LONGLEGS: A Modern Masterpiece or Simply Carried by Nicolas Cage?

Receiving a strong 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, Longlegs has been subject to hot critical debate ever since it premiered in theaters on the 29th of August. Some audiences have been left fascinated with the film's visual and storytelling elements, even going as far as to say it has revolutionized the way horror is made. But others may not share the same opinion, claiming even that halfway into the movie it turned into a comedy. But in all poor and strong reviews, both critics and audiences have seemingly agreed upon one thing: Nicolas Cage took the show by storm. That without Nicolas Cage, the movie wouldn’t have been the same in the slightest. Thus the true question is posed: Is Longlegs truly the masterpiece that most critics hail it to be or were they simply dazzled by Nicolas Cage’s sinister performance?

Longlegs is a film about a rookie FBI Agent who gets assigned a decade old case on a serial killer and has to uncover a cluster of clues in order to put an end to his killing spree. 

Creatively and stylistically speaking, the movie hits you over the head. Just from watching you can tell that director Oz Perkins put in extra care into each and every shot of the film, especially the ones that include Nicolas Cage’s nightmarish serial killer. Perkins’ widescreen compositions may remind you of David Fincher’s “Seven” and or “Zodiac”. The movie does a great job of submerging you into its dark atmosphere through the use of warm, brownish color tints. So basically, the film in terms of aesthetic is beautiful and definitely worth the watch, but once we delve into the creative aspect, it falls terribly short. 

The reason Longlegs to many, and even to me, is such a disappointing display is because on paper it shoots for the stars. Perkins tries to meld a gritty, noir police styled film with the elements of supernatural horror classics and, instead of being the perfect mixture of ingredients, it comes out a mush of bits and pieces that simply don’t fit well with each other. From the beginning to a little more than halfway, the film is a grimey police thriller but a little after it crosses the halfway line, it attempts to bluntly shift into some gothic fairy tale with classic supernatural horror elements. It should make sense on paper as the serial killer in the movie is a satanist. But Oz Perkins makes no effort to smoothly integrate these elements in what should’ve come out as a revolutionary horror film. In addition to that, it’s almost as if Perkins concerned himself too much with the shots he was taking rather than building a cohesive story with a seamless transition between genres. And if “Babylon” (Damien Chazelle, 2022) taught us anything, it is that the visual elements of a film, no matter how stunning and beautiful they may be, can never replace the creative story elements of a film. 

Which leads me to my last point: Nicolas Cage. The movie received an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes for a reason. Maybe it’s one of those cases like “Fight Club” (David Fincher, 1999), in which the film’s aesthetic beauty captivates the viewers enough for them to claim that the film is already a masterpiece, but I believe it was mostly because of Nicolas Cage's nightmarish portrayal of the Longlegs serial killer. His booming voice. The brutality in his actions and dialogue. The unhinged and disturbing nature of the character itself. It all comes together to form an antagonist that truly unsettles viewers whenever he’s on screen. An example of this unhinged character behavior would be the scene in which Longlegs is driving alone in his car. He’s silent for about a minute and a half before he starts screaming obscenities, telling his parents to unmake him and save him from the hell of living. It’s a moment that catches you off guard, clings onto you, and as a viewer you can only watch it unravel as you nervously bite down on your nails. Additionally, the scene in which he kills himself is yet another example of this unhinged unpredictability. Comparable to Heath Ledger’s Joker in “The Dark Night” (Christopher Nolan, 2008). 

Thus, in my opinion, the reason this film did so well critically is mostly because of Nicolas Cage’s outstanding performance. Aesthetically it works amazing but the plot falls short and leaves a lot to be desired as it is a complete and utter mess.