Rating: 9.1/10
Director and screenwriter Oz Perkins’ newest creation, “Longlegs,” is a visceral take on occult horror wrapped together with a true crime, investigative thematic structure. Audiences who saw the film on its release date, July 12, are surely still trapped in their seats, perhaps too scared to walk from the theater to their car.
The movie follows Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), an FBI agent with what some may call a sixth sense, as she pieces together clues to solve the satanically motivated, horrifically impossible murders of families over a 30-year period. At every crime scene is a coded message, each signed “Longlegs,” the signature of the main antagonist of the film (Nicolas Cage).
If there’s one thing that Perkins knows how to do, it’s set an atmosphere. While some critics might challenge the pace of the movie, suggesting that it’s too slow, this rather seems to be a tool in Perkins’ “make your audience squirm” kit.
Don’t be fooled, the film is slow, and it doesn’t hide that fact either. A decent amount of Perkins’ craftsmanship relies on the growing sense of suspicion, uneasiness and tension that he inflicts on his audience. Perkins employs the kinds of slow-burn, toe-curling narrative tactics that leave audiences glued to the screen with the urge to look over their shoulder, like slowly pulling off a bandaid.
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As viewers follow Harker and her mentor, Agent Carter (Blair Underwood), through coded messages, creepy dolls and chilling flashbacks, Perkins rejects what the Hollywood horror movie template has been. Through flashing images, unsettling still frames and adjustment of the aspect ratio throughout the film, Perkins combines everything there is to love — and hate — about analog horror and crime thrillers.
Perkins’ criminally genius tone-setting is not the only thing that makes this movie divine, however. Monroe’s performance is refined, awkward and, at times, even funny. If audiences didn’t know she was someone to look out for in the horror genre after “It Follows,” they would certainly be paying attention now. Her distant stares and anxious tone force viewers into her perspective and directly connect her to the unsettling atmosphere that Perkins expertly crafts throughout the film.
Cage also delivers on his promise to terrify in the film, and audiences may feel slightly suspicious that he actually is possessed throughout the movie. Though at some points his acting choices seem random, uncalculated and slightly gimmick-ey, this is hard to avoid in satanic horror, which often loses itself to complex, occult symbolism that sometimes fails to add to the plot.
One criticism that seems to hold up for this film is that it didn’t quite live up to its spectacular marketing campaign. The marketing, which was analog-inspired and offered little in terms of explanation as to what would be in store, perhaps made the film seem like it would be the scariest of the year. While “Longlegs” certainly wasn’t doing its audience any favors, movie-goers who have kept up with the promotional material may find that the scariest parts of the film was simply their anxiety before it.
While it’s important not to review the movie that was promoted, but rather the movie that was released, the awkward and often funny film certainly is not sending viewers out of the theater. Rather, it’s keeping its audience with an eye open before they fall asleep, which some may argue is just as good. Hardcore horror fans, however, may be slightly disappointed.
Another criticism of the movie seems to be that it is predictable, and while some may find this to be the case, it’s certainly not predictable in any way that compromises its integrity.
Instead, “Longlegs” follows a pattern the way most true-crime media does. Multiple families are killed over the span of 30 years on a specific date that just happens to be coming up — it’s not particularly shocking what happens next.
Many will argue that this is not a shortcoming of the film, though. For a genre that feeds off of suspense, what better way to fill an audience with anxiety than with an investigative piece, with the feeling that something is right under their nose?
To be fair, the narration of the movie is anything but predictable. The scenes are choppy, and the cuts are quick and unforgiving. The music is disorienting and the constant flashes of horrifying images keep one’s hands gripped to the arm of their chair. The whole movie feels like the second before a 90-degree drop on a five-mile-per-hour rollercoaster.
With expert performances, genius tone-setting and clear direction, “Longlegs” is a must-see for horror fans. It’s funny, awkward patience sets it apart from other films that were released this year, certainly leaving it on movie-enjoyer’s top 10 films of the year. “Longlegs” leaves its audience with a blank stare, waiting for the other shoe to drop and with the unshakeable feeling that someone, or something, is behind them.
