Longlegs (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

My Take – While slashers have made a glorious comeback, it’s been a while since we have had an actually good procedural serial killer horror thriller, right?

Though a few of them creep up here and there every few months, starring mostly recognizable faces who unfortunately no longer have much relevance or their former box office pull, each one of them end up receiving lukewarm receptions, particularly due to their writing and execution, which of course pale in comparison to the staples of the sub-genre: The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Se7en (1995).

But thanks to Neon, who utilized guerilla marketing tactics like the use of cryptic short teaser trailers, this latest from writer-director Oz Perkins (The Blackcoat’s Daughter, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House) had been hyped up as the ‘best serial killer thriller’ since the latter two came out, for a few months now, creating enough anticipation for us to join its chilling journey into the depths of the human psyche, set against the backdrop of a gripping FBI investigation.

Yes, as one could have surmised, the film isn’t the generational terrifying feature it’s been sold as, but that also doesn’t stop it from being a good, supremely creepy horror flick that is weird, upsetting and thoroughly captivating for 101 minutes.

As a procedural thriller, it is not particularly complicated. As many aspects of the investigation are supremely obvious, others completely out of the left field. But as a horror feature, its exploration into Satanism and cursed dolls burrows under your skin and stays there for weeks.

Sure, in the narrative department, the film certainly gets a bit too overwrought and silly to make for an all-timer horror picture, but the technical aspects and performances absolutely cannot be denied.

What’s most impressive is how director Perkins collected simple component parts and somehow transformed them into such an unnerving mix. Making this slow-paced, atmospheric horror definitely a step above the others.

Set in 1990s, the story follows Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), a young FBI agent who catches the attention of her superior Agent Carter (Blair Underwood), when her inexplicable display of intuition helps crack a big case.

Theorized to have possible clairvoyance abilities, Lee is assigned to solve a decades-spanning case of a series of brutal murder–suicides involving families throughout the state of Oregon. In each incident, the father murdered his wife and children before taking his own life. But the only things linking these killings is that a daughter in the family has a birthday on the 14th of the month and that at each of the crime scenes is an encoded, seemingly Satanist note from someone who calls himself Longlegs (Nicolas Cage).

Plus, there’s no evidence that anyone outside the family was ever at any of the homes when the crimes occurred. Believing that this mysterious Longlegs is the one somehow influencing the patriarchs to commit these crimes, Lee eventually uncovers facts about the case that imply something far more sinister is going on.

After a creepy prologue shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio with curved corners to resemble an old photograph, the film follows a fairly straightforward serial-killer hunt with a few supernatural twists. Perkins’ script plays out the setup with a deft hand, pulling in visual and narrative references from better films like Zodiac (2007), The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Se7en (1995) to help orient the audience as quickly as possible.

Within the first 20 minutes or so, we already know all the details about the case and everyone involved, which frees him to start infusing the film with his unique brand of off-kilter creepiness. Thankfully, unlike some of his earlier mixed bag outing, here, director Perkins punctuates the moody quiet with loud and shocking moments. Constantly keeping the audience nervous about what will come next.

He particularly shows a sure hand with the rich characterizations of Lee Harker and the other major characters, enlarging the film’s scope. It takes the idea of the investigator who has a connection with a killer and makes it more palpable and less of an intellectual exercise. It’s great character work because it involves the audience so much more. It is one thing to hear that someone has a connection to the killer, but it’s another to actually feel it emotionally. It’s very real, very involving, and so much more frightening.

Even when there are slower, exposition heavy scenes, the tone set in place is not only so eerie, but so consistently eerie throughout that you feel transported into this world, obviously then making its disturbing atmosphere all the more effective for the audience. One of the unnerving things about the film is its ability to hone in on unnerving images that are sometimes almost subliminally edited into the picture, and often in extreme close-up.

The film’s atmosphere is thick with tension, crafted through Perkins‘ meticulous direction and Andrés Arochi‘s evocative cinematography. Each frame is a meticulously composed tableau, contributing to a sense of claustrophobic dread that lingers long after the credits roll.

There’s eventually a rush of exposition that explains the ties between Harker and Longlegs, but the film doesn’t provide straightforward answers, and part of what’s scary about it is the enduring uncertainty over why any of this is happening. No one attempts to create a psychological profile for Longlegs, and he’s not concerned about being arrested or facing prison time. He’s a force of nature rather than a person, and Nicolas Cage‘s off-putting performance emphasizes the character’s aggressive inhumanity.

Cage isn’t in a whole lot of the screen, but he makes every bit of his limited screen time. He gets a bit too much with his performance at times, but most of the time, he’s downright terrifying. If anything, his captivating turn dares you to take your eyes off him.

Maika Monroe’s performance is also quite stellar. Her entire being seems shot through with a presence of doom and a whirlwind of inner panic. She starts off as incredibly awkward and reserved, but as her investigation brings more things to light, rawer, uncontrolled emotions begin to come out.

In supporting roles, Alicia Witt brings a deeply unsettling turn, while Blair Underwood and his family offer a warm contrast to the chilly world that envelops Harker. In a cameo, Kiernan Shipka brings an authentic and emotionally resonant performance that elevates the film’s complex narrative. On the whole, ‘Longlegs’ is a mesmerizing serial killer story with an impeccable blend of horror and thriller elements.