Longlegs(2024)(Review) - Gruesome Gazette

Director Oz Perkins has given us some rather chilling, artistic pictures over the past decade. From ‘I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House,’ to ‘The Blackcoat’s Daughter’ & ‘Gretel & Hansel’, he has a recognizable flavor of genre that puts the atmosphere and cinematography first. His newest piece, ‘Longlegs’ has taken over social media and journalism sites due to it’s intense and effective marketing campaign. A positive word of mouth after the festival run also solidified it as the most talk about horror movie of the month – if not the year.

But what is it all about? And does it live up to the hype? Let’s dive in (spoiler-free, of course).

‘Longlegs’ tells the story of eccentric FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) who is put onto the long-gestating case of mysterious serial killer known as Longlegs (an unrecognizable Nicolas Cage). The evidence presented at the home of the targeted families is cryptic and violent, leading to a labyrinthian investigation. All we mostly find besides entire dead families, are cryptic notes with incoherent phrases and strange symbols.

It plays out as an homage to noir-thrillers of the late 90s/early 00s such as ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ or ‘Se7en’, but it firmly establishes itself as something that isn’t concerned with trying to be comparable or one-upping those films. Instead, we get a well thought-out investigation film that goes into mysterious, blood-curdling, occult territory.

I loved this movie. It has some very haunting images, a brooding musical score, and some incredible sound design, editing, and acting choices. However, I once again am choosing a fight with outlets such as BloodyDisgusting. Much like ‘The Outwaters’, or even this year’s ‘In A Violent Nature’, their publicity on this film is painting the wrong picture before people get to see it.

Let me try to make this clear: this is not the scariest movie of the year, but it is one of the most terrifying. It’s a very slow, moody piece that lulls you into its universe – making you feel like an alien witnessing a story of mystery and insanity. It has a few jump scares, but nothing like mainstream films. The movie is much more concerned with giving you a deeply unsettling experience, rather than making you scream. It’s being advertised as the latter, which is the problem I’m seeing with most people reviewing this film.
Again: This is not a scary movie. It’s literal nightmare fuel.

When you take away expectations and just absorb the art as it presents itself, what you walk away with is a story that haunts you in subconscious ways and sticks with you as you go home to continue your life. It does contain some upsetting, moan-inducing imagery & sounds, but it’s not trying to make a sadistic clown jump out at you with big teeth, or have a masked murderer standing behind you in the mirror. No, this movie almost plays itself in a humorous way – but pitch black humor that doesn’t really translate as comedic. Moments of elevation such as Agent Harker’s heavy breathing everytime she draws her weapon, or Longlegs’ speeches that go into Charles Manson-esque territory, are a pretzel-twist of intensity, laughs, and ferocity.

I haven’t stopped thinking about this film since I saw it, and I really want to see it again to scrape away even more layers. Ignore the critics – both those praising it and those shitting on it – and try it for yourself.

4.5/5
“Longlegs” is currently playing in limited theaters.

‘Til Next Time,
Mike Cleopatra