Longlegs

There's a scene in Longlegs - displayed in the poster to the left that has stuck with me for days. Reminiscent of the Joker and Batman in The Dark Knight, both in purpose, but also staying power. One where the hunter meets the hunted, but ends up feeling like it's the other way around. 

I've not had time to get to my review as quickly as I normally do after a packed Thursday night screening of Osgood Perkins' new horror film, but in a way that often provides me more clarity. I'm a bit surprised Longlegs isn't a more divisive film. It can feel slow at times, has an odd sense of humor, and doesn't answer all of its mysteries. 

I wouldn't fault someone for being a tad frustrated by it or thinking it was at times laughable. 

But I also think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't feel as if Longlegs burrowed into them at some point. Creeped its way into their psyche and stayed there for days, weeks, perhaps the majority of the year. 

Personally, I really liked Longlegs leaving the theater, and days onward, I freaking loved it. It's a lean 101 minutes which earns it a ton of points, while merging many elements of horror, psychological horror, and serial killer investigations. It can feel like Zodiac meets [insert A24 horror movie here]. 

Immediately worth praising are the core performances that drive our film. We spend the majority of the time with FBI Agent Lee Harker, played nervously and awkwardly by Maika Monroe in what is subtly one of the best performances of the year thus far. This feels like a truly anxious character who has unique nuances, behaviors, and ticks. She has a strong grasp on effective horror performances, and it just so happens she was also a key part of one of my favorite horror films ever, It Follows. Next is Blair Underwood as Agent Carter, who plays the most straight-laced of our group, which is needed to provide some semblance of normalcy throughout. Finally, you have Nic Cage as the titular villain, Longlegs. To say that Nic Cage is unnerving in this role would be an understatement, and while I've seen those that claim his "Nic Cage-ness" takes them out of the film, I found Longlegs to be a supremely creepy villain - characteristics, prosthetics, high pitched voice, singing, and all. The movie hides him for a while, to well-earned effect, and in a storied career, this character leapfrogs up the list to being one of Cage's best and most memorable, even if the screentime is limited. 

"These webdings are so confusing!"

Osgood Perkins direction is spot on as well. The aforementioned pacing and editing are incredible at the short runtime, but it never feels rushed. There's a sense of dread and unnerving unease captured via the cinematography, dreary color palette, and haunting music. The story may not put a nice of a bow on everything as it thinks it does, but oddly, there's something endearing about that days after seeing it. It asks for a rewatch, but also leaves mystery open about what was truly afoot (no spoilers). The lack of answers are not holistic...we do get several conclusions and reveals...so this is a minor complaint.

Longlegs is one of the better films of the year, and one that has likely wormed its way into my memory enough that I'd expect it to make a splash on end-of-year lists. It may frustrate some and I'd not be surprised to hear that it's more divisive than early hype has let on. But I've come to find that I love me some well-made, creepy horror and Longlegs delivers that from first frame to last. 

Rapid Rath's Review Score | 9/10