Longlegs

Just got back from the film. Here's my quick breakdown of the positives and negatives without spoilers.

Pros: Cage is great for the time he's in the film. Great cinematography if you're into visual flare and style. Some decent elements of horror that are very interesting.

Cons: Hardly any visceral horror or gore whatsoever, feels incredibly "safe" for a film like this. Story is really competent and well-written until the very last act of the film and feels like a cliched trope we've seen in too many horror films in the last few years.

Overall, you'll have a good time. It's got moments of pure horror that can be easily expanded on or brought to light more, but the story itself takes a massive nosedive that just felt really jarring and too on the nose as if the audience wasn't intelligent enough to figure it out themselves. Just felt too safe to me to be considered the horror film of the year. There are significantly far better horror films that easily can make Longlegs run for its money and honestly the hype glorified this too much to be enjoyed as it set out to be. It's got great moments that show the potential of what it could have been, but it just detoured into something that everyone has seen already.

Phrases like "the best horror film of the decade" or "the best film of the year" honestly do not apply to it.

The film "Longlegs" revolves around a serial killer committing shocking crimes, and a federal agent seeks to uncover him.

Nicolas Cage, despite his brief appearance, spread feelings of fear and anxiety throughout the entire film. The role suits him very well, and we can say, "Welcome back, you genius." The actress Maika Monroe excelled in her role, and I believe this is the second film I've seen her in after "It Follows."

The film's shooting style was excellent, with a wide angle ensuring that all the main characters were in the center of the screen. The source of evil and the driving force of the events were very good.

However, the film, in general, honestly did not offer anything new, and I expected it to be more terrifying or mysterious, given its genre. At least something more shocking should have been revealed, considering the events were too slow to reward the viewer after such a long wait. Many films like "Zodiac" or "The Silence of the Lambs" have preceded it with this type of story and appeared better in terms of puzzles and shocking brutality.

In the end, it's a good horror and mystery film, but it doesn't deserve such high praise.

Longlegs is the latest movie in the resurgence of Nicolas Cage. I saw it on opening night without watching a trailer or knowing anything about it other than "new Cage flick." I love watching movies this way, I never know what to expect.

This might be the highest quality of all the recent Cage theatrical movies. The filmmaking is pristine. You can feel a distinct style that makes you feel uneasy throughout. It does a good job of building intrigue and the mystery had me hooked.

Overall, I found the movie to be good for a single viewing. I was a little disappointed there wasn't more, especially during the climax. And the reasoning behind the killings is something I'm generally not a fan of in movies.

I also see this being marketed as the scariest movie of the decade. Maybe for horror novices. There was a lady next to me covering her eyes at so many scenes. But it was just violence. It's not actually scary.

I still had a good time with this movie. I just wish it had a better payoff or better pacing. I enjoyed Massive Talent, Dream Scenario, and Arcadian more.

(1 viewing, opening Thursday 7/11/2024)

As a lover of horror/thriller movies I cannot even stress how disappointed I was with this movie. The way plot was convoluted, the dialogue was lame and it was one of the worst movies I have ever seen! I actually left before the end because I was so bored. How anyone could compare this to silence of the lambs in greatness, astounds me. I tried to make sense of the film but just couldn't. I really can't even say there is one redeeming element of the movie, it fell flat on all aspects of a horror/thriller movie. I am shocked it has had so many good reviews. I have seen scarier true crime shows than what this was.

I was way too hyped for this, obviously the comparison upfront (Se7en, Silent of the lambs) and the whole style and atmosphere from the trailer lead to my over excitement.

Considered that this genre is pretty rare (mystery, thriller, horror), it's a good movie. It's slow, however I don't mind that at all. Cage and Monroe are outstanding. It just don't help the rather predictable plot & the huge missed opportunity to give this movie an ending it deserves. Especially the ending is unbelievable, doesn't really tie in and as mentioned above was kinda obvious (however I was hoping throughout the movie that there is a better and bigger twist). I like that the mystery and psychic personality components are absolutely up to the viewer. There's lots of atmospheric stuff in the background which is beautifully visually captured, reminds a bit of 'It Follows'.

To sum it up, lower your expectations, this isn't Se7en, which isn't the point anyway as comparisons are usually not helpful, and still we often rely on them or put too much measurement into it. It definitely entertains.