Peter Charney’s review published on Letterboxd:
Longlegs loses credibility by initially presenting itself as a procedural, serial killer mystery thriller, only to unexpectedly shift into a well-worn horror sub-genre. While the former derives its horror from recognizable reality and plausibility, the latter becomes plausible only as it drifts further away from reality and into a more heightened mode of storytelling. The inherent conflict between these two sets of tonal and stylistic conventions is intriguing in theory but results in a film with a slight identity crisis. Though it attempts to balance both, Longlegs ultimately abandons much of the plot setup—discovered clues and solved puzzles are hardly built upon—leading to narrative uncertainty and a sense of emotional distance for the viewer, making it difficult to fully engage with the reality of this world.
Despite this, the direction is seeping with atmosphere, even if Perkins' meticulous construction doesn’t always feel motivated by the narrative. The less-is-more approach to Nic Cage’s portrayal of a satanist killer is particularly effective at getting under one’s skin, even if he resembles the ghost of Jacob Marley’s from “A Christmas Carol.” Personally, I typically don’t vibe with many of the sub-genres Longlegs utilizes, but I see how others might be satisfied by its mood enough to forgive some of its narrative shortcomings.
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