Out this weekend in Irish cinemas is Longlegs. Starring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage. It’s a strange and bizarre story.
Agent Harker (Monroe) is an FBI agent. As we are introduced to her she is tasked with finding a terrifying serial killer dubbed Longlegs (Cage). This will be no easy task as this particular killer is heavily involved in the occult and has been killing for close to three decades with no sign of stopping or being found. Luckily Harker seems to have some quasi-psychic abilities. Her superiors utilise these psychic abilities to try and finally bring in this particular monster.
Happy Birthday
Longlegs is an utterly unnerving film. It’s not that it’s scary, it’s that the story, the characters, and the world, get under your skin and stay there. It almost feels like something has burrowed in and made a nest within you. The colour is mostly muted, but there are moments when colour is utilised to great effect, particularly red, that leaves a lasting impression of a scene in your mind. These scenes usually involve Longlegs and have a disturbing mood to them.
Director Osgood Perkins sets up scenes with a meticulous edge to them. At no point during the film did I feel at ease. A few light-hearted moments add a touch of humanity to the story but are brief. The shadow of Longlegs looms large over this story and those caught within it.
Perkins takes a fascinating look at the occult and mysticism. It all feels matter-of-fact. A psychic trying to find a satanic serial killer with strange abilities of his own doesn’t feel tacky. It feels hauntingly natural. And that is why the film is so disturbing. It feels like a story you heard from a neighbour about something happening to someone two towns over. You’re never completely sure it’s real. You hope to god it’s not though.
You are the dark
The cast within Longlegs is intimate but potent. Monroe as Harker is a fascinating character. Monroe almost plays her as a modern-day Clarice from The Silence of the Lambs. She’s unsure but brilliant. She’s ready but woefully unprepared for what she will find at the end of this dark path. Then there is the titular Longlegs played by Nicolas Cage.
Once again Cage straddles the line of camp and horrifying. Covered in a strange makeup he is the definition of nightmarish. I couldn’t take my eyes away from him. From the design to the performance, I was transfixed by this creature. Cage is brilliant in this film and is the perfect monster under the bed.
Longlegs is a horror film I’m not sure I’ve experienced before. As I watched it I found myself fascinated by it. I wanted to understand everything about it. And as I learned more I wasn’t disappointed.
I highly recommend Longlegs to fans of horror and to those looking for a unique and bewitching story. Stay tuned to Scannain for more news, reviews and interviews.