Directed by:
Osgood PerkinsScreenplay:
Osgood PerkinsCinematography:
Andrés ArochiComposer:
Elvis PerkinsCast:
Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-Lee, Dakota Daulby, Lauren Acala, Kiernan Shipka, Jason William Day, Lisa Chandler (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
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. (Neon)
Videos (3)
Reviews (6)
I regarded Longlegs as the dark horse of 2024 and was looking forward to it like a little kid, but the result was so disappointing that I couldn't even imagine it. I don't see Osgood Perkins as a particularly good director, and so I considered this to be another classic film that could have been a successor to A-listers like Se7en in the crime genre, and together with the atmospheric aspect and technical style could make for a film of the year that will be long remembered. But, unfortunately, I can only rate the technical side positively, as the cinematography is unusually good in places and the music, along with the haunting mystery in the air, lets you know that "something is going to happen". The problem is that nothing happens, so the content is literally disastrous. The story doesn't make the slightest sense, there's a cast of five actors, the opening line with the FBI agents is lame, no one explains who Longlegs is or why, why there's so much magic, why all this is happening, everyone behaves illogically and kind of staggers in place for 80 minutes in which nothing actually happens and, lo and behold, we have a rushed finale that throws us a few scenes and leaves us without an explanation. The ultimate disappointment and the only saving grace is that the film came out the day before my scheduled cinema visit. And this is supposed to be the scariest film of our time, featuring Nicolas Cage with the best mask in the horror genre, and that this is his role of a lifetime? I don't think anyone can be serious...
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An atmospheric delight. The pacing is murderously slow, but it’s perfect for the bleak story; the vast majority of the film takes place at night, or in the darkness of houses, or - as in, say, The Silence of the Lambs - in the brisk autumn weather with overcast skies. Osgood Perkins works with the picture format in interesting ways and varies it, and it's all complemented wonderfully by the ominous music and shiver-inducing sound design. Admittedly, for the less knowledgeable, it would be a mistake to go into this as a "Nicolas Cage movie", he's only here for about five minutes in total, but his creation is still memorable and wrung to the marrow. Towards the end it was a little too contrived for me, but you can forgive such nits in a film when you're having such a great time. The fact that the main character is a woman then adds an extra layer of tension because you do worry about her. Perkins is a talent, his dad starred in one of the greatest thrillers of all time, and he makes great thrillers, so the cycle has come full circle. I'll continue to watch him, he’s one smart kid.
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There's no denying Longlegs' awesome atmosphere and very impressive individuality, but I actually have more problems with the final film than I feared. Overall, it's kind of off-kilter, so it doesn't have the flow of a traditional horror-thriller film, but it's also literal, more or less predictable, and without any major surprises, so it doesn't even move within the confines of full-on psycho oddity. I found the whole investigative line of inquiry unsatisfying and futile, with Osgood Perkins basically faking a detective procedural with the birth dates and murders, the cryptic letters; it all sounds and looks cool, but what really came out of it and what was the point? I strongly missed those moments here, where the investigator figures something out and the film is able to explain how those findings move closer to the killer. Here, in contrast, the shifts in the investigation just "happen", or the titular Longlegs sends the protagonist a clue... Nicolas Cage is excellent, excellent, until suddenly he stops being excellent (about the time he starts "singing"), then his performance becomes rather distracting. I'm very hesitant to rate it between 3 and 4 stars, I've already clicked a couple of times. I guess the second screening, which won't be burdened by expectations (which were high now), will have to crack it definitively.
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Hail Satan! Osgood Perkins delivers a gripping experience for those willing to step out of their comfort zone and dive into 101 minutes of devilish unease and despair. If Longlegs excels at anything, it’s the menacing and depressively suffocating atmosphere that grips you from the first shot and doesn’t let go until the credits roll. The film doesn’t offer a single scene that eases its tension – you might chuckle at a few of Nicolas Cage’s phenomenal moments, but it never undermines the film's oppressive tone. Perkins cements his place among the most intriguing genre filmmakers of today, with his masterful handling of atmosphere and mise-en-scène standing out in a crowded field. Kudos to Neon for their brilliant marketing campaign that smartly made Longlegs the horror event of the year. While some might feel let down by the hype, I approached it with caution and ended up very satisfied with what was delivered on the big screen.
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Osgood Perkins is in complete control of the style, as we learn within the first few minutes, and without a doubt in control of the content, as his satanic-tinged crime horror works very well, is suspenseful, surprising, and is already one of the genre events of the year. I was almost taken aback by how it really grabbed me. Nicolas Cage and his creations are once again the stuff of legends. It's also quite funny that Perkins is able to use in such a focused film the properties that we would attribute more to James Wan (a demonic doll, a character with glowing eyes under a black veil, houses with many dark corners, a recurring pop song), but uses them in a completely measured, non-shallow and clever way (which is also why his next film will be produced by who else but James Wan). A great surprise, a quality horror film, and definitely an achievement worthy of a visit to the cinema.
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