Longlegs is a horror thriller that sets Maika Monroe’s Agent Lee Harker against a serial killer named Longlegs (played by Nicolas Cage) before he can claim another victim. Longlegs has been one of my most anticipated movies of 2024 and for good reason. This is a deeply chilling movie that never lets you feel settled for even a second.Â
Nicolas Cage as Longlegs might be the best casting of the year. From his first second on screen, you are terrified by his presence. His voice is chilling and his makeup is what creates nightmares. The movie goes out of its way to hide his appearance, only showing his lips and below but when we finally get the reveal, it is worth the wait. His presence on screen is so commanding in only a way that Cage can pull off.
The star of this movie is Maika Monroe. She plays Lee as incredibly smart and capable, while also being terrified. She is remarkably poised even when everything she learns is shaking her to her core. Monroe is criminally underappreciated in Hollywood and these types of roles as well as her characters in Watchers and It Follows demonstrate that.Â
Even the smaller roles of Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, and Kiernan Shipka elevate this movie to be as good as it is. They are all great with what they’re asked to do, with Witt in particular having some of the most jaw-dropping moments of the movie.
The direction of this movie under Oz Perkins is perfection. We are slowly drip-fed the information as Harker is, and we are left to interpret it ourselves. The movie does not hold your hand to give you a backstory on each character and their motivation. You might end up walking out in the dark about what happened as you were when you walked in. For me, I love that. It forces you to pay attention to each little detail you see.
As with the direction, the head-on framing of each character is great. I don’t know the ins and outs of filmmaking and cinematography, but I was mesmerized by how each character is always framed in the middle of the shot. The negative space around them draws you in as you can’t stop your eyes from trying to find something in the background. Pair that with chilling sounds and you’ve got a movie that will sit like a brick in your mind for a while after seeing it.
The horror of this movie makes me feel disgusting. As many will say, there are not a lot of jump scares, but what gets you is the feeling of being uncomfortable in your skin. For me, a lot of that came from Cage’s performance. But also, the movie’s themes of serial killers, religion, family, and childhood trauma, are what made it so chilling to see in person.
FINAL THOUGHTSÂ
Longlegs is easily one of the best horror movies that will come out this year. It is haunting in a way that will linger in your mind for days after seeing it. Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage are perfectly cast and give award-winning performances here. This movie is not easy to watch, but if you can stomach it, you should see it.