Longlegs is designed to rattle and unsettle viewers. The film opens with an effective sequence, framed like a home movie, where a young girl’s encounter impacts everything that follows. New FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) captures a serial killer, revealing her unique abilities. The plot weaves psychological tests, eerie atmospheres, and a Satan-worshipping killer (played by Nicolas Cage).

Themes:

• Isolation and Perspective: The film plays with perspective, locking us into tight frames and child-like viewpoints.
• Psychic Abilities and Identity: Lee’s unique abilities remain underexplored, a missed opportunity for deeper character development.

Director’s Style:

Osgood Perkins crafts a purposefully exaggerated nightmare. The oppressive sound design and mannered performances create an unsettling atmosphere. However, the film occasionally loses its grip on this tone, seeking explanation when confusion would serve better.

Performances:

• Maika Monroe: Convincing as the “special” agent, but her psychic abilities could have been more central.
• Nicolas Cage: Electric as the title character, blending Ted Bundy with Tiny Tim’s eccentricity.

Technical Aspects:

• Sound Design: Oppressive and effective, enhancing the film’s eerie quality.
• Production Design: A dream-logic disconnect, evoking an exaggerated ’90s era.
• Cinematography: The home movie framing adds to the unsettling vibe.

Strengths:

• Atmosphere: The film’s nightmare quality sticks with you.
• Performances: Cage and Monroe shine.
• Opening Sequence: A masterclass in tension.

Weaknesses:

• Exposition: Late-film explanations disrupt the dreamlike flow.
• Character Development: Lee’s psychic abilities remain underdeveloped.

Recommendation:

Longlegs is weird for multiplexes, but it should have leaned even further into its quirks. If you’re up for a mesmerizing, viscerally terrifying experience, give it a watch. Just be prepared for a cinematic nightmare that lingers long after the credits roll.