It’s 1974. A cryptic serial killer known only as Long Legs is leaving behind a string of murders tied to occult symbols and coded messages. Enter FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), an intuitive and emotionally reserved profiler whose connection to the case runs deeper than expected. As the bodies pile up, Harker must navigate her own past, psychic intuition, and a very real evil to stop a killer that might not be entirely human.
🎥 The Format
Directed by Osgood Perkins, Long Legs leans fully into analog dread. It’s a retro-styled procedural horror film soaked in grainy film textures, oppressive stillness, and surreal editing. Think Zodiac meets Hereditary, with Nicolas Cage showing up in a deeply disturbing third-act reveal as the titular killer — more demon than man.
There’s not a ton of dialogue. And the quiet? It’s weaponized. Scenes hang just a beat too long, or cut away just before resolution, making you sit in the discomfort. And it works.
✅ What Makes It Work
The atmosphere is masterfully crafted. Cade called it “true analog horror” — and not in the jump-scare, VHS-core way. It’s slow evil. The film uses silence, shadow, and suggestion to dig under your skin.
Kit was especially struck by how the movie forces you to feel what Harker feels without spoon-feeding exposition. You’re as unsettled and unsure as she is, which makes the psychic subplot feel earned, not gimmicky.
And then there's Nicolas Cage. His screen time is limited, but unforgettable. It's Cage as a full-blown nightmare, draped in hair and whispered menace. The decision to hold back his presence until late in the game? Genius.
⚠️ What Doesn’t Land
The film’s ambiguity will either fascinate or frustrate. You won’t get clean answers. In fact, you may leave the theater asking, “Wait, what was that ending?”
Also, the slow pacing — which we loved — might test the patience of anyone expecting a more conventional thriller. It’s not here to entertain you with action. It wants to haunt you.
💸 Should It Have a Bigger Budget?
Honestly? No. Long Legs thrives in its minimalism. A higher budget might have invited over-explaining, slicker production, or studio interference. This is horror as art — better left unpolished.
🎯 The Verdict
Kit gave it an 7.5. Cade gave it a 7. This is elevated horror that isn’t trying to be “elevated.” It’s just good — weird, nerve-rattling, and surprisingly intimate.
Expect this one to be divisive, but for horror fans who like their nightmares slow-burned and whisper-quiet, Long Legs will crawl under your skin and stay there.
📺 Where to Watch
Currently in theaters via NEON. Check local listings — especially for smaller indie cinemas.
🍿 Pair This Movie With...
-
Snack: A black-and-white cookie (comforting but eerie in its duality)
-
Drink: Cold coffee with a splash of something strange
-
Activity: Rewatch The Ring or Zodiac for that same creeping dread
If The Silence of the Lambs and The Babadook had a cursed VHS baby raised on true crime podcasts — this would be it. Disturbing. Artful. Unforgettable.
🍏 Apple Podcasts