Longlegs review: This well-crafted, engrossing whodunit thriller about a sinister occult murderer manages to give you chills

Rating:3.5/5                         Suyog Zore

Filmmaker 'Osgood Perkins' had crafted yet another absorbing, spine-chilling indie murder mystery thriller titled 'Longlegs', which is about loving family men who abruptly murdered their daughters and spouses and then commited suicide. And it does an excellent job of giving you shivers with some bizzare sights. Writer-director Osgood Perkins makes it clear in the first few minutes of the film that someone who believes in some dark occult plays a key role in these heinous killings. And the remaining narrative revolves around locating this evil occult believer who is playing a significant role in these murders, as well as how this evil individual is convincing these good family men to murder their own children and spouses. The film's story takes place in the 1990s, and these ritualistic murders have been occurring in this little community for just over two decades.

 Even after two decades, the FBI has been unable to find any clue about the serial killer or the murders. Then, a new FBI agent, 'Lee Harker' (Maika Monroe), is assigned to the case, and she quickly begins to unravel some mysteries behind these ritualistic deaths. Lee Harker seems to have some kind of  psychic capacity to detect evil within its proximity. She is also a very socially uncomfortable person who struggles to engage with others; as a result, we rarely see her establishing direct eye contact with anyone, including her colleagues. You can see that while 'Lee Harker' is attempting to solve this murder mystery, she is also dealing with mental trauma that has plagued her since her childhood. This distinct character trait immediately piques your interest in her as the narrative progresses and she gradually discovers some dark secrets about these ritualistic murders, which are also most likely linked to her past. 

Maika Monroe manages to pull off this difficult job of getting into this character while making sure it doesn't appear overly theatrical or in your face. Nicholas Cage also provides a surprisingly terrific portrayal as this weird and creepy man who is fascinated by wicked cults. Also, the make-up artists deserve special recognition for creating such a distinct and disturbing face for Nicholas Cage, that it would have been nearly impossible to identify which popular actor was playing this creepy man if it hadn't already been revealed on the film's poster.

However, most of the credit for this indie film's rising popularity among cinelovers goes to the writer-director 'Osgood Perkins'. He gives this movie a 'grainy shot on film' style look, which helps to build up a dark, unnerving feel while watching the film. He also creates a sense of coldness in the atmosphere and gradually builds that visual tension through his distinctive and innovative direction, as well as some technical choices such as not using a musical score during some important sequences which help build up an anxiety and that unnerving feel. 

For the most of its runtime, the 'Longlegs' unfolds as a spine chilling whodunit murder mystery, however, as the film progresses to its final/third act, it gradually enters into 'supernatural realm'. And because this 'supernatural realm' is fairly predictable, the film begins to lose the solid grasp it had on the audience in the first two acts with its intense, compelling narrative. From cult classics films- Silence Of The Lambs (1992), Seven (1995), Zodiac (2007), Korean film 'Memories Of Murder (2003) to popular Netflix series 'Mindhunter,' this trope of a "psychic serial killer who uses unique methods to kill his victims" has already been explored many times before. So if you are someone who does watch murder mysteries & psychological thrillers, then you would most likely be able to guess all the twists and turns the narrative will take beforehand, and most of your predictions will be accurate. It's not that 'Longlegs' completely falls apart in this final act, and turns this film into a disappointing viewing experience; in fact it's still a compelling film. It's just that if the writer- director 'Osgood Perkins' had somehow managed to make this final act more riveting, then viewing 'Longlegs' would have been an even more rewarding experience. 

Still, watching this well-crafted, spine-chilling murder mystery thriller is a fulfilling experience. 

Cast: Maika Monroe, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Nicolas Cage

Writer: Osgood Perkins

Director: Osgood Perkins

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