With its ingenious marketing campaign, I found it nearly impossible to remove the hype about Longlegs from my mind whilst watching it. Having been dubbed the next The Silence of the Lambs by some, that comparison lingered in my mind as I anticipated a deeply disturbing, cerebral horror experience. But does Longlegs live up to its promises?
Longlegs reaches for an ambitious blend of crime thriller and supernatural horror – a genre hybrid that, whilst having met success before, remains as risky as it is ambitious. For me, however, it fell flat as the film progressed. The first two acts set up an extremely promising foundation, drawing you into a world where the realistic investigation of a crime slowly intersects with the otherworldly. However, as the narrative unfolds, it becomes evident that this intersection is more precarious than it initially seems. I felt that the supernatural elements, instead of enhancing the story, felt heavy-handed, banal and even predictable at times, thus eroding the tension.
One scene in particular highlights this issue, despite being one of my favourites: Longlegs, played by Nicholas Cage, delivers an encoded letter for detective Lee Harker, Maika Monroe. Similarly to the first two acts, the pacing and unnerving atmosphere maintained in this scene are impeccable – it is clear how well Osgood Perkins and cinematographer Andres Arochi work together to visually bewitch audiences throughout.
I was kept on edge, constantly conscious of the backdrop and what felt like the looming presence of Longlegs even in his absence. It was at this point I became aware of how hypnotising the film was and how quickly I adopted an analysing eye for every shadow and subtle movement in Harker’s surroundings. But, just as the scene seems equipped to deliver something truly sinister, it falters. The exposure of the ‘666’ symbolism in Longlegs’ letter had me rolling my eyes, as one of the most compelling scenes in the film had lost impact with such a clichéd motif.
Another aspect of the film that drew me in was the influence of David Lynch’s work, particularly the use of the uncanny to defamiliarise the quaint and mundane, though achieved in Perkins’ film once again by the brilliant cinematography, rather than the quality of the narrative. However, where Lynch’s possession of negative capability allows for his work to revel in its ambiguity, Perkins seems to rush towards providing answers in the film’s third act, in which I felt the exposition dump undid a lot of the horror.
As the film progresses, the procedural elements, alongside the consistency of ambiguity, are swiftly discarded to pave the way for a sole focus on the clichéd supernatural aspects, including suspicions of a satanic cult and mysterious mind-controlling dolls. Alongside this, I felt the pacing of the third act stumbled as the drastic shift in tone, from mysterious to overly explanatory, didn’t quite work. It felt as if Perkins was attempting to pander to both those who enjoy a concrete resolution alongside those who appreciate lingering questions. The result is a compromised ending because of this attempt to perform for two vastly different tastes which, for me, ultimately failed.
The character development, or rather the lack thereof, is another of the film’s disappointments, particularly Longlegs’ character. The build-up of paranoia and anxiety in the first two acts is fantastic, with Longlegs’ presence, or, more accurately, his absence, casting an ominous shadow over almost every scene. This looming sense of dread, fuelled by the unknown, did more to unsettle me than any explicit display of horror could.
However, when Longlegs finally appeared as a tangible character, I felt he failed to live up to the terror his absence had raised. A more in-depth exploration of his character and psyche, beyond the superficial satanic aspect, could have added layers to the narrative and accentuated the fear factor that had been so effectively conjured up at the beginning of the film. The reliance on satanism as an all-around explanation for his motives and actions felt like a cop-out to me, stripping away any potential psychological complexity.
This reduction to a clichéd, devilish villain undermined not only the impact of Cage’s striking performance but also parts of the narrative’s depth. The film seems to stray away from exploring the more human and psychologically twisted motivations of the titular character, instead leaving his rationale feeling detached and almost less appalling because they are attributed to a broader, practically impersonal evil – Satanism. Ultimately, Longlegs becomes a far less terrifying figure the moment he fully manifests on screen, which is a testament to both the strengths of the film’s early acts and the disappointment of its last one.
Despite my disappointment with the narrative and character development of Longlegs, partially a result of the lofty expectations set by its marketing, the film still holds significant merits. Longlegs is a feast for the eyes. Its cinematography is stunning, with every frame meticulously composed to maintain the uncomfortably hypnotic atmosphere. This ranges from the 4:3 claustrophobic flashbacks, to the ultra-wide shots which force viewers to inspect the empty doorways and vacant spaces occupying the backdrop. The use of such wide shots allows for Perkins’ style to shine through, expertly utilising negative space creating a distinctively haunting experience. The success of creating such a sinister ambience without the excessive use of jump scares must be appreciated, something that few modern horrors manage to achieve.
For some, Longlegs may very well be the scariest film of 2024, particularly for those who appreciate a more surreal, dreamlike approach to horror. Whilst I do feel as if the narrative flaws and reliance on clichéd tropes prevented the film from living up to its full potential, I did find myself genuinely captivated at multiple points throughout. Despite its handful of shortcomings, Longlegs remains a memorable and entertaining experience, one that I believe will resonate differently with each viewer.
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