Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Longlegs 

This film will get under your skin it is one of the most horrifying, bone chilling, well written horror films I have seen this year! Oz Perkins has crafted one of the most unsettling and terrifying films that really is in my opinion one of the best horror films of the decade! Now this film has a fantastic set of performances from Maika Monroe & Nicolas Cage who turn in truly outstanding work all the while delving into the twisted heart of this story head first. This film will shock, scare and unsettle you it also has a great sense of mystery to it as their are elements of supernatural horror as well as psychological horror mixed into it without it feeling like just one specific kind of genre which really makes the film stand out as it is able to stylistically explore so many different themes while still keeping the film intriguing and absolutely horrifying. Longlegs is one of the most brilliant horror films I have seen in a very long time. 

Firstly, This film has a genius way of shaping its narrative! The film draws similarities to Seven, Zodiac and Silence Of The lambs. Now it is not trying to replicate the genius of those films it definitely is doing its own thing giving a fresh and original horror film but the tone of it at times you can see is very much in the same vein of those amazing psychological films. The film is able to bring such a grim feel and overarching sense of dread across the screen that makes you feel on edge the entire time. The way the film is done is through the eyes of this young detective assigned to the case due to her ability of having a sharp eye to the crime but as the film progresses we learn she may be more personally tied to the investigation then thought originally. We see how her brain operates though the endless research she does on the killer at hand but also the feeling if she isn’t carful enough she could be the next victim. The film uses her as the way we see the events of the film be shown and through her we also see the sheer anxiety, fear and on paranoia drive through her mind and that paranoia is shown onscreen in such genus ways of getting into the audiences heads. There are choices made in order to scare the audience that isn’t done through cheap jump scares but seeps under your skin and makes you feel totally unsettled in the ways it is done. Since the film is very much about the main character going through so much mental terror they put that onto the audience so when she hears a knock at the door or see’s a shadowy figure in her house that sense of sheer anxiety is shared from the character to the viewer in such a brilliant ability. As most horror films use swelling music and then cut it to then scare the viewers but since this film takes the smart approach of having the music at a low level the entire time you can never tell when someone could be lurking around the corner which makes for a more  Anxiety driven experience. Oz Perkins is able to revisit a genre that has been tackled so many times but do it in a way that feels fresh and very much singular to his style. The film is so anxiety inducing while also playing out like a detective crime mystery film through the lens of a horror film that is able to explore themes of Trauma, Devil worshipers, religion and their all shown in such a honest way that makes you feel so much more attached to the characters onscreen while also knowing more about them that you can understand who they are but the antagonists of the film their backstories aren’t explored as much to keep that sense of mystery is preserved to have the audience terrified by their motives and onscreen presence. The writing is genius as its able to show all these multiple layers of horror and also its ever evolving plot and not knowing where it will take us within the next few minutes it keeps you guessing to the end while also immersing you in the setting it takes place in. It feels like the 1990’s as the way the set, costumes and sheer look of the frame is done it feels so perfectly painted to feel like this could have been released 30 years ago. It also is able to be a commentary on trauma and it’s many forms of dealing with it when compressed for so long Longlegs is able to be many things and execute each theme effortlessly while also affectively scaring the audience in such a way that will make the viewer feel so uncomfortable by the sheer feeling the film gives which no horror film has done in such a terrific way in many years . The writing is outstanding and greatly fleshes its characters out while delivering some of the best  horror and suspense that has been written in years for its genre.  

Secondly, The performances of the two main actors truly are terrific! Maika Monroe Delivers a fantastic leading role as the detective with a gift for figuring out this case many had deemed impossible to solve. As she is not your typical leading lady when it comes to crime, mystery films. She is very quiet, keeps to herself but always observing everything and thinking of the next possible puzzle piece to complete the big picture to the case at hand. She is able to tell show the sheer fear and anxiety though her eyes and the tremble of her voice echoing the sheer terror she could be the next one of his victims if she isn’t carful about how she goes about the case. Maika is amazing and gives a tremendous leading role to this film then you have Nicolas Cage who delivers one of his most unsettling and skin crawling performances of his career as the role of Longlegs. Now a lot isn’t known about the character’s motive and why he kills people there is a big mysterious aura around him and Nicolas is able to play with that in such a smart and chilling way. He has this unpredictable feeling to his character that makes you feel like he could strange you or laugh at you within seconds which is terrifying and Nicolas Cage channels that unpredictability in his performance in a way that is both entertaining but also bone chillingly terrifying. Both performances are terrific and contribute amazing things to the screen that will blow you away. 

Lastly, Longlegs is one of the most brilliant, terrifying, well written and all around one of the years best films that is a horror film that is truly one of the most fresh films of the decade! Oz Perkins takes the themes of classic psychological thriller and horror films that have come before it and Put a fresh take on it that feels engaging and so compelling to watch unfold in front of you. Longlegs has such a unpredictable feeling to the frame that will have you so unsettled and in constant fear of not knowing what lingers around the dark corners in each scene it is a brilliant film that is a genius film that is one of the best films of its genre to come out this year Longlegs is terrific I recommend everyone go  see this film it is a smaller scale horror film but it is so worth it. 

This film centres around a FBI agent tasked with taking down a serial killer that has slipped through the cracks of many agents and wanting to nail him before he finds his next victim. 

