There is often nothing more effective than a sensational teaser trailer—one that creates intrigue, chatter, and buzz around an upcoming film. Think of films like Cloverfield, where its original trailer was without a title and was attached to 2007’s Transformers. I personally remember sitting in the audience on premiere night, wanting to know everything about this mysterious project. The film, which turned out to be Cloverfield, was a resounding success but, more importantly, demonstrated the power of a teaser.
Fast forward 16 years, and NEON created quite the conversation with a 37-second teaser featuring no title, a frantic 911 call, and a level of creepiness that elevated the film to the forefront of anticipated horror films of 2024. The questions were aplenty: What is this film? What is it about? Who directed it? Who is starring in it? All those questions were answered with Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs, starring Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe.
Not since the likes of Zodiac and The Silence of the Lambs has a serial killer entry disturbed me the way Oz Perkins’ Longlegs did. It’s a psychologically relentless descent into the macabre that’s sure to crawl its way under your skin and never leave.
Longlegs travels back to 1990 and follows FBI agent Lee Harker. As she takes her place as an agent, Harker’s first case revolves around the serial killer Longlegs, an unsolved case spanning multiple decades with little to no clues. That is until Harker becomes involved, and a tangled web of the occult begins to unravel.
Oz Perkins’ screenplay is an impressive feat. Marrying the unholy bond of a serial killer and a satanic cult, Perkins elevates familiar themes with an incredibly complex level of anxiety and disturbing imagery. Perkins never loses focus on the impending doom associated with the ongoing events. When capturing thematic elements of satanic cults and their presence in society, Perkins masterfully evokes the ideology that evil is and will always be looming in the shadows.
It’s impossible to bestow overwhelming adoration and praise on Longlegs without touting Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage. Oozing Starling/Lector vibes, the duo deliver two jaw-dropping performances highlighted by an interrogation scene that stands as the best I’ve seen since the Joker/Batman scene in The Dark Knight. Cage’s chameleon nature is on full display as he’s both diabolical and unnerving, while Monroe evokes empathy through her anxiety and discomfort. As the entry point into this world, her anxiety and discomfort set the foundation for the ride cinephiles go on for 100 minutes.
Andrés Arochi’s cinematography stuns as he shifts through aspect ratios, taking us through different time periods. This choice, along with Zilgi’s haunting score, creates the atmospheric tension needed to bring Perkins’ vision to life.
Longlegs is a masterclass in horror and storytelling. Prioritizing tension, characters, and atmosphere, it’s a masterful blend of thought-provoking storytelling and “art house.” It’s unholy. It’s unnerving. It’s surreal. It’s Oz Perkins’ magnum opus.
