Longlegs (dir. Oz Perkins)

By: Adam Freed

In the midst of his 2022 self parody The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, a farcical Nicolas Cage, who plays himself as a down on his luck former star whose best days are clearly behind him, decides to retire from the rollercoaster ride of a Hollywood actor.  Thank goodness that late career Cage is nothing like the parody version of himself because the former superstar has hit an impressive late career stride boasting an array of smaller budget films that deviate from his action star status of the 90’s.  Intriguing choices such as Mandy (2018), Pig (2021), and the aforementioned The Unbearable Weight of Natural Talent (2022) have boldly seasoned Nicolas Cage’s late filmography. Adding to this undeniably diverse and provocative run is director Oz Perkins’ demonic and manically refreshing horror gem Longlegs.  The film, set in the Pacific Northwest during the mid 90’s, follows an FBI manhunt in pursuit of an elusive, yet memorable, serial killer.

Perkins, the son of Psycho (1960) star Anthony Perkins, reveals himself as horror royalty as he imbues his serial killer thrillride Longlegs with a tantalizing array of artistically provocative visual intrigue.  What is so captivating about the satanic story is how little audiences will know going into the viewing experience.  Within the film there seems to be worlds of information being withheld as the “Longlegs” FBI investigation unfolds.  Perkins’ genre entry is very much the cosmic offspring of The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007).  Both are sublime investigative procedurals that stretch and manipulate audiences to the point of eventually exposing raw nerve endings.  Although Longlegs is a far more quaint film, the investigative period piece has a unique way of rendering its audience defenseless as it peels back the layers of details to its sharply written story.

Longlegs validates itself on the backs of its two most crucial performances.  The first by Maika Monroe (It Follows) who plays young FBI agent Lee Harker, (think Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling) a gifted recruit with an uncanny premonition for solving puzzles and crimes.  Monroe’s performance is demonstrably understated, a quality that feels required in contrast to the titular maniac she pursues.  Despite being effectively limited in terms of screen time, Nicolas Cage’s performance as Longlegs belongs in the upper echelon of his impressive career.  Cage’s vocal work in conjunction with the masterful makeup artists that rendered the star’s appearance nearly unrecognizable, amount to a truly memorable and haunting horror antagonist.  With his 1990’s box office dominance long in the rearview, Nicolas Cage’s modern run of films are what contemporary audiences will most likely summon to memory at mention of the gifted actor’s name. To that end, Longlegs is an entry that will be fondly and frighteningly remembered for a long time.   

Target Score: 8/10  Massive credit to director Oz Perkins whose horror revelation Longlegs was achieved on a budget south of $10 million dollars.  Featuring a gripping FBI investigation in pursuit of a serial killer and one of the more memorable horror antagonists in years, Longlegs is sure to have a demonically delightful theatrical run.