“It seems I wore my long legs today.”
Oz Perkin’s ‘LongLegs’ has one of the most unsettling and unforgettable openings in recent horror films - I can’t stop thinking about it.
Opening in a 4:3 ratio shot, viewers experience an instantaneous, suffocating feeling. Black bars on the sides of the image threaten to engulf it.
In sepia tones, the film opens with a shot of a car's front window as it drives through a quiet street, creating a disquieting calm that makes it unclear whether the car is moving.
As the scene shifts from sepia to a wintry landscape, a young girl stands on a strangely silent, snowy lawn in front of a tall white farmhouse.
As the unsettling mood intensifies, the girl spots an unfamiliar car in the driveway and surveys her surroundings.
From her perspective, the camera captures the trees, a usually soothing sight, accompanied by jarring, ominous bursts of music resembling a warning siren, creating an unsettling atmosphere and urging the girl to flee.
A disconcerting voice emerges behind her, shaky and unnaturally high-pitched, heightening the tension and fear for the girl's safety.
The need to identify the source of the voice becomes urgent.
As you cling to the armrests, Perkins cleverly denies expectations by keeping the person's face hidden, focusing instead on a slightly off-centre close-up from nose to knee.
“I wore my long legs today,” the person says, with a voice, oddly high-pitched and performative, that seeks to deceive the girl into feeling safe.
Suddenly they drop to the girl’s eye level with an unnerving open-mouth smile and grotesquely unnatural face.
This person is evil and frightening. This person is Long Legs.
LongLegs creates a strong feeling of fear and suspense, especially in the first half of the film.
The movie makes everyday settings seem scary and keeps viewers on edge, with a growing sense of unease.
The film looks great thanks to cinematographer Andres Arochi.
By using low camera angles and dim lighting, Arochi makes the film’s visuals add to the scary atmosphere, making the environment feel more tense and claustrophobic.
The sound design in Longlegs is both creepy and surprising.
The soundtrack, composed by Elvis Perkins (under the name Zilgi), adds to the film’s eerie mood and sticks with you even after the movie ends.
Maika Monroe and Blair Underwood give strong performances in their roles.
Monroe’s portrayal of the FBI agent feels real, and Underwood’s role as her boss adds depth.
Alicia Witt and Kiernan Shipka also give standout performances that make the film more engaging.
Of course Nicolas Cage’s role as Long Legs is striking and unforgettable.
With his over-the-top makeup and intense acting, Cage delivers a performance that is both frightening and darkly funny, making Long Legs a memorable character.
I just wish he had more screen time!
The film's main drawbacks lie in its final act and character development.
The mystery surrounding LongLegs is built up effectively, but the big reveal falls flat, with too much explanation and a predictable ending.
Some elements of the plot, like the psychic abilities of the main character, Lee Harker, feel underdeveloped or unexplored and don’t add much to the story.
The narrative also feels a bit inconsistent, with some parts of the story feeling lost or unclear.
These factors aside, Longlegs is a unique and captivating film that will satisfy horror fans with its blend of classic genre conventions, shots and clever references.
Reminiscent of The Silence of the Lambs, this thriller delivers a chilling experience that stands out in the genre.
I had the pleasure of viewing LongLegs thanks to Channel 31’s The Reel Thing and Rialto Distribution.
The Reel Thing is a movie-themed TV show featuring celebrity interviews, giveaways, and cinephile news, airing every Monday at 7:30 pm on C31 Melbourne.
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