Rated R : Disturbing Images|Bloody Violence|Some Language

Maika Monroe : Monroe delivers a subtle but yet affective performance that really drew me in and thoroughly impressed me! She plays this FBI agent that is very good at her job but is a whirlwind of anxiety and stress. Now This amazingly talented actress got everyone’s attention back in 2014 with the now cult classic It Follows. Ever since then she still does movies but for some reason has flew very much under the radar in terms of popularity. Now I have seen a ton of murder mystery films and the only character she reminded me of was Clarice Starling from Silence Of The Lambs as she is the only fictional FBI agent aside from Maika’s character in this film that is very subtle as most FBI agents in films are very showy and loud emotionally she pulls back a lot in terms of her delivery. She is so quiet and emotionally numb that we see the only interaction she has most with is her boss as she has no friends the only family interaction she has is on the phone with her mom until the final act of the film where she visits her and she begins to play a bigger role in the story later on. So very much for the film the only talking she has is with the people she is assigned to talk to on the job showing how career driven she is but also how she is not one for really putting herself outside her Job socially once she leaves the office. As you can see her boss tries his best to get her to not have her nose down her paperwork and look up to someone once and a while which is tough for her as she is so used to being in that solo living routine being asked to go socialize  she will accept but it results in her behaviour coming across very quiet and one worded replies in conversation. Mika is able to channel that social awkwardness so well through her body language and her ability to use her eyes to communicate so much to the audience without having to say anything. She also then the next minute is able to have such intense emotions shifting around her heart and you can see the sheer anxiety build up in her body but since she won’t scream or rarely lets that intense emotion out of her body it comes out in bits of panic attacks and overwhelming amounts of emotion. Maika is able to show that vulnerable side of her in such a way that is genuine and heartbreaking while keeping the audience gripped into what she wants to say but never lets herself psychically say so it is mostly shown through her body language. Maika delivers a performance of a character that clearly has some untreated trauma and once she comes to a realization that she is closer to this case then she originally thought it is like her reopening a wound and feeling that trauma for the first time all over again and Maika truly gives a great performance of the FBI agent obsessed with solving this case all the while dealing with her own emotional hell she goes on. Overall Maika delivers a truly incredible performance that Is one of the strongest of her career! 

Nicolas Cage : Cage delivers an unsettling but genius performance that may just be his most terrifying work of his amazing career! Now it isn’t a surprise to anyone that Nicolas Cage is a great actor he has proven that time and time again with so many films from Moonstruck, Joe, Pig, Leaving Las Vegas Matchstick Man and many more. So he clearly knows how to give a great performance when he wants to. Now he isn’t in this film much physically but his presence is constantly lingering over the frame even if he isn’t there. As he is like a figure in the dark that you constantly look over your shoulder with sheer paranoia like a set of eyes are on you only to see nothing behind you that is how Nicolas Cage made his character’s contribution to the screen be like. Their are moments where you see him by just walking into a store and chatting with a cashier but he is just talking to her but their is a constant unnerving feeling that he could just lunge at her and strangle her out but he dose not do that it’s the sheer fear of what he could do that keeps you on constant edge. Nicolas Cage is definitely aware of the mystery this character has around him and constantly has this very smiling giggling like sound and look to his face and voice and its creepy because we know what he is capable of. He also is someone that has a lot of range building up under the surface you can tell as the blackness in his eyes show something of sinister work at hand behind those eyes of his. Cage brings such a terrifying aspect to this character but also a playfulness and unpredictable quality to him that makes him really leave a great lasting impression on the audience. Nicolas Cage is able to channel a darker part of his heart and find where longlegs lives in his acting range he had yet to explore and he shows such skin crawling sides to him we had never seen ever and its truly a special performance he wields into existence. Cage delivers his dialogue with a skin raising uncomfortable believability that will stun you and amaze you it is truly an outstanding performance from him that is among the best of his career. 

Oz Perkins : Perkins delves into the dark heart of crime and murder with such a great attention to detail towards his plot, style and characters. Now I saw one film of Perkins before this which was his take on Hansel and Gretel which to say the least was very unique in his depiction of it. Now you can though see he had a very specific vision for that film that either you got it or didn’t and so when I heard he was doing Longlegs I wasn’t that surprised but was very interested to see him tackle a murder mystery horror film. So seeing him go into territory he had yet to explore was so exciting to see him keep finding places creatively he had yet to go. Now he is able to have a grim and creepy filter that is felt through each scene of this film and I love that as it made you constantly on edge not knowing what would be coming next. You can clearly tell since Hansel he has found new creative ways of brining the audience into his stories as their even is a scene where their is a murder that takes place and it is done in a one shot sequence which captures the sheer anxiety of that moment perfectly through the great use of the camera which itself is a character in the film due to how it positions itself. Perkins explores themes of Devil worshipping, Paranormal horror, old school classic horror and then murder mystery on top of it and he is able to go Into all those areas of storytelling and affectively tell his story with it feeling like something we haven’t seen before and keeping his take on those themes fresh and so interesting. Oz Perkins makes the film about a manhunt but treats it like the zodiac killer in the way the killer leaves clues for the authorities and then even tackles the theme of trauma and what happens when it goes untreated for years and years and how it can affect someone when they have to experience it all over again as if it was happening to them for the first time. Perkins shows his growth as a filmmaker with how well he tackles the themes of this film and fleshes his characters in a way that best suits them without giving away to much that it takes away their mystique. He also has great genuine scares that is some of the most horrifying sequences of its genre I have seen in years and Perkins delivers a truly special film that will be discussed for years to come he truly has outdone himself giving one of the best directed films of his career with his work on the film.