The lights dimmed in the theater and the energy shifted, as the scene of Nicolas Cage driving up to a house begins. The music playing added an element of suspense to the introduction creating an eerie environment in the theater. As I sat enthralled with the screen, I remember the reviews labeling this movie as the scariest movie in a decade, along with the blood red title appearing on the screen, “Longlegs.”
Summary of Long Legs
The movie follows the premise of an F.B.I. agent named Lee Harker being tasked with a string of mysterious murders, specifically for families with daughters that are born on the 14th. It had been a cold case for many years but was recently reopened due to Harker’s special abilities. The murders all seem to be randomized, but she soon begins to crack hidden codes left behind, which reveal that they are orchestrated by the same person. As the movie goes on, it is revealed to not only be about murders, but is connected to the paranormal. Demonic beings and satanic cults are not commonly touched on in this way involving cinema, which has caused many questions to be left unanswered.
This film has an uncommon, but not unique, way of organizing the story; when watching the film, the viewer sees everything from the perspective of Lee Harker, the watcher gets information as Harker is getting it. This builds a unique relationship between Harker and the viewer because it causes the viewer to think about the information at the same time as Harker and go through the same emotions. The movie involves a major plot twist, in which Harker feels incredibly betrayed, which results in the viewers feeling betrayed in the same way.
Creation Of Longlegs
The movie ‘Longlegs” was created by Osgood Perkins, with the inspiration for the main character being his mother. In fact, both Cage and Perkins bonded over the idea that the “Longlegs” character, in a way, resembled their mothers. Cage told Extra, “when I was reading this character, it became about my mom.” Cage’s mother passed away in 2021, so to honor her memory, he decided to put aspects of his mother into his character. Interesting view, considering his character is a murderous satanist, but to each their own. When reading the script, he read it with her voice, and wanted to incorporate her into the role by using her mannerisms when acting out the character.
Is the Movie Good or Bad?
The creators of “Longlegs” did an amazing job in their execution of the music choice and placement. They decided to input the same song in many of the scenes to create suspense for the upcoming scene. They decided to have actor Cage sing “Fire Fire Fire, Hiss,” a unique song created for the film, which when played alongside the creepiness of the movie, created an extremely eerie atmosphere. They usually paired this song with a scene of Longlegs himself, sometimes with a jumpscare on a beat drop.
Although the director did a fantastic job at creating the eerie atmosphere in the theater, the pacing of the movie felt rushed and unorganized. The reveal of who the killer is was exposed early on in the movie, which diminished some aspects of suspense, and the lead up to the plot twist was rushed and some scenes were unnecessary and irrelevant. Despite the faults, there were many positives that outweigh those negatives. For example, the previously mentioned soundtrack elevated the movie to a whole new level.
Everyone has their own opinions on movies and whether or not they are scary or not, but this movie definitely lived up to the hype. From the ambiance in the theater, to the plot twist, it caused both me and many others to have the hairs on the back of our necks stand up, but also be on the edge of our seats awaiting to see what happens next.
