LONGLEGS (2024)

Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Osgood Perkins
Cast: Nicholas Cage, Maika Monroe, Alicia Witt, Blair Underwood
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 11 July 2024

Synopsis: In pursuit of a serial killer, an FBI agent uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to end his terrifying killing spree. 

Movie Review:

You may have read how this horror thriller is one of the scariest movies of all time. While there is a certain truth to that (more details in a while), what’s commendable about this independent horror flick is the guerilla marketing approach from the distributor.

Forget PR influenced interviews with the stars, glitzy world tours and glamourous red carpets – the movie benefited from the mysterious teaser trailers that were released earlier this year, and the puzzling clips, images and coded messages that can only be cracked using symbiology created for the movie. Then there are the videos released online (like this one) which added the to the creepiness. Finally, there was a printed advertisement in the Seattle Times (it’s nice to know that there are still people who read the papers) which pointed readers to a website with even more spine chilling details which suggest that there is a Satan worshipping serial killer on the loose.

The anticipation for the actual movie was high, and judging by how this writer was left with a lingering sense feeling disturbed when the end credits rolled, it means that this unsettling film written and directed by Osgood Perkins has delivered the goods. Maybe this warped personality runs in the family, because it is also noteworthy that Perkins’ father Anthony played the twisted Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) and its subsequent sequels.

Back to the movie. The story is straightforward, as we follow a female FBI agent as she attempts to track down a serial killer who is supposedly responsible for murdering families across America, leaving the bodies in a bloody mess. The strange thing is, evidence suggest that this killer isn’t physically at the scenes of crime, and there seems to be some evil supernatural force behind these cruel murders.

What we know is that the killer is someone who goes by Longlegs (a brilliant name for a serial murderer in this writer’s opinion, because there are all sorts of images that can pop up in the mind, including those which are not kid friendly), and he has an accomplice aiding him in the killings. What we do not know is his motive, and how he exactly looks like.

And when we finally see Longlegs his full getup, we are glad that he is played by Nicolas Cage. We have seen the award winning actor going berserk in Mandy (2018), and hamming it up as Dracula in Renfield (2023), so we were all set for an unhinged Cage in this role. The dementedness of the character is truly bloodcurdling, and there are a few scenes where you’ll hear Cage howling in maniacal laughter and singing an unnerving tune. With his face covered in white makeup while sporting a shabby hairdo, you do not want this guy to be visiting you in your dreams.

Elsewhere, you also know things are not right with Maika Monroe’s FBI agent character. She seems distant most of the time, and there is a foreboding atmosphere whenever she appears on screen. The shots are stylishly put together, but you are not enjoying them because you know something terrible is going to happen. And when the movie culminates in a moment of supposed truth, you are not very sure how to react. Whether or not you prefer closure in horror movies, this one will leave you feeling uneasy.

Movie Rating:

(A moody serial killer flick that will make you a little uneasy, featuring Nicolas Cage's unhinged performance as the demented titular character)

Review by John Li