Longlegs
Longlegs
FBI Agent Lee Harker is a gifted new recruit assigned to the unsolved case of an elusive serial killer. As the case takes complex turns, unearthing evidence of the occult, Harker discovers a personal connection to the merciless killer and must race against time to stop him before he claims the lives of another innocent family.
rg9400 reviewedNovember 1, 2024
It's best to ignore the hype when watching this movie because outside of raising your expectations, it might also just make you think this movie is going to be very different than it actually is. It's a slow-burn serial killer procedural in the vein of Silence of the Lambs that worms its way into you. I watched Os Perkins' earlier works in The Blackcoat's Daughter and Gretel & Hansel. I noted his excellent skills with the technical aspects of filmmaking, and they are as sharp as ever in Longlegs. This movie is extremely stylish, with excellent camerawork, cinematography, imagery, and sound editing. Maika Monroe's acting is phenomenal -- she inhabits the sharp-witted detective while still making her fear palpable through the screen. Nic Cage is...okay? I think a lot has been hyped up about his performance, but I think he acts exactly the way I was expecting him to act. The problem with Os Perkins' earlier movies was limp scripts, and I was wondering what he could do with something stronger. This movie is mostly that. The movie starts out incredibly strong, and the sense of dread, mystery, and atmosphere is well-developed. However, as the movie progresses, I did feel like it started to struggle to bring everything together in a satisfying way. Namely, it introduces an element late into the movie that I just did not think landed. Also, at times, the dialogue is a bit soft spoken and obtuse, leading me to be confused if I was supposed to understand what was happening yet or not. Even though the ending didn't work for me, I still thoroughly enjoyed this movie and think it is as strong as some of the other arthouse horror movies people visualize from the past 10 years (many of which share similar issues regarding obtuse elements). It might not be a 10/10, but it's still incredible. The imagery in this movie is really fantastic, but don't go in expecting a ton of jump scares or anything in your face. It's a much more atmospheric movie. Honestly, the biggest drawback to this movie isn't anything related to what is in it. The viral marketing and hype machine around it are going to set unrealistic expectations and lead to disappointment from people expecting another Conjuring-esque movie. However, I would still highly recommend it.