Movie Review - Longlegs

Director: Osgood Perkins
Genre: Horror/ Crime
Runtime: 101 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Maika Monroe, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Nicolas Cage,
 
Description: In pursuit of a serial killer, an FBI agent (Maika Monroe) uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to end his terrifying killing spree.

Review: There is one every year. A movie that makes you go “WTF”. And the honor goes to “Longlegs” this year.

In the 1990s, Lee is an unremarkable FBI agent until, during a mission, she can intuitively pinpoint which house their target is in. her gift gains recognition and she is assigned to the search for a serial killer who has struck sporadically for decades. This turns out to be a wise choice, as Lee deciphers riddles that others have been pondering for longer without success. That is no accident, however, and Lee will discover why.

“Longlegs” is not for everyone. It’s an unusual film with a slow pace and much focus on atmosphere. The hunt for a serial killer will appeal to more people though. And horror fans will definitely not be disappointed. Director Osgood Perkins has an unusual approach and it promotes unpredictability. There is no way anyone can predict where the story is heading.

Maika Monroe, who we know from “The Guest” and “It Follows”, is fantastic in this film. She plays a completely different role in this, almost apathic. And then there is Nicolas Cage. A man that eithers brings it home or absolutely fails. Luckily for us his overacting works here. Super creepy looking, Cage’s performance is thrilling and entertaining.

Comparisons to “The Silence of the Lambs” are easily made. A rookie FBI agent is assigned to an ongoing case involving a lurid serial killer who leaves a puzzling trail. But in time, that feeling disappears and “Longlegs” becomes a totally different film. One that you really can’t compare to anything you’ve ever seen.

In the end, you’re left speechless and thinking “what did I just watch”. Not for everyone, but a must for horror fans.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 57: It Follows

Director: David Robert Mitchell

Genre: Horror/ Thriller

Runtime: 97 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Carollette Phillips, Loren Bass, Olivia Lucardo, Jake Weary, Daniel Zovatto, Charles Gertner, Bailey Spry, Debbie Williams, Ruby Harris, Linda Boston, Leisa Pulido, D.J. Oliver

Description: Jay (Maika Monroe) followed by an unknown supernatural force after getting involved in a sexual encounter.

Review: The concise title “It Follows” says everything you need to know about this minimalistic horror movie. Wherever you go, ‘it’ will follow you. What ‘it’ exactly is, isn’t really explained and it takes some time for us to find it out. Don’t expect crazy dudes with masks, women in white dresses or psychopaths.

With an unknown cast (you might now lead actress Maika Monroe from “The Guest”) and a budget of 2 million dollar, the expectations weren’t very high. When “It Follows” got positive reviews after some festivals, it was up to the audience to judge.

In the suburbs of Detroit, Jay and her friends enjoy a careless teenage life. After having sex with her new boyfriend Hugh, her life will change. Hugh warns Jay for something that will follow her, because he passed it on to her. Jay doesn’t understand, until she sees someone coming towards her. Her friends are very skeptical about Jay’s story, because she is the only who can see the person following her.

Director and writer David Robert Mitchell used nightmares from his own youth to create “It Follows” and it appears to be very original. It’s obvious he got inspiration from masters like George Romero and John Carpenter. The movie has some jump scares, but the fact that ‘it’ can literally be anyone makes you constantly aware of people approaching Jay.

“It Follows” also has a great soundtrack, with strong, electronic music. Much like actress Maika Monroe’s previous film “The Guest”. The dreamy cinematography is in contrast with what the characters are going through. There are hardly any adults present in the film, it focuses on Jay and her friends. And ‘it’ isn’t over-explained.

If you’re looking for an unconventional and original horror movie, that isn’t only interesting for the fans of the genre, than you should watch “It Folows”. And you will probably think twice about your next one-night-stand.

Rating: 4/ 5