Scott R’s review published on Letterboxd:
Longlegs has been seriously hyped up in film circles this summer. And while I personally really enjoyed the movie, I’m sort of in the camp of thinking this it’s solid but not god’s (or the devil’s 😈) gift to horror cinema (again).
Best thing about this is the cinematic language on full display here. The block and framing creates palpable discomfort in this brand of dreadful cinema. Very rarely do we feel at ease. There is no comfort in these settings. Just when we feel some tension lift, director Oz Perkins throws us right back in. A perfect example of this might be that scene where Harper peruses through those old photos in her home. That long shot of her holding that one photo at the start and we can just barely make the first disturbing image brings the unease back to us and then we are shocked into submission again.
This film also shows the power of Cage!! He disappears into the role as the killer Longlegs! Unhinged cage for sure, but in this case he’s used very well, I thought. Now as a minor complaint some of Monroe’s line delivery didn’t entirely work for me. Her lack of emotion in some scenes was a bit jarring with what was happening to her character. This was minor though, and overall I think her performance was fine. Blair Underwood as her commanding FBI lead was solid I though (who strangely/coincidentally was in that weird 90’s Sean Connery thriller I saw two days ago lol).
Saw this with my partner and some friends and they seemed a bit disappointed that the plot relied heavily on a rather ambiguous supernatural element. I think it depends how you approach this one. I too was surprised that a film that is marketed so much as a straight up thriller has so much satanic imagery, talk of prayers to ward of the devil and occult ideas that come into fruition. That being said, with Oz Perkin’s direction being so strong here, I didn’t really mind this touch. In fact I really enjoyed it. And in this regard, I hear people complaining about the third act a bit. Didn’t bother me, it felt like a natural conclusion that had been established through the film’s parts. To leave us lingering in that unease of how Longleg’s legacy might continue with another creation of his still around… I thought that was powerfully done!
All in all, it’s a very solid crime thriller with a surprising elaboration into a supernatural element punctuated by a freakin’ fantastic Nicolas Cage performance! Perkins guides this satanic symphony along beautifully with all the sights and sounds of a purely punctuated modern horror feast! Might go up on rewatch, there is a lot to chew on here… but we love that don’t we. 4/5
“Are you still saying your prayers? Our prayers protect us from the devil.”
2024 Films, Ranked and Reviewed 🎥🩸
oh yeah… and while we’re here:
The Wacky but Loveable Nicolas Cage, Ranked
