There has been a lot of hype surrounding this serial killer horror film, and I can honestly say it lives up to it. While it isn’t the most excellent movie of its kind, filmmaker Oz Perkins delivers a film that will impact every audience member who experiences it. Though the influences are apparent, Perkins still brings something new and utterly disturbing to this horror subgenre. This movie does not offer feel-good material, so go into this movie with fair warning.
Maika Monroe stars as rookie FBI agent Lee Harker. As displayed in some of her previous tests, Harker has a sixth sense of detective work. For this reason, her superior, Agent Carter (Blair Underwood), tasks Harker with investigating a series of mysterious murders in nuclear families where no other evidence of abusive behavior is a factor. In addition to the actual killings, an unknown and baffling figure has been sending letters to law enforcement and taking credit for the carnage. This character goes by the pseudonym of Longlegs (Nicolas Cage).
Longlegs is one of those movies where the less I reveal, the more significant the impact it will have on you. Written and directed by Oz Perkins, this film is a powerful and chilling dark journey into the natural and the supernatural. Though some scenes play out like other serial killer investigative movies, this one has horrific tricks and surprises. The overall experience is rather shocking, frightening, and distressing.
Perkins knows precisely how to set up his scenes and allows these dark magic and shudder-inducing events to play out in extraordinary ways. Maika Monroe is phenomenal as Agent Lee Harker, an intelligent and gifted investigator who immerses herself in her work but has severe displeasure. As Longlegs himself, Nicolas Cage gives a mostly horrifying performance but sometimes goes too over-the-top. I was also impressed with the fascinating turn by Alicia Witt, who portrays Lee’s mother. This very religious woman always reminds Lee to pray for safety and well-being.
Even though this movie is not comforting or entertaining, it is still a remarkable piece of horror cinema that will amaze fans. I highly recommend Longlegs for real horror cinema fans because it is a movie other fans will keep talking about for the foreseeable future.