On the surface there’s a certain Silence of the Lambs-ness to Osgood Perkins‘ wildly unnerving Longlegs. But the more this serial killer thriller reveals, religious undertones spring forth to announce itself as a film, and with a haunting central figure, that’s far enough removed from Jonathan Demme’s aforementioned genre classic to earn its own personality.
With an ability that she herself can’t accurately explain, the autistic-coded Special Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe, sublime in her subtlety) hones a sixth sense for solving crimes that others can’t seem to crack. Her superior, Agent Carter (Blair Underwood), assigns to her the case of “Longlegs”, an elusive serial killer who has allegedly committed a series of brutal murders, despite the fact that they can’t physically place him at any scene. It’s almost other-worldly how he is able to perform such atrocities, and as Harker re-examines crime scene photos and deciphers a series of code-written letters placed at each killing, she starts to piece together a larger, more demonic puzzle.
Set in the 1990s, Perkins has a built a world of almost colourless dread. There’s purpose to Longlegs‘ washed-out palette, as well as in its deliberate slow-burning structure, which divides the narrative into three distinct chapters that follow Harker’s navigation of a figure she can’t comprehend.
On the mention of such, Nicolas Cage‘s frightening turn as the titular figure is masterfully, beautifully realised. Practically unrecognisable under a plaster of prosthetics, pale skin and wiry hair, his Longlegs is an androgynous creation that gradually unleashes his rage and insanity over the course of the film’s uncomfortable 101 minutes; a particular shot of his face before the opening credits roll is likely to stay with you. It’s a dedicated, lived-in performance that reminds us just why he’s one of the greatest actors of his generation, and regardless of how you respond to the film itself – I’m sure many will claim its being overhyped in regards to how scary it is – there’s no denying how impactful a performance it truly is.
A film that’s best left to be discovered and digested – I can’t stress enough that knowing any of the film’s eventual reveals prior will taint the viewing experience – Longlegs indulges in its rejection of mainstream pandering. It’s consciously structured to build anxiety with those that surrender to its nightmarish, passive mentality.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Longlegs is now screening in Australian theatres.
