By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
The appearance of Nicolas Cage in the titular role alone is enough to make the audience shake in their boots. “Longlegs” is a horror film that glues viewers to their seats from the opening scene and does not ease up on the terrifying tension. The story is riveting, creative, and twisted with outstanding performances from the leads with a “Silence of the Lambs” vibe to it.
A series of grisly murders in the Pacific Northwest all appear to be murder-suicides perpetrated by the patriarchs of the victim’s families. However, a note of indecipherable symbols is found at each crime scene and is signed by Longlegs (Nicolas Cage), leading investigators to believe this is an act of a sinister serial killer. A new FBI recruit, Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), seems to have a heightened sixth sense when it comes to tracking this evil murderer.
Agent Harker is teamed up with Agent Carter (Blair Underwood) to solve this strange mystery. Things take a turn when she deciphers the clues, leading the investigation to the occult and a personal connection. Facing off against Longlegs is challenging enough, but facing her past as well may prove to be too much for the gifted agent.
Oz Perkins, who wrote and directed this sadistically entertaining story, happens to be the son of Anthony Perkins, who was best known for playing Norman Bates in Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” Like Hitchcock did with that infamous film, Oz fashions this serial killer movie into more of a horror flick than a crime thriller. Despite the gruesome images Perkins does not hesitate to show, he stays away from turning this into a slasher flick, instead crafting an intelligently driven plot with surprising twists and turns that will leave the audience spinning.
Keeping Nicolas Cage’s appearance hidden from posters, trailers, and various other marketing materials was another stroke of genius by Oz Perkins. This allows viewers to feel shock and revulsion when first seeing him, which heightens the level of fear. He even keeps his visage concealed from the lead actress, Maika Monroe, until they film a scene together, making for a very honest horrified reaction when seeing him for the first time. His ingenuity extends to the cinematography with different camera angles and viewpoints that capture the horror quite well. Like when the camera is facing Maika Monroe as she enters a building to pursue the antagonist, the fear she exhibits is palpable. This is all nicely complimented by a creepy score that further ratchets up the tension.
“Longlegs” is blessed with not one but two dynamic performances. Maika Monroe has proven she can shoulder the weight of being the lead actress in a horror film, having successfully done so previously with 2014’s “It Follows.” In this production, she fashions a multi-faceted character who is a naturally gifted FBI agent but extremely awkward in social situations. The intensity she brings to the role immediately invests the audience in her character. When Maika opens her eyes wide in fear while trembling and breathing rapidly, it produces genuine terror that intensifies those suspenseful scenes.
Nicolas Cage is completely unrecognizable as the devilish serial killer with long spindly lightly colored hair and pasty white complexion that will raise the hairs on the back of viewers’ necks. His sickening appearance is accentuated by his over-the-top performance, which is a good thing in this instance. He uses a higher pitched tone of voice with manic movements and speech that make his character creepily unpredictable.
Unrelenting, adrenaline pumping terror propelled by stellar performances make this horror film a must-see. “Longlegs” stands alone in a genre teeming with mediocrity or worse. Similar to the incredible TV show, “Hannibal,” this movie is a cerebral intoxication that will sucker punch you with its visceral images and leave you dwelling in fear long after the credits roll. Be warned, this is not for the faint of heart, but if you’re looking for that film to get your heart racing, then this is the one for you.
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