It makes a lot of sense that filmmaker Osgood Perkins has found his niche in making horror movies. After all, it’s kind of in his blood. He is the son of legendary actor Anthony Perkins, best known for playing the murderous Norman Bates in the classic film Psycho and its subsequent sequels. Much like how that role is a predominant part of his father’s legacy, the horror genre is beginning to become synonymous with Osgood’s legacy as a director. His previous efforts have all been horror films, and he is continuing this streak with his latest film, Longlegs. While his last three films have had prominent supernatural or fantasy elements to them, Longlegs is much closer to reality, following the hunt for a serial killer and the startling revelations that come from it. Through this story, Perkins explores the idea of evil and how it manifests, as well as how it is often closer to us than we may realize. In addition, Perkins uses his own story of growing up with a famous father who hid part of his identity from his family as inspiration, crafting what may be his most personal film to date. It all comes together as a Silence of the Lambs-esque crime thriller that is both deeply unsettling, yet impossible to look away from. It feels like the exact film that Perkins has been building toward for a long time, and it just might be his true breakthrough as a filmmaker.
Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is a young FBI agent who demonstrates a possible sixth sense while on a case. Her superiors notice her psychic abilities, and assign her to a decades old case regarding a mysterious serial killer known only as Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). He has never been caught, but he has left several cryptic notes that are written in code at the scene of the crime. Lee begins to decode the messages, finding links to the occult, and ends up realizing that she has a personal connection to Longlegs. As she continues her pursuit, she finds herself confronting her past, and uncovers some shocking secrets in the process.
A lot of the early buzz surrounding Longlegs has centered on how scary it is. The marketing for the film has been extremely effective, as it has piqued the interest of many wondering just how terrifying it is. The use of the film’s cryptic code and striking imagery for the promotional materials only added fuel to the fire, creating an air of mystery around the film. After watching the film, I wouldn’t say that the film is outright “scary” in the sense that most might associate with a standard horror film. Rather, it has a lingering sense of dread that makes for a more disconcerting experience, allowing the fear of evil to wash over the viewer as the film goes on. On top of that, the film’s structure is more reminiscent of a crime thriller, bringing to mind The Silence of the Lambs and Zodiac at various points. Some viewers might be surprised that the film functions as more of a procedural, but I felt that this is one of its strongest assets.
The focus on the film’s central mystery makes what we are seeing feel more real and drives home its observations on the nature of evil in our world. It makes the connections that Perkins seems to be making between the film and reality hit especially hard, and heightens the unsettling atmosphere of the entire film. While certain aspects of the film do feel slightly heightened or tiptoe outside the realm of possibility, the whole film feels quite plausible, which only makes it more horrifying. By focusing more on the investigation, we become aware of the film’s truths, which are quite heavy and show how evil lurks beneath the surface in our daily lives. The horror and fear comes from the mystery itself, as well as the reality within it. The film isn’t setting up scares and kills like many horror films do, but instead finds the horror in the details that we find out about the case, letting them linger with the viewer and crawl under their skin. It makes the film truly unsettling to watch, but there is something about it that makes it hard to tear yourself away from.
Perkins’s direction makes the film rather hypnotic, as it has this deliberate pacing to it that is perfectly executed in the film’s context. It never feels like it is dragging too much, nor does it feel like its breezing past anything important. It might move a bit slow for some people’s taste, Perkins knows how to let the film move and breathe to provide its maximum effect. He lets the viewer sit in certain moments for a little more than they may care to, letting the dread and discomfort set in nicely. Not only that, but the film shifts to different parts of the narrative quite effectively, keeping the audience on their toes a little, and revealing interesting details in the process.
Perkins deserves a lot of credit for this as both writer and director, but the editing and camerawork is also to thank for this. Part of the film’s atmospheric tension has to do with how specific scenes are cut and blocked, as well as how much or how little we are seeing of the horrors at the film’s core. The film doesn’t feel gratuitous with its violence, as we only really see it from the perspective of its characters. It helps that these violent moments occur more in bursts, allowing them to disrupt the strange lull that the film often has. This sparing nature can also be tied to the character of Longlegs, as his face is often obscured in many of his early scenes. When the film chooses to actually show him in full, it feels so shocking, in part due to the look of the character, but also due to the malevolent nature that both Nicolas Cage and the film itself bring to him. It is very impressive work all around, making the film rather distressing, yet so engrossing.
Osgood Perkins has gone on the record to say that this film is inspired by his own upbringing, as his famous father harbored a secret from him and his brother for many years. Anthony Perkins was gay, although he was married to actress and photographer Berry Berenson from 1973 until his death in 1992. He and Berenson kept this a secret from their children, although they seemed to inherently know the truth from a young age. Osgood Perkins uses the idea of family secrets being kept as a major plot point in Longlegs, begging the question of whether or not these secrets should be revealed or remain hidden. It provides an interesting meta-text to the film, although I would argue that the connections between Perkins’s life and the film itself function more as parallels than allegory or any direct commentary on sexuality. Regardless, this adds an interesting layer to the film, and makes it feel more personal for Perkins as a result.
Maika Monroe is no stranger to the world of horror and thrillers, as she has appeared in a handful of them over the years. Her work here, however, might be some of her best yet. It is a quieter performance, and she often acts as a bit of an audience surrogate, but it is still great nonetheless. She has this controlled nature to her as Lee that has you wondering about her all throughout. It may be a bit more of a subdued performance, but it is also quite effective. Blair Underwood is also great as Lee’s superior, Agent Carter. Underwood has this gravitas to him that makes everything he says land with its proper impact, and he knows how to use his presence to his advantage. The role itself could have been a bit one-note, but Underwood brings so much dimension to him, and he is so fascinating to watch in this film. Alicia Witt gives perhaps my favorite performance of the film, as she nails every scene she’s in. From the first time she appears, I was entranced by the choices she makes as Lee’s mother, Ruth. It is such a striking performance that grabbed a hold of me every time she showed up in the film, and she has such precision to what she is doing every step of the way. Her work in the third act alone is transfixing, but the entire performance is easily one of the most impressive ones I’ve seen this year.
Of course, the performance that will undoubtedly stick with viewers is Nicolas Cage’s turn as Longlegs himself. Cage is always going to give his all in any role he takes on, and this film is certainly no exception. The look of the character alone is a big, bold choice, as he is pale, puffy-faced, and has an androgynous hairstyle and wardrobe. There is a clear glam rock influence in the character, and the film itself, which is quite apparent from the opening alone, which quotes T. Rex’s Bang a Gong (Get It On). Longlegs has a gaunt, aged rocker vibe to him, and Cage imbues this with pure insanity. He behaves strangely, has an odd speaking pattern and pitch, and has an unpredictable energy that makes him all the more terrifying. It is a big performance, as Cage often gives, but it is stunning in the context of the film. In the hands of any other actor, this performance might be too hammy or distracting, but Cage knows how to make the character feel natural in the world of the film, while also coming across as a complete madman. It is an excellent performance, and is quite haunting to boot.
Longlegs is one of the more unsettling films I’ve seen in quite some time, and I love it so much for that reason. It confronts the notion of evil in a rather grounded way while using elements of horror and crime thrillers to create a highly compelling mystery. While it might not be “scary” in the ways that most might be expecting, it is still a haunting film that is sure to stick with you for days after watching it. It is highly impressive, and I can only see my feelings towards this film growing the more I sit with it and ponder its deeper themes. Longlegs is a film that might surprise some with its more procedural leanings, but it will still make you skin crawl.
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