I came back from watching Longlegs today. I don’t often watch horror movies, but the one trailer I saw intrigued me with the criminal investigation and mystery angle, as that does appeal to me.

Spoiler free/lite review: If you enjoy movies that are carried by atmosphere rather than a strictly coherent plot, you will enjoy this more. There is a lot of symbolism and I’m sure connections between things in the movie that can be made with digging and theorycrafting. If you liked ‘Hereditary’ or maybe even ‘The Lighthouse’, this movie is more likely to be for you.

Spoiler thoughts below.

Spoiler thoughts below.

Spoiler thoughts below.

Spoiler thoughts: I bought into this movie thinking it would be “realistic” like ‘Silence Of The Lambs’ though perhaps with some cult or Satanic elements. I liked the first season of ‘The Following’ and I absolutely loved how the first season of ‘True Detective’ played right on the line of supernatural or cosmic horror without ever tipping its hand. ‘Longlegs’ is not that. Supernatural, specifically Satanic and Biblical elements are at work, actively affecting the plot. There is no ambiguity about that. There is a LOT of ambiguity about what exactly the hell is going on, and I found it frustrating and unsatisfying. Near the end there is an exposition dump that feels like it was added because of studio mandate, but the exposition doesn’t really resolve the main questions but instead just affirms the few things already confirmed.

Nic Cage is great. His aged, weirdo, overly cheery serial killer performance is full of maniac joy and/or despair. Maika Monroe, who plays the central FBI agent after Nic Cage really nails her performance as a reserved and overwhelmed, but competent investigator who knows she is somehow mired inside of the case.

This movie felt like the first draft of a script, and my biggest takeaway is I wish it had bounced off of a few more harsh editors before being filmed.