de facto film reviews 3 stars

In the midst of one of the most effective marketing campaigns in recent cinematic history, Osgood Perkins’s Longlegs releases not quite with a bang and hardly with a whimper but somewhere in between. No stranger to division among cinephiles and casual audiences with his trifecta of deliberately slow, strange, atmospheric horror, Perkins steps into a somewhat more accessible vehicle here and still manages to create rifts. That said, Longlegs is easily his best work yet, a suffocating and entirely creepy exercise in anxiety, paranoia, and dread.

Longlegs follows Lee Harker, played by Maika Monroe, a freshly minted FBI special agent armed with some form of psychic power. Harker’s boss, Carter (Blair Underwood), decides to utilize her unnatural intuition to track down the eponymous Longlegs (Nicolas Cage), an elusive serial killer who has been somehow causing good Christian families to kill themselves for decades. Harker begins analyzing the mysterious coded ciphers Longlegs leaves behind at the scenes, unraveling a twisted mystery with herself at the center of it all.

Longlegs - Ciphers

Courtesy of Neon

Based on the promotional materials, people likened Longlegs to Silence of the Lambs, Seven, Zodiac, and other moody serial killer procedurals. The similarities are undoubtedly noticeable at the surface level, though it plays out more like a supernatural Manhunter but with a style all its own. Perkins and cinematographer Andrés Arochi craft a unique entry into this niche subgenre of horror and thriller by melding analog with a symmetry and center-of-frame visual mindset that would make Wes Anderson jealous.

The result is a film rich in negative space, evoking a sense of unease. The static shots demand the audience’s attention, compelling them to focus on the intricate details of each frame, and the disruptive tracking shots are akin to rewards for our patience—intense morsels that signal some coming insanity. Despite its methodical nature, there is always some interesting happening in Longlegs that progresses the story or one of its characters. Perkins manages to successfully invade the psyche and cause a level of discomfort that is becoming more difficult to achieve with continuously desensitized viewers.

Longlegs - Agent Carter

Courtesy of Neon

While the sensory aspects of Longlegs are its most potent, there is plenty else to admire. Namely, Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage embody their roles to the fullest, delivering two vastly distinct but equally mesmerizing characters. Alas, Harker is a bit thin conceptually, but Monroe plays her with such pointed confidence that she becomes the perfect foil for Longlegs. She is antisocial and wholly professional, but something progressively bubbles under the surface that makes her vulnerable and afraid. Longlegs, on the other hand, is completely unhinged, a fringe Satanist with a penchant for doll-making and singing, which makes a whole lot of sense considering his intended victims.

Cage is nearly unrecognizable but unforgettable. However, the wackiness of Longlegs likely caught everybody by surprise following a campaign branding the film as “the scariest film of the decade” and featuring very little of the title character himself. Upon watching, however, this tonal contrast between his character and the rest of the film makes Longlegs even more unnerving and unpredictable. Though understandably, this creative decision will be a mixed bag. Otherwise, the story culminates in an evil third act, with what will also be a divisive finale, and it feels simultaneously unsatisfying and sensible.

Longlegs - Lee Harker With Note

Courtesy of Neon

Perkins takes some risks with the storytelling in Longlegs, particularly toward the end, and it is difficult to say if it pays off. The soul of this movie is cynical and hopeless, and that never really falters. It introduces several ideas that come together in confusing ways, but the setup is brilliant and compelling. Ultimately, the rampant weirdness of Perkins’s tale persists, and it makes some sense, but some questions also linger. Still, for its many incredible qualities and some bold chances that may not hit the mark, Longlegs is a must-see project that demands a willingness to sink into an odd, odd world and hang on for dear life.

Longlegs is now playing in theaters nationwide.


Missed any our latest reviews? Read them under Reviews & Insights now!