Longlegs

⭐⭐.5 / ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Longlegs” centers on young FBI agent Lee Harker as she hunts for the mysterious serial killer, Longlegs. Harker shows an other worldly instinct for solving murders, beyond gut instinct and training. For fans of “The Shining”, her talent feels very much like shining - being able to feel the vibrations of other worlds. 

As a lover of the *perfect* Silence of the Lambs, one can’t help but make comparisons. But unlike our Clarice, whose arch nemesis draws out her humanity, Harper is stone cold, outside of herself. All the characters are pretty one dimensional. She struggles to relate to others. She keeps everyone out, including the audience. And so does the director. Wide shots of cold, sterile rooms. Vague dialogue desperate to be mysterious. Without understanding her talent, or its process, we have no one to invest in. And in a horror movie, that ain’t good. If she wasn’t breathing loudly, constantly, we might not know she was even alive. 

I don’t love Nic Cage’s choices as Longlegs. His mania detracts from the persona, breaking the mystery and intrigue that great villains need to be truly horrifying. He sings. He screams. He hails satan. It’s a cornucopia of oddities. But none of them feel organic or truly scary. 

Unsettling visuals and spine tingling music are a horror staple and Longlegs leans into these, hard. Everything in “Longlegs” is just slightly askew. Offputtingly so. Disorienting. Discolored. Always through a lens. But the truly terrifying stories are the ones that feel personal. There, this crime horror film falls short. Come for the vibe. Stay because you paid $20.