Jesse Snoddon’s review published on Letterboxd:
"Prayers won't do a goddamn thing"
FBI agent Lee Harker's (Maika Monroe) investigation of Longlegs (Nicolas Cage), a man who somehow murders families without ever actually setting foot in their homes, reopens old wounds when the case turns out to have a direct link to her past.
Longlegs is one of those movies that falls into the category of a "real cinematic experience". It's all about the mood, atmosphere and style. The aspect ratio shifts are really cool. The segments that take place in the past give the feeling of a twisted slideshow of an old family vacation. There's a near constant feeling of menace. As though something threatening lurks just outside the periphery of the frame, barely eluding understanding. Zilgi's score is oppressive. It smothers and ratchets up a sense of nightmarish energy and inescapable danger. The near constant buzzing of lights and hissing, crackling static of phone lines only adds further unease.
Longlegs is a wild ride filled with some really cool imagery and a bonkers third act. It's also a funnier movie than it's getting credit for. Cage's performance and character is nearly impossible to take seriously (it's like a bizarre combination of Gary Busey and Jimmy Fallon's Barry Gibb). The teenage cashier's disdainful, eye rolling reaction to Longlegs and the revelation that the happy birthday video is 24 minutes long is particularly hilarious stuff.
Longlegs feels unique enough to recommend, especially if you're in the mood to immerse yourself in a tense atmosphere for a while.
[Final thought - Alicia Witt is also very good as Lee Harker's mother]
