren Acala (Young Lee Harker); Kiernan Shipka (Carrie Ann Camera); Alicia Witt (Ruth Harker).

Writer/director: Osgood Perkins (The Monkey)

Trivia: Many of the encrypted messages that Longlegs sends throughout the movie contain misspellings and poor grammar after being decoded. This is an homage to the Zodiac Killer, who was also known for his coded messages continuing typos, which often made it more difficult to decode his message. The request of Osgood Perkins of now using Cage on the posters or in the trailer despite him playing the titular character led the studio Neon to come up with a creative plan to promote and sell the movie without depending on Cage.

MPAA rating: R for bloody violence, disturbing images and some language   (running time 101 minutes)

Where to find the movie? You can currently stream “Longlegs” on Hulu and various PVOD rental services.

• Many of Longlegs' encrypted messages contain misspellings and poor grammar after being decoded. This is an homage to the Zodiac Killer, who was also known for his coded messages containing typos, which often made it more difficult to decode his message.

• The request of Osgood Perkins of not using Nicolas Cage on the posters or in the trailer despite him playing the titular character led Neon to come up with a creative plan to promote and sell the movie without depending on Cage.

• Test audiences praised Nicolas Cage's performance and mentioned that he was so off-putting that it could potentially scare viewers off.

• The movie had a budget of less than 10 million dollars, which is what it made on its opening day.

• Test audiences described the film as having imagery very similar to films such as The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Zodiac (2007), and Se7en (1995).

https://youtu.be/FXOtkvx25gI?si=2H3sSmH-wf843BAc