by Foster Harlfinger, Contributing Writer
Should the marketing for Longlegs be believed, you’ll hardly be able to sleep again without seeing the face of Nicolas Cage’s titular killer in your dreams. Neon Studios delivered an all-timer campaign in the lead-up to the film’s release. Billboards with nothing but a mysterious phone number (call at your own risk), a low-res website dedicated to cataloging the so-called Birthday Murders, and a series of password-protected downloadable files requiring fans to uncover the ciphers through an alternate reality game. One of the film’s primary teasers boasts of its lead star Maika Monroe’s first scene filmed with the Oregon-based, Satan-worshiping serial killer: “Maika’s resting heart rate is 76 BPM. In this scene, it hit 170 BPM.”
Perhaps the social media hype for Longlegs sets expectations too high for what is essentially an arthouse riff on The Silence of the Lambs, as writer-director Osgood Perkins himself admits. The back half of the film differs from what one would expect from a “serial killer movie,” and the promotional materials admittedly advertise a film that is a more straightforward horror/thriller than its final product. Even so, Perkins consistently manages to both lean into and subvert genre tropes in a way that feels wholly unique. Divorced from all expectations, Longlegs provides a terrifying look at a grisly series of murders which prove to be far deeper and more complex than first meets the eye.
The film follows FBI Agent Lee Harker (Monroe) as she investigates the as-yet unsolved Longlegs killings that have haunted the state of Oregon for decades. The further Agent Harker delves into the upsetting world of the occultist serial killer, the more sinister the intent behind the murders is revealed to be, with increasingly overt references to “the man downstairs.”
Even beyond the surface-level excitement of a modern serial killer film in the vein of Se7en or Zodiac, Perkins uses his film as a means of exploring the pathetic nature of such villains, in stark contrast to the sensationalized Hollywood notion that has taken shape since Psycho — starring Perkins’ own father — first popularized the genre over 60 years ago.
Longlegs certainly succeeds as nightmare-inducing genre fare, but the film likewise acts as an unexpected yet intriguing exploration of parenthood. Perkins hoped to examine the “protective lies” that parents tell children as a means of curating a sense of normalcy. Without condemning the character of parents who construct such “truths” for their children, the film acts as a cautionary tale, effectively confronting the childhood trauma conversation in a way that offers a more specific perspective than your average “horror as a metaphor for trauma” movie of the last 10 years.
Amidst all the fear and dread Perkins manages to squeeze out of every unbearably tense moment, Longlegs features one of the most truly unhinged performances from Cage — quite an accomplishment for those familiar with his body of work. The sense of terror generated by Cage’s pale-faced, long-haired omen of death is never higher than the film’s brilliant opening scene, which would be enough to make the hair of the toughest moviegoers stand straight for days. As the film progresses, so too does the audience’s understanding of Longlegs and his plight, though this is where opinions on the effectiveness of the film’s horror will invariably differ.
Cage has never given anything less than his all to a role. The man dives headfirst into every character he plays, consistently baring his soul on the screen without a hint of embarrassment. His unicorn-like approach to his craft results in more high-profile creative swings than any other actor or filmmaker in the industry. Sometimes this will get you a nuanced portrait of a grieving man searching for his kidnapped pig, but other times you’ll find yourself with a meme-worthy depiction of what it’s like to be tortured by a swarm of bees. Is Cage’s performance as Longlegs over-the-top? Absolutely. But does it work?
Here is where audience mindset and expectations will have an outsized impact on the person-to-person experience of the film. Should you enter the film with an attitude of skepticism, ready to laugh at yet another bonkers Cage performance, then Longlegs may not feel scary at all. However, should you take the world of the film for what it is and allow the world Perkins has constructed — Cage and all — to wash over you, Longlegs contains the most tense and uncomfortable filmmaking of the whole year.
Rating: Loved It
Longlegs is currently playing in theaters
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