Horror Movie Review: Longlegs (2024)

Longlegs is a horror-thriller film written and directed by Osgood Perkins, Releasing in 2024. It stars Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage. Set in the 1990s, it follows an FBI agent tasked with tracking down an occultist serial killer responsible for murdering multiple families, without having been physically present in the crimes.

FBI agent Lee Harker is assigned by her supervisor William Carter to a case involving a series of murder–suicides. Each case involves a father killing his family and himself, leaving behind a letter with Satanic coding signed “Longlegs”. Lee discovers that each family had a nine-year-old daughter born on the 14th of the month, the murders all occurred within six days before or after the birthday itself. Additionally, the murders form an occult triangle symbol on a calendar, with one date missing. While talking to her mother Ruth, Lee receives a coded birthday card from Longlegs, warning her that revealing the source of the code will lead to her mother’s murder.

Following a clue, Lee and Carter find a doll with a metal orb inside the head. The detectives visit a mental hospital to question Carrie Anne Camera, the sole survivor of Longlegs’s attacks. It turns out that someone visited Carrie using Lee’s name, Carter suspects Lee’s connection to Longlegs. Discovering that Ruth had filed a police report of an intruder approaching Lee on her ninth birthday, Carter encourages Lee to talk to her. Ruth directs Lee to childhood belongings, where she finds a Polaroid of the pale-faced man. This reveals Longlegs to be the man who had visited a young Lee on her birthday. Lee submits the photo, leading to Longlegs’s arrest.

Realizing the missing date is that day, Lee fears an accomplice will commit another murder. In the interrogation room, Longlegs claims to serve “the man downstairs” and hints at Ruth’s involvement before killing himself. Lee is soon informed that Carrie has committed suicide.

Check out Longlegs to see what happens next!

Longlegs has a similar feel to films like Silence of the Lambs or Seven, which firmly places it in damn good company. While there are obvious similarities, Longlegs still manages to deliver something that feels fresh and original. This is mostly an investigatory story so expect a somewhat slow burn. That won’t be for everyone but for me, I never felt it dragged at all.

The atmosphere throughout Longlegs is thick and tense. There’s this unsettling low level vibe that hits a couple of high notes at just the right time. I was particularly impressed by the cinematography in Longlegs as it often gives the sense that Lee is being watched or observed in some way. This is most certainly due to a nothing less than captivating performance by an almost unrecognisable Nicolas Cage as Longlegs. You don’t see much of him on screen but his presence is felt throughout.

The makeup used on Cage is quite extreme but it does deliver a memorable appearance that is certainly unnerving. We all love Cage as the hilarious meme machine that he is but I believe his performance here is strong enough that those looking for a laugh will be found wanting. Seriously, can you name another actor with his longevity? To still be delivering at this stage, what an actor.

Maika Monroe deserves some plaudits as well. She brings a vulnerability to the character of Lee Harker that felt real.

Certain aspects of the story took even me by surprise. I am of course talking about the whole thing involving the dolls. The gore that is shown is brutal but with a sense of realism. I found the unfolding mystery enjoyable to dissect and discuss as it unfolded.

Overall, Longlegs has received some high praise and delivered a hugely successful box office. There are times when people are just plain wrong about how good a film is, this is not one of those occasions.