Warning: this article contains spoilers for the movie Longlegs (2024)
Because we live in the age of streaming, and being able to access movies has never been easier, I rarely go to the movie theater to watch new releases. However, the marketing for Longlegs caught my attention immediately, with the cryptic billboards that had hidden messages showing up in major cities and the teasers on social media about the appearance of the titular villain, played by Nicholas Cage. After I watched the trailer and found out when the opening night was, I texted my friends and made plans to go see it. I knew that this was a movie I wanted to see so badly that I wouldn’t be able to wait for it to hit streaming platforms.Â
While I absolutely love horror movies, I’m very easily startled, which can create some awkward scenarios when you’re holding a bucket of popcorn and surrounded by people in a dark movie theater. The opening scene was expertly done in terms of jump scares, and my friends were barely able to conceal their snickers as I nearly leaped out of my skin multiple times. I was completely immersed in the world of Longlegs, with the foggy aura of 1970s Oregon reminding me of the rainy fall weather in the Pacific Northwest. I always appreciate a good atmosphere in movies, and everything from the color palette to the soundtrack made it the perfect ambiance for the horrors we were about to witness on screen.Â
The main character, a troubled FBI agent named Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), was an instant standout. She had an understated performance that emphasized both the strength and vulnerability of her character. She was detached, but still adorably awkward enough to make audiences feel close to her. My favorite characters to watch are brave, competent female heroines who are still learning about themselves and are deeply flawed. Her dynamic with Longlegs was also extremely fun to watch, as Cage’s over-the-top performance perfectly portrays the erratic villain. The audience wasn’t sure if they should laugh or scream wherever he delivered his lines.Â
Despite my love for the film, there were a few moments where it felt like the plot went astray. I feel like this movie could have been stronger if it had stayed a detective thriller rather than devolving into a paranormal investigation featuring demonic dolls and the influence of the devil himself. It feels a bit like lazy writing when horror movies use the devil as the ultimate villain, as I think the most effective horror comes from humans who aren’t under the influence of the supernatural. This isn’t to say that the movie lacked social commentary; Lee Harker’s lapses in memory from her childhood and her psychic abilities are similar to how trauma manifests for abuse survivors. The movie also touches on the importance of family, and the lengths that a mother would go to protect her daughter.Â
The first half of the movie was extremely reminiscent of The Silence of the Lambs, and while the writers may have been trying to avoid comparisons by devolving the plot into supernatural affairs, I believe the movie would have been stronger without them. The mystery would have been more expertly unraveled if they had continued with the plot of Lee slowly finding out more and more about Longlegs, instead of killing him off quickly and Lee having to hunt down the turbulent force of the devil himself.Â
Despite the movie’s flaws, I believe that it’s well worth the watch. Many horror movies have simply been repeating the same tropes time and time again, and this was a film that had something new to offer. I often find it difficult to care about the characters in films of this genre as well, as more of the attention is focused on making the movie as shockingly scary as possible than creating characters audiences can relate to. For Longlegs, the attention to detail in terms of creating atmosphere and character development was well worth the effort.Â