- This is how Nicolas Cage is doing as a serial killer.
A Mysterious Title. A Leading Lady Who Proved Her Horror Chops Ten Years Ago. And A Nicolas "Mr. Overacting" Cage (60) Who Seems To Have Shed His Last Inhibitions For His Portrayal Of The Namesake Serial Killer. These Pieces Of The Puzzle, Combined With Stunning Visuals, Seem To Have Created The Perfect Film For All Cinema-Goers Looking For A Chill Down Their Spines This Summer. But Is "Longlegs" (In Theaters: August 8th) A Clear Recommendation For All Horror Enthusiasts, As The Hype Suggests? Not Quite So Simple.
A Sixth Sense For Horror - That's What It's About
Young FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe, 31) seems to have a sixth sense for tracking down serial killers. At least, that's what her superiors believe, and they put her on a disturbing case where they've been completely in the dark so far. A brutal killer has been active for decades, slaughtering entire families and leaving cryptic messages signed "Longlegs."
Except for the encrypted texts, Longlegs never leaves any evidence at the crime scenes, suggesting that someone else is committing the unimaginable acts in his place. But who would do such a thing?
Cinema Of The Mind Par Excellence
The first half of "Longlegs" masterfully turns on the cinema of the mind. The mysterious cases could have come straight out of Thomas Harris' (83) book series about Hannibal Lecter. The oppressive cinematography lets the anxious gaze wander across the screen in every chosen shot. The entranced-seeming main character who appears to move through a nightmare: In a subtle yet highly atmospheric way, the film creates unease. The cinematic equivalent of a band-aid being slowly pulled off with sadistic pleasure.
Like Ari Aster's (38) feature film debut "Hereditary - The Inheritance," the pressure builds with every passing second. Cleverly placed violence hints at what will happen when director Oz Perkins (50) finally releases the intentionally applied brakes in the final act of his film. But here lies the problem with "Longlegs." Unlike "Hereditary," whose final fifteen minutes is a overwhelming cacophony that even seasoned horror fans' jaws drop, "Longlegs" commits a cardinal sin: It serves up the solution to the supernatural mystery as a bedtime story. Of all the victims in the film, the mantra "Show, don't tell" is perhaps most brutally massacred.
Opposites Attract
The portrayal of the two main protagonists, Agent Harker on one side and the monster Longlegs on the other side of the law, is interesting. It's hard to believe it's been ten years since Maika Monroe's "Scream Queen" star rose with the surprise hit "It Follows." In "Longlegs," she embodies her character with almost emotionless lethargy, only broken in extreme exceptional situations. This feels strange, but: Without giving too much away, the film manages to provide a satisfactory explanation for this in the final act.
About Nicolas Cage? The Hollywood star was likely instructed to turn up his already over-the-top acting to the max - and then some. As the blond-locked, chalk-white monster Longlegs, he appears only rarely in the film's roughly 100 minutes. But when he does, he's that unpredictable force of nature that director Perkins himself described hiring him for. On working with the Oscar winner ("Leaving Las Vegas"), Perkins said: "It's like bringing a tiger into the film. The tiger will do what a tiger does, and I won't get in its way."
The first half of "Longlegs" is indeed the more effective. The film teases its monster, showing it initially only partially and vaguely - the rest is left to the viewer's imagination. But Cage's performance in the second half is a different story. Instead of lurking menacingly in the dark, he appears as an occult killer - and absolutely manic. The audience is left oscillating between two extremes: Should they be scared of him or laugh out loud? Cage's answer seems to be: Why not both?
Conclusion:
The first half of "Longlegs" builds atmosphere and tension that the second half unfortunately can't maintain. As is often the case in horror, the build-up is scarier than the payoff. "Longlegs" only disappoints if you let the PR hype get to you beforehand. The main actors aren't to blame: Maika Monroe delivers once again, and Nicolas Cage's scenes, though sparse, leave a lasting impression. Perkins' comparison of Cage to an unpredictable tiger is spot-on. And boy, did he let the tiger out of its cage.
In the film "Longlegs," Nicolas Cage delivers an unpredictable and over-the-top performance as the serial killer, showcasing his renowned ability to be a force of nature on screen. Despite his limited screen time, his manic portrayal leaves a lasting impression on the viewers.
With his chalk-white hair and eerie demeanor, Nicolas Cage as Longlegs in "Longlegs" is a far cry from his previous roles, proving that he is not afraid to shed his inhibitions and embrace the challenges of portraying a serial killer.
