Longlegs
Written and Directed by Oz Perkins
Starring Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, and Alicia Witt
Run time 1 hour and 41 minutes
MPAA Rating R for some language, disturbing images and bloody violence
Now playing in theaters

by Rosalie Kicks, Editor in Chief & Old Sport

“Our prayers protect us from the devil…”

*Spoilers ahead… read at your own risk.

My best friend and I pontificate quite a bit of nonsense. One of our beliefs is that the mark of a good horror picture is when it opens with a profound title card quote. This artistic choice is not only stamp of sophistication, but a demand from the film to be taken seriously. Longlegs opens with a title card featuring lyrics from the 1971 T. Rex song, “Get It On (Bang a Gong)” which, in my mind, puts the audience on notice that what is about to be witnessed will be nothing short of a barn burner.

Newly recruited Special Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is assigned to a mysterious case that has offered zero leads and has perplexed her colleagues for decades, including her superior, Agent Carter (Blair Underwood). The hope is, with her unique intuitive ability and fresh eyes, she will be able to assist with obtaining a few crumbs that will lead to the capture of the elusive Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). Families are being found murdered, with all signs pointing to the father as the cause for their deaths, before taking his own life. There is no forced entry, no fingerprints, and no clues found to show that someone else was in the home besides the family when the crimes were committed. The only piece of evidence the authorities have are a slew of cryptic notes that have been left at each scene signed Longlegs.

The opening of this movie is enough to prove that Oz Perkins knows a thing or two about filmmaking. He simultaneously bewitches and puts the viewer on the edge of their seat. Oz subjects the audience to dread, anxiety ridden moments, and terror, all the while managing to have us welcome it with open arms due to his mastery. Much like his other directorial outings (Gretel & Hansel, The Blackcoat’s Daughter), Longlegs, his fourth feature, continues to showcase his meticulous eye for the frame, captivating production design, and effective creation of mood/atmosphere. The way in which Perkins turns the quietest moments into something that is not only creepy but exudes the feeling of sheer terror is a genius at work. All of these impressive feats add up to another compelling, yet unsettling, tale that will not be quick to leave your side.

I believe the most interesting aspect is that, initially, it seems like a somewhat straightforward story - the FBI tracking down a serial killer - until it is flipped on its head compliments of a doll that contains a mind controlling orb of sorts. The dolls within Longlegs are things of beauty. They appear to be an exact replica of one of their victims, essentially being used as conduits for Satan. Given that they are constructed in a dank basement, by a vampiric looking person that dons tired glam rocker threads, and goes by the name Longlegs, it is no surprise they are demonic in nature. These dolls are not your average plaything. Rather, they are exquisitely made, confirmed adamantly in a scene with the medical examiner completing an autopsy on one of the dolls. (A perfect scene by the way, no notes.)

It is no secret that I have an affinity for dolls, especially ones with sinister modus operandi that appear in motion pictures. Longlegs could have been an ordinary tale but smartly realized that it could not be a party without the Devil and one can’t spell Devil without E-V-I-L, making the plot that much more dark. Which brings me to this… this movie has a lot going on, making this review a bit of a bear for me to write. I completely understand the disappointed sentiments of those that I heard upon exiting the theater. Many of them felt disappointed with how the events in the film play out. They were not expecting the supernatural nature of this flick, which makes me question if they have seen an Oz Perkins picture prior to this. He has yet to make a conventional picture and, for me, I could not have been more thrilled with his latest outing. Oz takes some big swings and clearly has committed to staying weird, something that Hollywood so desperately needs. (Please, come in with the weird.) Is the end product a bit messy? Sure. However, this is a film that continues to make me think since I first saw it a week ago and know that a second viewing is imminent.

Never did I ever think that in 2024 I would behold a story in the cinema that has an entire plot that centers on boudoir dolls being utilized for nefarious purposes. Time for a history lesson… boudoir dolls had their moment in the 1920s and 30s when women of high society would adorn their bed with the soft bodied inanimate being. Often these dolls would share a striking resemblance to their owner and don matching attire. How creative to utilize such a thing as an entry into the home of a family, by informing them they won a local church contest. The devil is literally in the details—and in this case the doll.

For the sake of your sanity, I will quit it with the doll chatter. Overall, I found Longlegs to be a notable flick that successfully shows evil is not only all around us, but that we are all capable of it. Whether it be lies, violence, or other odious acts, each of us has the capacity to cause misery. By the end of the film it may seem like a convenience of the writer’s pen to have Lee’s lack of childhood memories be due to brain fog and a mystifying sphere, but there is something to note in terms of the power of deception and the anguish it will bring for those that were wrought from it. Lee may not have died but possibly now pines to.

All of this to say, without the powerhouse performances from this cast (most notably that of Maika Monroe, Blair Underwood, and Alicia Witt as Lee’s mother, Ruth) I don’t know if I would be buying what Oz is selling. They collectively managed to make this film one of my top watches of the year. Nic Cage, of course delivers a wild performance akin to previous outings, but in my opinion is nothing to get the town talking. Instead, what will be remembered is the skill Perkins possesses to transform the ordinary into extraordinary.