RepoJack’s review published on Letterboxd:
"Cuckoo!"
The buzz, for once, was right. The wait was worth it. And I'm so glad I plopped $24.95 to buy this baby, as I've already rewatched it twice in the last 24 hours, with intermissions to sleep and watch actor interviews and spoiler discussions. The last time I got so invested in a movie was The Lighthouse. Oz Perkins, son of Anthony Perkins, has just entered the hallowed space of modern-day horror auteurs, a space currently occupied by Robert Eggers, Ari Aster, Brandon Cronenberg, and, if I'm being nice, Jordan Peele.
I was hyped and nervous putting this on. I've had mixed feelings about Perkins' previous movies, finding them visually sumptuous but dull and lacking story and substance (I surprisingly enjoyed a recent rewatch of The Blackcoat's Daughter but despised I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House ).
Longlegs was a masterclass in horror. Everything clicked for me in this FBI procedural that embraces 100 other horror subgenres (occult, possession, dolls, home invasion, Christian horror, and others).
The marketing campaign was brilliant, but that doens't mean the movie necessarily would be. The Blair Wtich Project had a great viral marketing effort, but the movie was so-so. Here, the high bar translated directly to the movie, weaving the creepy mythology, secret codes, and crime scene photos deftly between the marketing and the movie.
The two things that made this work were the story and the acting.
Perkins returns to the writer's desk years after penning a fantastic original story in The Blackcoat's Daughter. The Longlegs script feels like it's been percolating for years with multiple edits and reviews. It's well-written, comprehensive, fascinating, and a masterclass in weaving a complex genre mashup. This could've easily been written off as a ripoff of SIlence of the Lambs , but its much more.
The acting is out of this world.
Maika Monroe has wowed me since I first saw her in The Guest. She showcases her regal poise and vulnerable empathy in every movie she's in, and thankfully, most of those movies are horror. Here, she starts as an awkward Clarice who is uncomfortable in social situations. There's a reason for that, as her character Lee starts realizing that somehow she has a connection to the case she's investigating. Her emotions and demeanor become more diverse as she slowly figures out what's happening. My only complaint is that she follows the heels of many a favorite actress of mine by starving herself to emaciation, robbing her of her natural radiance. Maybe it's just for this role, but seriously, what is up with this, Hollywood? A great interview with her here.
But Nicolas Cage brings it in a fantastic role, my favorite since Mandy. I was apprehensive when I heard he was the villain. I imagined him as a recognizable Cage doing some wackadoodle serial killer. But that's not the case. His face is buried in prosthetics and makeup, and his sing-song voice is creepy AF. As a producer, he likely greatly influenced how he would be portrayed. A recent AP interview showed me a side of Cage I hadn't seen before. The dude is a decorated veteran actor, and he's practicing his looks in a mirror or on his iPhone camera. He says his mother inspired his voice. That sounds goofy, but his voice is anything but goofy.
The visuals and camera work are also top-notch. The framing of some of the shots was fantastic. I will need my DP expert, Tim Daughtery, to review this. I just know that many shots stood out to me as outstanding. One video discussion called the cinematography "nostalgic ambiance," and that works for me.
I can't wait until y'all have watched this because I very much want to get into a spoiler discussion. God I hope there's a sequel.
Hail Satan.
