Longlegs

To say I was excited for this movie was an understatement. I watched all the trailers, the reviews, and was SOOO excited. A somewhat arthouse serial killer horror film, that's also satanic? With NICHOLAS CAGE? Hell yes!

And to be fair, there is a lot of stuff I loved in this movie. The cinematography is GORGEROUS, if you like cinematic films, this is one for you. The performances are all great, I love Nicholas Cage (though I wish he were in it more) and loved the quirky protagonist. The sound design was great, and the concept was interesting. I was hooked by the opening of the movie.

However, the plot and main twist in this movie really dumbs it down for me. As many pointed out, this movie was mis marketed. It's not a serial killer movie, and it's not a scary movie. It's much more of a supernatural thriller, and maybe some would find it scary and disturbing, but I found it to be neither. The main idea of the movie is revealed early on, (how the killings happen), and the end reveal is just... eh? But this movie really lacks on the tension. You don't feel stakes, or urgency, or any tension in the scenes, even when they very much could have tension. I hate comparing horror films, but a sort of similar film with its demonic aspect is last year's Talk to Me, and that film really shows how you can use that demonic concept to have a great amount of tension, urgency in the plot, and stakes with the characters.

This movie feels like a mish mash of silence of the lambs and sinister, but it doesn't really lean into either side of it and lacks the tension of it.

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.

I thought Longlegs was spread too thin. It didn't know if it wanted to be a demonic horror film or a serial killer thriller. Had it leaned more into either of these areas it would be a lot better. This left the movie to not really create that much fear, dread, or suspense because it didn't know what it wanted to be. While the score, acting(especially on the part of Cage), and cinematography were really good, the writing held Longlegs back from being something great! It felt like a love child between Sinister and Silence of the Lambs I love each of these movies but I'm not sure how well they combined in Longlegs.

I am really open to all shenanigans, but this was unimaginative, acted badly and the story was completely incoherent. After a somewhat promising lukewarm start it just descended into nothingness.

Manila Monroe did her best to add a bit of acting towards it, but it wasn't enough. Nicolas Cage unfortunately was Completely consumed by his silly mask and one could have put any Hollywood star behind it without making a difference. So disappointing. Again a movie that was hyped by a clever marketing campaign and will be forgotten in a heartbeat. The only positive were the sometimes aesthetic and atmospheric camera shots.

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)