Longlegs is shot wonderfully and there is a brooding sense of dread that lingers in every well-constructed frame. The colouring and the OST are perfect to accompany what’s to come. This is an evil film without being too cruel. I mean, I say this all the time – my (or our) idea of what is extreme is 100% more different than what the average movie-goer might consider.
My doubts started a couple of weeks ago. I have been constantly checking the BBFC rating. Why? I mean, I do this all the time with releases but this is meant to be one of the best, darkest serial killer movies in recent years, of course it’ll be rated 18s. Nope. I’ll admit, my stomach sank slightly when I saw Longlegs was rated 15s. There are already major restrictions flowing through my mind.
Do you need a film rated 18 to be effective and scary? No, but when it’s a serial killer movie with satanic undertones claiming to be the best thing since sliced bread – I’m sorry, that 18 certificate matters (to me anyway).
With a 15c, you’re already limited to the amount of onscreen violence you can get away. That 15c took away from what could’ve been some of the most disturbing kills we’ve seen in a long time with a very Funny Games sort of vibe. Sadly, the gorehound in me was left underwhelmed as the slayings were over before we knew it and pretty much done off-screen with the inevitable blood-spatter.
Longlegs is a bastard child of Mindhunter, Cure (Japanese serial killer flick from the 90s), Silence of the Lambs, Se7en with Monroe channelling (I thought anyway) her inner- Saga (the main protagonist from the Swedish crime series The Bridge; antisocial, smart and more than likely on the spectrum – but with a sprinkle of psychic abilities). And while it is based on these dark serial killer classics, it doesn’t quite reach their level of brilliance but respectfully tries.
I thought Cage nailed it, although I wish we had some reverse marketing for his character. His voice was unlike anything we’ve heard but we’ve been hearing it now for months. When I finally saw him, I knew it was him straight away and his high-pitched helium-infused creepy chipmunk vocal tone that unnerved me for months through clever marketing done nothing for me.
He looked like what I’d imagine Buffalo Bill would look, starved of sunlight and breastfed by his dad but I still knew Nicolas Cage was present under that mask. He was scary and made your skin crawl off your bones. But, he was also quite comical at times and still got under my skin and buried in my mind enough for me to want to see more of his story.
Monroe is great and played the character the best she could with the material she had which didn’t give her much freedom of expression so I found Special Agent Lee Harker to be a one-sided, one-dimensional character. Just like any other character in the film, she was impossible to establish a connection with.
When I broke down the Longlegs trailer on the Moviehooker socials I noticed the lighting played a huge part; everything was a golden yellow colour, and every light had the same bulb in it and the same light covering. Even the Christmas tree we see in one of the scenes has the same dull, golden-yellow fairy lights.
So, here’s what I found on the psychology of the colour yellow (incoming certified Google searcher). As well as mostly positive psychological effects, the colour yellow also symbolises a darker side, emitting feelings of “cowardice, illness, caution, betrayal, egotism, and anxiety“. Was the choice of lighting used in Longlegs used to increase our anxiety? Probably, and it worked.
Overall
A supernatural serial killer movie that could’ve done without the supernatural elements. A film with so much hype (well-done marketing team) that it’s only going to disappoint fans of genre cinema, especially those who prefer their extreme content. Perkins had all the ingredients right there, he just baked the wrong cake.
If you prefer a slow-burn brooding atmosphere over graphic boundary-pushing on-screen violence then Longlegs will be the film for you. Why can’t we have both though?
Longlegs – Final Score: 6.6(.6)/10.
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