While many horror movies these days depend on jump scares and unimaginative storylines, deeply unsettling, atmospheric thrillers are a rarity. Longlegs, directed by Osgood “Oz” Perkins, well known for his work in psychological horror, is one of that sort. His latest feature stars Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage in a film that blends true crime with occult horror. With its haunting undertones, cryptic symbolism, and escalating tension, the movie offers a modern take on trauma, madness, and inherited evil.
Plot Summary
In the sepulchral setting of Oregon in the 90s, Longlegs follows Lee Harker, a promising young FBI agent whose dispassionate approach conceals a dormant psychic gift. Harker gets assigned to the case of a family annihilator who, for reasons unknown, maddeningly takes to suicide after brutally killing his wife and children. The annalist of these unending ‘murders followed by suicides’ shares a common demonic mark: Satanic symbols etched in cryptic fashion, signed correspondences of ‘Longlegs’, and chilling dates outlined in a terrifying pattern. And even more haunting is the fact that every single one of these victims is a nine-year-old girl.
As Harker goes deeper into the case, she uncovers the murders are linked by a calendar with markings in the shape of a triangle. These rituals are bound by an occult structure. With every step towards the truth, it encroaches upon her life. Ruth, Harker’s mother, was a fiercely religious and cold woman, and surely knows more than she was saying. Increasingly bizarre memories are beginning to emerge, like the existence of a pale-faced gentleman in her girlhood and a vanished Polaroid photograph.
In following the investigation, Harker gets to Carrie Anne, a profoundly traumatized woman who is the only witness of Longlegs, and things get darker, more personal. After gathering evidence and decoding the clues he was certain were put there for him; Harker comes to the unnerving realization that Longlegs, or Dale Kobble, was always in her life. Even more unsettling was the likelihood that her mother had some sort of sinister hand in the cult activities.
What transpires is a terrible breakdown of identity, memory, and fate in HarkerÕs resolution of her childhood and the influence of Longlegs, who had been much more diabolical than a mere assassin. In the end, the film resolves in shocking violence and revelations as Harker, racing against time, attempts to save another young girl who is in danger of becoming the last sacrifice in a diabolic ritual orchestrated by none other than her family.
Themes and Style
Hovel is multifaceted, encompassing generational trauma and the essence of evil; memory manipulation and zealotry. This is not a swift horror film and while it is slow, as unlike a fast-paced horror movie, it allows the viewer to build tension. A significant portion of the fear derives not from what is depicted, but from what is implied. Using silence, ruinous lighting, disordered camera angles, and vivid dread, the film embraces discomfort. The film offers no answers, instead, ushering the audience into a psychological maze where distinctions between veracity and delirium intermingle.
Longlegs, the title character, is more an embodiment than a conventional antagonist. He manifests as a phantasmal figure – part serial killer, part cult leader, and part vessel for a demon. Nicolas Cage’s performance is delightfully outrageous, embodyed and losing himself em heros and maniacs. He enchants as much as he disturbs; every moment is highly unpredictable.
Performances
Long associated with the genre for her breakout role in It Follows, Maika Monroe delivered a stellar performance as Agent Lee Harker. She expertly navigated her character’s psychological tension, portraying a woman on the verge of complete emotional collapse while skillfully masking the trauma within, showcasing a resolve to seek the truth, even when it shatters her reality. Monroe rounds out the role with sensitivity and emotional nuance despite the character’s stoicism.
Nicolas Cage, as Longlegs/Dale Kobble, is horrifyingly convincing. He is memorable despite appearing in so few scenes. With unsettling voice modulation and a sibilant manner, Cage makes use of pale makeup to create a mythic figure, rendering him utterly unhinged. He is not a person, but an idea: a demon wearing human flesh.
Alongside Witt, Blair Underwood as Agent William Carter, and Alicia Witt as Ruth, the supporting cast enhances the film’s impact. Witt’s performance is exceptional as the surbear fanatical mother whose spine-chilling temperament overwhelms her daughter’s life.
Direction and Atmosphre
Longlegs is crafted by director Oz Perkins, who had a specific idea in mind. He favors suggestion, feeling, and themes over clarity which makes for a more complicated yet interesting film. The cinematography often borders on the austere and understated, drawing from a muted color palette and lowered lighting to create discomfort. Other elements of the film are equally important — whispers, distorted voices, and witty silence create a tense soundscape.
The structure of the film parallels its subject matter; non-linear, fragmented, and distortion rich. Time and space is deliberately imprecise in relation to Harker’s own unreliable grasp of her past. Much like The Shining and Rosemary’s Baby, classic psychological horror films, Longleggs is unconcerned with the plot, instead focusing on psychological deconstruction.
Reception
Longlegs quickly earned a cult following his horror fanatics and critics upon its release. Although the abstract nature and slow pacing did not earn it universal acclaim, the originality, performances, and depth of themes were appreciated. Many regarded it as the most disturbing and artistically bold horror film of the past few years.
Considerable analysis and discussion have also been sparked by the film, particularly regarding the ambiguous ending and underlying metaphysical elements. The interpretation that some consider a metaphorical depiction of inherited evil and trauma stands in contrast to those who believe it critiques the dangers of blind faith and memory erasure.
Conclusion
Longlegs is not a film for everyone. It’s very dark, unsettling, and incredibly demanding. But for those who seek horror that takes a deep dive beneath the skin and cleaves to the psyche, it is a flawless plummet into madness. The richly haunting visuals, unsettling themes, along with Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage’s unforgettable performances solidify this film as a shining gem in the realm of modern psychological horror.
Unlike many films which are driven by predictability and attractive spectacles, Longlegs stands out by being profoundly unsettling and quiet. This film doesn’t just scare — it captures you, crawling underneath your skin and haunting you long after the credits roll.
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