Longlegs (Oz Perkins, 2024, Canada/USA)

Longlegs is the fourth feature from director Oz Perkins. Perkins, the son of late Psycho star Anthony Perkins, has carved a space for himself in the "elevated horror" movement of the late 2010s and early 2020s, but Longlegs is the director's biggest film yet. Perkins intended the film to be more accessible than previous efforts, using The Silence of the Lambs as a starting point. And Longlegs bears more than a few similarities to Jonathan Demme's 1991 classic, particularly in its initial setup. New generation scream queen Maika Monroe plays Lee Harker, an FBI agent investigating a series of familicides linked to a mysterious figure named Longlegs.

The first half of the film is relatively conventional, though it is clear early on that this is not a standard serial killer procedural. Though Perkins plays with tropes of the genre (Harker works hard at cracking Longlegs' mysterious code), it is clear from the onset that there is something off with Harker. Much of the tension in this first half is derived from the presence of Longlegs, played by Nic Cage, who we see often obscured but never in full. As the film progresses into its second half, it takes a more supernatural turn, something that will undoubtedly alienate some viewers who were expecting something more conventional.

While Longlegs is often in danger of biting off more than it can chew, it remains cohesive. This is largely due to the stylistic choices that imbue the film with a consistent sense of dread and menace. Yet the film is also fun and funny in some ways, partly due to Cage. While Longlegs is not a masterpiece, it will surely be one of the most talked about horror films of 2024, and perhaps even will be something revisited throughout the coming decade. Looking forward to more from Perkins.

8/10