Longlegs is a horror/thriller that follows an FBI agent as she tracks a serial killer. The killer, known as Longlegs, has been active for decades and is believed to have ties to the occult. At each crime scene, a cypher is left for the authorities, and yet there is never any indication that the killer was ever there. There do not seem to be a lot of leads, but once agent Harker gets involved, the case mysteriously starts to heat up.
The movie is a slow burn, but it creates a creepy atmosphere that permeates every minute of its runtime. Many scenes are shot in darkness, leaving you guessing as to what might be hiding in the shadows. But there are no jump scares and very little gore. In fact, Longlegs is not really interested in scaring you, per se. Instead, the movie is looking to make and keep you unsettled. And it is extremely effective at that. The atmosphere seeps into you and doesn’t leave until the theatre lights come back on.
The pacing of the movie is quite good, despite a couple areas that are heavy on exposition. The runtime just flew by. And for the first two acts, Longlegs truly kept me guessing. I was never sure where things were headed. By the third act though, you do start to get ahead of the story. It’s not detrimental and I was still fully engaged watching it play out on screen, but I wish the plot had remained more of a mystery. And, unfortunately, the movie does not stick the landing as well as you might hope. Again, it doesn’t ruin the film. Not for me anyway. But I can see where your overall opinion of the movie may depend on how much you buy into the conclusion. It’s not that the ending is unsatisfying, but I was hoping for a little more.
The cast is uniformly terrific. Maika Monroe plays Lee Harker, the agent on the trail of Longlegs. It’s a very understated performance, but perfectly grounds the movie where needed. Nicolas Cage, on the other hand, goes all out and turns in a bonkers performance. As always, Cage makes some unusual choices, but in this role, it works well (I can see where some might find it too over the top for their tastes though). Also great is Alicia Witt in a smaller, yet very unsettling performance.
Despite a couple flaws, I was fully engrossed in Longlegs. It’s a great example of what can be done with a good story, good performances, and a powerful atmosphere. I found it to be a great movie. As it is a slow burn, this will not be to everyone’s taste. But if you like a slow burn complete with a creepy atmosphere, Longlegs is definitely worth your time.
Have you seen Longlegs? Are you planning to? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.