Longlegs (15)

Director: Oz Perkins
Screenplay: Oz Perkins

Starring: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood

Running time: 101 minutes

Cinema release

​

Review: David Stephens

​

The Cage is back. Again. In Horror. And for every one of the that-didn’t-quite-work efforts that Nicolas Cage does for the sake of it (Pay the Ghost, The Wicker Man, Willy’s Wonderland, etc.), there are some excellent ones that provide something special (Mandy, 8MM, Colour Out of Space, Mom and Dad, etc.). Luckily this is one of the latter ones and other aspects of the project actually overshadow Cage’s contribution as the title character. For a start, it’s directed by Osgood “Oz” Perkins, who is a strong presence in Indie horror, and not because his father was Norman Bates (the great Anthony Perkins, of course). Although they tend to get shoehorned into late-night TV screenings and the cult section of film directories, he is responsible for some much admired low-key horrors, including The Blackcoat’s Daughter (called February in the UK for some reason) and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House. Blackcoat in particular (his debut movie) is an innovative take on the well-worn demonic-possession genre that deserves a more substantial reputation. Going back to Longlegs, it also stars Maika Monroe, who has quietly become a real mark of quality in the many horror productions in her career and a great actress in complex roles (see The Guest, It Follows, Watcher, and Significant Other for proof). Garnering a surprising amount of mainstream coverage in recent months and some rave reviews, it’s now on US and UK screens, so it’s time to see if it has long enough legs for a decent box office result.

 

The plot starts with a rushed glimpse of a creepy pasty-faced character menacing a small girl in the 70s. Then we rush towards 1995 (no mobile phones or internet here, also no social media… so “swings and roundabouts”). It turns out that the freak at the beginning was a serial killer calling himself “Longlegs” (Cage. Unrecognisable.) in cyphered notes left at crime scenes. Despite the cops being sure he is the killer responsible for causing multiple mass murders spanning several decades, they have no clue about his methods or motives apart from the gibberish on the cryptic notes. Also, each crime appears nominally to be a murder-suicide, with the patriarch killing their wife, daughter, and anybody else in the vicinity before offing themselves. Newly assigned to the case is Lee Harker (a splendidly twitchy Monroe), a young FBI agent who has shown an almost supernatural ability to sniff out the location of crims and manage clues. Sure enough, she starts to make some important progress in identifying the weirdo. Unfortunately, Longlegs has also taken an interest in Harker’s efforts and events start to go down a dark path.

 

It’s interesting that Longlegs has attracted the sort of mass media attention that it has. Unfortunately, a lot of that consists of the usual nonsensical cobblers that hacks throw around when a horror film goes viral or becomes a sleeper hit. With genuine headlines like “Longlegs viewers struggling to sleep due to ‘horrific’ Nicolas Cage performance” and “Scariest film of the Decade!” (We’re not making these up! Google them!). It’s misleading hyperbole that may well backfire when casual viewers watch it. Nevertheless, it’s kind of refreshing that a whack-a-doo and uncompromising genre film like this has attracted such coverage. Also, when we saw it, it was a packed Saturday night audience with a pleasant buzz before and (essentially) after the movie. It’s been likened to a serial-killer police procedural scare-fest like Seven or Silence of the Lambs, but that doesn’t really capture the tone or intent of Perkin's quirky little frightener. It’s more like Silence of the Lambs and Hereditary had a baby together, and it turned out to be even weirder than anyone might think.  

 

Starting with the basics. Monsieur Cage. Clever marketing has avoided using him directly in the promotions and posters, with only startling glimpses of him in the trailers. Whilst his screen time adds up to about the same as Hannibal Lecter’s in Silence (i.e. not a huge amount), like that character, his presence runs through the core of the narrative. It’s a typically bonkers turn by the actor, hidden under prosthetics that make him look like a cross between the Joker and the lead ghoul from Carnival of Souls (1962). But most importantly, the portrayal fits perfectly with the overall weirdness of the film itself. In any other project, if Cage was literally singing threats to mothers or having a screaming fit whilst driving, it would stand out as being laughably over-the-top. Not here though. He tempers it nicely in some respects and the character comes off as otherworldly, if still decidedly dangerous in a literal sense.

 

As entertainingly eerie as Cage is, this is Monroe’s film just as much and arguably more so. It’s a really good performance by her as the socially awkward but effective agent. Potentially shown as being on the autistic spectrum, there’s real integrity and empathy to her character, which also provides a couple of moments of dark humour when she tries to be sociable. It’s a lovely, layered turn that should win her plaudits as well. Blair Underwood (as Harker’s boss) and Alicia Witt (as Harker’s mother) are also top-notch in two important supporting roles, as is Kiernan Shipka (Sabrina) in a chilling cameo where she too is almost unrecognisable as a past victim. So that’s the cast and that’s all well and good. But is it “scary”?

 

Putting the hype to one side and forgetting about simple jump-scares and boo!-shocks, Longlegs is absolutely creepy and effectively chilling. Like Perkin's previous films, there’s a blending of the mundane and the esoteric that is pretty much unique in its approach. There are evocative slow zooms and pans over standard suburban settings, that may or may not lead to plot advancement, accompanied by an atmospheric soundtrack. Perkins also frames some shots superbly, leading you to think that something nasty is going to happen in the background or behind characters, which is very often a red herring. But there are still some long takes that ramp up the tension and some incidental details that chill the bones (such as the rotting corpse on the bed). Whilst some of the plot swerves are a little predictable, that doesn’t spoil some acutely alarming sequences where characters are suddenly despatched and suchlike. We noticed at least three satisfying little gasps from the audience we saw it with. Is there any better way to enjoy a movie than with folks who “get” a film in that sense? Fist bump for the locals and the real moviegoers there.

 

In terms of content, the storyline does try to have its cake and eat it, with many devilish tropes lumped into the mix. Along with Zodiac style cyphers, there are exceedingly creepy dolls, intricate patterns to the killings, and subliminal glimpses of satanic shadows and glowing eyes. In fact, it feels like it could belong to the same cinematic universe as The Blackcoat’s Daughter, which features some similarly brief FX and a grim tone (as well as Shipka in another role), not that anybody would probably make that link. Instead, it’s the 90s so-called satanic panic that comes to mind, where many people in the USA believed all sorts of crazy shit regarding Old Nick and what his demonic chums were doing in schools and towns. Of course these days we have politicians and online conspiracy theorists to do that job for us. Anyhow, the stuff with the dolls (whilst being creepy) does feel like a step too far into the more obvious aspects of hoodoo and “Hail Satan!” shenanigans, and very “gimmicky” in these days of Annabelle and Me3gan. But we’ll let it slide given the overall quality of the narrative in general.

 

Signing off with the nitty gritty, Longlegs is definitely recommended. If you’re expecting a heart-pounding variation on the serial-killer formula or “Scariest movie ever!!”, this ain’t it. But what it is, however, is a fine and creepy variation on evil of a supernatural and human origin with many excellent qualities, With standout turns from Cage and Monroe and a splendidly evocative doomy atmosphere, this is definitely a weird cult movie that just might be a mainstream sleeper hit. Fans of Perkin’s previous work, as well as similar dread-laden affairs (such as It Follows and Hereditary), will find this very much to their taste. Just don’t believe everything you read in the papers. Go and see for yourself.