Writer/director Oz Perkins brings all the trademark elements of his haunting atmospheres into a dark detective story that constantly preys on its viewers through a tantalizing mystery, two can’t-miss performances, and an unnerving vision for terror.

The film follows FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) as she’s assigned to find the deranged serial killer Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). However, this case opens old wounds of Harker’s and forces her to make shocking discoveries about herself. Now, with that description in mind, it should be made clear that Longlegs is more detective-mystery than straight-up horror – in a similar vein to The Silence of the Lambs or Se7en. Horror is very much a part of the film’s DNA, and there’s a looming sense of fear audiences will feel throughout. But, Perkins isn’t trying to make a pure scarefest with Longlegs, and it’s all the better for it. 

Longlegs is at its best when it leans into the tension and intrigue of its central premise. Every breadcrumb Lee finds pulls you deeper into the growing mystery at hand, and it’s disturbing to see Longlegs become so injected into Lee’s life. There’s a super suspenseful sequence in Lee’s home that perfectly encapsulates the distressing nature of her cat and mouse game with Longlegs, and it’s not long until her fixation with the killer takes its toll. Plus, the use of cryptic letters, demonic subtext, and sharp details shapes the depth of the story incredibly well. As Lee gets closer to the truth, you’re totally enamored by this rich thriller, and it’s where the horror of Perkins’ approach leaves its mark. 

Even with the film not containing a bunch of jump scares or gory deaths happening on-screen all the time, Longlegs has a disturbing side to itself that Perkins isn’t afraid to show. Like Talk to Me, Longlegs features a head-bashing kill that’s so visceral and sudden that it completely puts you on edge for the entire third act. From then on, the depraved parts of Perkins’ mind are in overdrive, and it leaves viewers in a sweat-inducing awe. From merciless bloodshed to gutting character turns that’ll literally leave you breathless, Longlegs has a masterful, horror-filled final stretch that completely ignores the brakes. It’s a tonal shift that deeply rocks you to your core, and hits even harder because of the film’s grounded, unsettling atmosphere,

Through top-tier technical work, Perkins characterizes the film’s haunting atmosphere excellently. Even in broad daylight, cinematographer Andres Arochi Tinajero casts this unrelenting shadow over the film that builds up the chilling vibes of this case flawlessly. Regardless of where Lee is, there’s always this larger presence around her and it all comes from not only the darkness of the film’s look, but also the way Perkins creates continual terror. Whether it’s through grisly imagery that’s matched by sickening strings of dialogue or sudden noises that break eerie silences, Perkins always finds ways for Longlegs to slowly get under your skin to never create any sense of comfort. It’s what makes Longlegs an effective horror experience, and this blend of crime-mystery and horror is seen best through the film’s two central leads. 

Monroe pads her scream queen resume with another incredible performance as Lee. Her obsessive drive for the truth is fascinating to see unfold and comes with its own sense of mystery that makes you want to get inside her head. There is always something more to Lee below the surface and Monroe does a great job tapping into the compelling instincts and oddities of her persona to make for a magnetic performance. As for Cage, he delivers his most unhinged performance to date, and it’s honestly freaking amazing. Every time he’s on-screen, his screeching voice and bizarre behavior are instantly terrifying, and you feel his presence even when he’s not around. Cage takes his work to unimaginably dark and crazed places that audiences have never seen from the actor, and it’s easily one of the memorable and captivating horror performances of the year. Outside of Cage and Monroe, there are also strong showings from Blair Underwood and Alicia Witt as their characters take surprisingly horrifying turns in the film’s final act that’ll leave viewers shook. 

The only aspect of Longlegs that doesn’t quite measure up is the weird supernatural elements that flood the film’s final stretch. Despite having a grounded backbone for the most part, Perkins lets the demonic religious subtext flourish in the film’s finale. Now, this doesn’t ruin the film by any means since it does lead to some jaw-dropping twists and turns. But these paranormal threads just take such a strong hold over everything that happens that it catches you off-guard in a way that’s tough to process. It forces the film to connect the dots as quickly as possible, but the picture never fully becomes clear and that does take away from the otherwise shocking and satisfying finale that Perkins concots. 

Longlegs is a daunting masterpiece from Perkins that establishes him as a must-watch voice with a stark vision for terror. It’s that type of shadowy trek into the disturbed that viewers love to embark on, and features some noteworthy performances from Monroe and Cage that elevate the film’s irresistibly engrossing detective narrative and its genuinely rattling horror.

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