Longlegs (2024) (Movie Reviews)

Longlegs (2024) is a hard to rate this little horror UFO. The cinematography is superb, there are lighting effects, striking shots, moments of tension and a real atmosphere. It rises, it rises again and… it falls again!
And so it goes for most of the film. This makes for frustrating viewing, because it’s very well directed and controlled, but the script doesn’t really hold up. It’s pretty messy, you don’t really know what it’s all about, or what it’s for. In the end, the characters are poorly developed.

The cast is generally good, although I felt the main character lacked complexity and depth, and her actions are fairly predictable overall. I don’t know whether Maika Monroe plays her emotionless character very well, whether she’s destined for this kind of role or whether it’s because she has a mini psychic gift that she runs into the lion’s den every time she grabs her gun. In Watcher (2022), she played it that way. But here… it’s annoying! Someone who didn’t know her wrote: “A convincing lead actress as a catatonic depressive. In any case, very quickly, my own mood watching this film became depressive :).”

I’ve read a lot of negative reviews of this film. I’ve read that Nicolas Cage has only acted in flops for several decades, that he seems like a Joker or a Pennywise who has abused drugs. But the fact is that Cage is regularly surprising in films like Renfield (2023) – which of course recalls Vampire’s Kiss (1988) – or Pig (2021). He knows how to make fun of himself in a film like A Solid Gold Talent (2022).

Admittedly, Longlegs is a far cry from his good and very good films like Family Man (2000), the remake of The Wicker Man (2006), City of Angels (1998), Snake Eyes (1998), 8MM (1999) or even Next (2007). But this actor is so passionate that we can’t help but respect his impressive career. Here, he delivers one of the most disturbing and creepy performances, looking almost unrecognisable. But, unfortunately, we’re left with the feeling that we’ve missed out on a film that could have become a classic of the genre. Especially given that it has been compared to the more superior The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

The film has been accused of totally misleading advertising, particularly in its trailer, as this review confirms: ‘Big disappointment with the trailer, which is not at all in keeping with the film. This film leaves you bored, there’s no other word for it. Go the other way!

Despite its apparent good intentions, the film quickly loses its way between thriller and horror, never really managing to frighten us, nor creating any relevant plot twists. What’s more, the film suffers from an ending that leaves something to be desired; the last 25 minutes didn’t convince me. The overall atmosphere varies too much, and at times the film seems too long.

Some would say it’s ideal for falling asleep! There’s the problem of the lack of music and the film’s slowness does indeed allow you to doze off as you go along. Even if the criminal has a good taste in music, given that he loves T-Rex and has a Lou Reed CD in his bedroom.

I’ve also read this: ‘The scenes are long, the game play is pretty soft, no action, no real horror scenes, nothing!
Everything is flat from start to finish. You don’t know why, or how, or if there’s an ending.’

As for the horror, there is one character who smashes his face on the table until it bursts.If that goes unnoticed, there’s no doubt that a lot of brains are gangrened.

If you’re not sensitive to issues of possession, Satanism and the like, move on. Believing in a story about a classic serial killer and his hunt, I was totally misled and disappointed in my turn.

All in all, I’m really glad I saw it, especially for Nicolas’ performance.

My Rating