Longlegs – Review

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 41 minutes, Director – Osgood Perkins

FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is assigned to a serial killer case where the only evidence of the killer’s presence are the coded letters they leave behind.

It’s been a long time since a film has got under my skin in the way Longlegs did. Much of it comes down to the twisted threat which Nicolas Cage’s titular serial killer hangs over the proceedings, despite only being on screen for less than five minutes. The question as to whether he’s real or not is quickly put to rest, there’s no ambiguity about the pale-faced killer who may be watching at any moment.

Writer-director Osgood Perkins’ camera follows Maika Monroe’s (once again proving herself to be one of the best horror actors currently working) FBI Agent Lee Harker as she’s put on the Longlegs case. Frequently placed in the centre of the frame, even close-ups leave plenty of space on either side as if anyone could jump out from any direction. The off-kilter camerawork constantly brings a sense of unease as Lee deciphers the coded letters left by Longlegs at each crime scene, the only sign that someone else aside from the murdered families was present.

The suspense is truly ramped up after Longlegs visits Lee with a letter just for her. Barely seen and largely creeping in the shadows when we do actually briefly glimpse the character Cage’s unhinged performance matches the pale prosthetics which make him unrecognisable. Perkins frequently gets shots which make the killer look like a monster revelling in their actions. Anger and twisted joy working together, playing on Lee’s mind as she may have further connections to the killer.

While things lead to a likely divisive set of events in the third act, especially the way in which things are revealed and explained, the creepiness of the threat at hand remains truly unsettling. The final shot of the film left me on edge throughout the credits and has sprung back to mind a number of times since viewing the film.

Much of that effect coming from the way the film moves along as a whole. Developments in the investigation are consistently spaced out with just as much dramatic impact coming from torch beams gliding around a barn in the middle of the night as there is from the discovery of a key item under the boards. Intrigue melds with the tension to propel things forward with a good deal of pace while still maintaining an even balance of slow-burn styling.

What could so easily be played as a thriller has so much unease at its centre, thanks to the force of unseen threat permeating into each scene, to successfully turn it into an undoubted horror. One which you can feel crawling up your skin as it plays out without diving into masses of bloodshed and gore.  All down to the threat which you can see and feel hanging over Maika Monroe’s excellent central performance. One which we barely glimpse but can almost hear screaming or speaking in broken, song-like tone throughout.

Suspense runs throughout Longlegs, largely from the terrifying force of Nicolas Cage’s rarely glimpsed performance, propelled by Maika Monroe’s excellent central turn. Definitely gets under your skin throughout its well-paced slow-burn narrative, and continues to wriggle long after the credits.