‘Longlegs’ Review #2
Stars: Maika Monroe, Nicholas Cage, Alicia Witt, Kiernan Shipka, Blair Underwood | Written and Directed by Osgood Perkins
It can be difficult to market a film. A trailer can be the best way to garner interest, although this can be undone when the promotional material offers spoilers to lure in potential viewers (as evidenced with many Terminator sequels.) It is a credit to NEON for operating a “less is more” approach for Longlegs, relying on an unsettling atmosphere conveyed in their cryptic videos as an effective primer for the feature.
Set during the ‘90s, FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is a new recruit assigned to the unsolved case of an elusive serial killer (Nicolas Cage). Uncovering a series of occult clues, she is intent on stopping him before he claims more lives.
With a filmography made up of The Blackcoat’s Daughter (known in the UK as February), the Netflix film I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House, and Gretel & Hansel, writer/director Osgood Perkins has made a name for himself crafting eerie vibes that suck viewers into these horrific worlds. His fourth film uses a similarly unsettling mood to draw viewers into a plot inspired by The Silence of The Lambs, before the style shatters viewers’ senses in nightmarish fashion.
Through it all, Perkins crafts an absolutely absorbing experience that leaves spines thoroughly chilled. The aspect ratio is played with at times to deliver confined experiences, while later uses of open space leaves one unsettled at what may fill that space. Combined with Zilgi’s haunting score, and tremendous editing by Greg Ng and Graham Fortin, it makes for horrifying scenes which leave one analysing the background.
Central to the work are compelling performances bringing alive engrossing characters. Maika Monroe delivers a fantastic turn as the intuitive FBI agent, making for an attention-grabbing character in her own right as opposed to Clarice Starling in another skin. Garnering much of the attention is Nicolas Cage’s kooky turn as the serial killer, matching the idiosyncrasies with an intense look in his eyes while plastered under vampiric looking prosthetics. Yet the standout performer is Alicia Witt, as her haunting portrayal conveys so much history on her face.
It is worth mentioning the effective use of humour, providing light relief within this grim work. Yet that does not escape the terror of Longlegs, where the experience of watching the film resembles staring into the abyss, and may leave one hesitant about celebrating another birthday.
****½ 4.5/5
Longlegs is in cinemas now.
