Why do people make dumb decisions in horror movies? I guess that depends on what one might consider to be ‘dumb.’ Early on in Longlegs, a young girl sees a station wagon parked some 50 yards away from her house. She puts on her coat and goes outside. We question this action but quickly forget it when a strange man appears out of nowhere, towering over the girl like a bear in the wilderness. It’s unnerving. People often make irrational decisions, especially in horror movies, but the payoff will determine if this gap in logic is forgiven.
Longlegs is a chilling, suspenseful, eerily dreamlike descent into demonic rage. Maika Monroe stars as Lee Harker, an intuitive and brave detective who seems to have a freakish sixth sense. The FBI determines that she may be clairvoyant, a skill she uses to successfully spot a perpetrator – but this action also leads to unintended consequences. Nonetheless, Harker’s skillset and success lead to her being handed a decades long cold case of mystifying intrigue. The wonder kid seems to have met her match as she’s tasked with finding out how a suspected killer may be influencing a string of murders – without actually being present for the crimes.
The film is made in the mold of Silence of the Lambs (1991) & Se7en (1995), it’s even set in the 90s like those pictures, a gonzo thriller that carries a black cloud of dread over each scene even when violence isn’t present. Osgood Perkins wrote and directed the movie, infusing the film with a deceptive ambiance that forces your guard down. There’s, of course, the moment of levity you get in films like this, such as when Harker begins to warm up to her boss’ family and is reminded that there’s some humanity that still exists. But Perkins keeps this as a fleeting moment because ultimately, he’s concealing (and building up to) a towering inferno performance from Nicolas Cage.
There’s a portion of Cage’s persona that’s defined simply by memes and jokes about his eclectic film choices. And look, that old Wicker Man meme is funny as hell, but sometimes the ironic detachment can overshadow how consistently great Cage has been as an actor as far back as Moonstruck (1987). In Longlegs, he’s a tsunami of evil and schizophrenia. His character is, in part, an attention whore. He harasses a teen store clerk not for any material gain but just to get a reaction out of her. His outbursts aren’t gratuitous but timed to show a man so far removed from common decency.
It’s a benefit that we’ve seen Cage in so many out-there roles over the years, which means we know he can turn up the crazy even higher. This brings credibility to Longlegs, as it shows that Cage is in control of the character, not using it as an excuse to just chew scenery ad nauseum. This makes Longlegs a scarier foe – he’s clearly lost the plot on just… everything, he’s not well. But even so, he’s so controlled, his actions so deliberate and calculating. Hell, we even discover he’s somewhat of an artist, a good one at that. The duality of man – add that to Cage’s meme column.
As Harker dives further into the case, she discovers just how much she can stomach the subject matter. We’re dealing with the occult and satanic ideology. Harker’s intuition becomes a matter of either random talent or perhaps a gift she gained by way of past experiences. This becomes a superpower in the face of evil spirituality. Monroe gives a great performance as an underdog that must overcome a tremendous amount of grief in order to power through. She’s tasked with fighting the wolves with her intellect.
Longlegs is fast-paced but meticulous and gruesome. It takes its time revealing all its core elements, but the movie never feels like filler. It’s a mood piece that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you slowly unrival the tragic inner workings of a community tetering off the deep end. It also feels personal, despite telling a grand story, drawing a significant amount of empathy from the audience. I don’t expect it to win awards, but it is one of the must-see physiological thrillers of the year.
I don’t think you can walk away from this movie not being thoroughly disturbed, yet also impressed by the skill and craftsmanship on display. Longlegs is a movie of nightmares come to life and the worst of human kind inflicting pain for no legitimately good reason. It’s a feature length stare into the eyes of the devil, and it’s our curiosity with the mind of the satanic that makes this a memorable fright night. I hope Perkins continues to make movies of this caliber, no matter how deranged that sounds.
