Christian Cortave’s review published on Letterboxd:
Longlegs is one of the best films of the year & as of now, my favorite in the horror genre this year. The marketing that has been talked about has been nothing short of exceptional. You got these cryptic teasers, awesome posters, & trailers that didn’t give away that much information. I especially loved the latter aspect because nowadays, some trailers give away too much. I would like to have an idea of what to expect, just don’t show a ton. Loved seeing all of those unfold & it increased my interest! The same applies to other moviegoers & it shows because it appears Longlegs will be a hit due to the hype. This was an amazing, unsettling, visceral horror thriller in which the comparisons to Silence of the Lambs are earned. However, I also saw shades of Se7en & Cure as we follow this FBI agent trying to track down an occultist serial killer & put an end to his killing spree. Loved the direction, cinematography & score the most as those were very effective for me. Also gotta mention the bleak atmosphere it had & the aspect ratio changes were welcomed because it’s always cool whenever a film does this. It didn’t scare me to an extent, but it did leave me unsettled.
Maika Monroe, one of the best scream queens of the 2010s was exceptional as FBI agent Lee Harker. Her performance is up there with It Follows, Watcher & The Guest as some of her best & there’s a reason why she’s beloved in the film horror community. Harker was a fascinating character. You wanted her to put an end to Longlegs’ serial killing ways & I loved that she was so fearless because stuff like this can get very heavy for some. She was determined to finish this case & I also loved Harker’s fashion. Her chemistry with her boss, Agent Carter, played by Blair Underwood was cool. They got along very well & the majority of the banter/conversations they had were great. Alicia Witt played Harker’s mother & once we’re at the halfway point, her character becomes a lot more interesting, just wait. The one and only Nicolas Cage played Longlegs, the serial killer & he was unforgettable/unsettling. He creeped me out with his appearance & I gotta admit, the way people were hyping his serial killer look, especially that one video of Maika’s heartbeat rising, I was expecting something much crazier. Don’t get me wrong, Nic Cage looked insane/somewhat unrecognizable but maybe it was for the best to not make him crazier than what we got because it would’ve been nightmare fuel. I thought it was a genius move to keep him hidden in the marketing, we only got to hear his voice in the trailers. That decision paid off dividends because it made us want to see how crazy Longlegs looked as we were watching. We also get a cool Nic Cage freak out scene which was a sight to behold. I’ve already seen mutuals say you won’t look at Nic Cage the same again & I have to agree because he’s terrifying as Longlegs.
Longlegs is easily Oz Perkins’ best film to date & I’m glad to have finally loved one of his works. I thought The Blackcoat's Daughter was fine, it didn’t do much for me but there are some aspects to admire. Perkins’ last film Gretel & Hansel, on the other hand, wasn’t for me because I was bored. It’s a beautiful-looking film but the pacing was brutally slow for me. Longlegs was finally the one that I loved as I was riveted from start to finish. I’m excited for The Monkey which is already coming out next February. I do hope I love that one as well. Longlegs ended up being the best horror film of July as well! I thought it was going to be MaXXXine but unfortunately that didn’t happen.
