2024 ‧Horror/Crime ‧ 101m
Director Osgood Perkins returns with the serial killer thriller Longlegs. The film follows the investigation of a cold case going hot again, with the aid of a new FBI Special Agent.
For almost 20 years, a killer has been murdering entire families and leaving no trace. The only thing telling the FBI they are connected are the coded letters he leaves, signed Longlegs. In the mid-90s, Special Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), who seems to have a second sense when it comes to killers, is brought onto the case after just “knowing” where the perpetrator was in her last assignment. Her superior, Agent Carter (Blain Underwood), shares everything he knows and soon an ice cold case is flowing again. As they delve deeper into the mystery, Carter starts to wonder if there is something deeper than just Harker’s hunches going on.
Atmosphere is something the director has a noted skill in. The film takes place in the winter and the icy atmosphere can be easily felt through Perkins’ direction. Though different in theme, Longlegs does share a similar mood and tone as Perkin’s 2015 film The Blackcoat’s Daughter. They could be easily viewed back-to-back. Kiernan Shipka from that film cameos here, and both films share a satanic panic element.
The performances pair well with Perkins’s atmosphere. Nicholas Cage is, as expected, quite creepy as the titular killer. Though Cage is barely recognizable as Longlegs, his voice is pretty unmistakable, so there is an added uncanny layer to the character. Cage is good, but one can’t help but wonder if someone with less of a name would be better, it’s difficult sometimes to separate “Nic Cage” from a performance. That said, why gamble when there can be a sure bet? Maika Monroe as Special Agent Harker easily brings the audience into the story. Her performance is haunted and understated. Blair Underwood helps ground everything, as Harker’s likeable mentor and superior. Alicia Dewitt plays Harker’s mother, and adds another layer of dread, that gets somewhat undercut during the film’s resolution. Cage and Dewitt, and to a certain extent Monroe, create a compelling strangeness to Longlegs that makes it a unique experience. Perkins is able to take all of this and fashion a deeply scary film that maintains its formidable chill even through the underwhelming resolution.
It is hard not to think of Silence of the Lambs given the subject manner. There are also some shots similar to Demme’s close-ups. Elements of Fincher’s Se7en and Zodiac as well come to mind, especially with the coded messages. The Special Agent aspect and the inclusion of Alicia Dewitt will no doubt remind folks of Twin Peaks. Longlegs does have enough originality to stand on its own, though fans of the aforementioned will undoubtedly get more enjoyment.
Longlegs probably won’t become a classic like the films it found influence, but it pays offs well for those looking for a horrifying, if often weird, serial killer procedural.
Grade: B-
~Andrew