Longlegs (2024)

It does seem very hypocritical to say, and also defeats the purpose of cinema viewing-but I do wish that when I went to see horror films at the cinema, the screening room was completely empty outside of myself. In general, I much prefer sitting in an empty cinema, able to enjoy the experience on my own, and allowed to immerse myself totally, without being distracted by the rustling of packets, people talking, or being on their wretched phones.

Horror especially, is ruined for me by a full cinema. I went to see Oz Perkins' (son of Anthony) new film Longlegs this week, and although it's certainly not an out and out horror, it without doubt falls into the psychological horror sub genre. The problem was that- although a sold out screening is good for business and cinema in general- any moments that could be described as creepy or scary are simply not due to the giggling, shouting, and talking during them.

In a full cinema, jump scares are instantly followed by laughter, usually by groups who have come together and then laugh at whichever members of that group have jumped at said scare, then talk about it. This just completely removes me from the film, and any tension which may have been built up.

For horror to work, I have to be immersed in it, and through no fault of Longlegs itself, I simply wasn't. I was constantly aware of everyone around me having too good a time. Which is a shame, because Perkins proves himself more than capable with this Silence of the Lambs-lite thriller.

A superb Maika Monroe is FBI Agent Lee Harker, who is assigned to a serial killer case alongside Blair Underwood's Agent Carter. A murderer calling themselves 'Longlegs' is seemingly persuading Fathers to kill their own families then themselves, and the FBI are nowhere with solving the crimes. The film has an impressive ad campaign behind it, as well as reviews claiming it's one of the scariest films in years, and one of the decades finest horrors.

It's neither of these things, but it is well made, well acted, and proficient enough to keep an eye on Perkins' career trajectory. The style of the film offers an interesting watch, and the performance of Nicholas Cage is good enough to persuade you that he's far from done in cinema. It's not that he's particularly scary, more that he's totally unhinged; you might want to laugh whenever he comes on screen, but you also feel a sense of worry in doing so.

What makes the film successful is Monroe's performance. We know from the opening sequence she has some sort of history with Cage's character, and is clearly haunted by her past as well as her Mother who she tries to avoid seeing. Monroe nails a character who's constantly on the edge, someone who is also seemingly partly psychic, and an individual whose inner demons are also key to solving the cases' riddle.

The solutions to Longlegs can all be drawn up fairly early, which does takeaway any element of shock or surprise. However the way in which we reach the finale is never dull, and always engaging which in itself is very much something to be applauded in this genre. Although the film is far from the masterpiece many have suggested, neither is it the crushing bore of a disappointment that Barbarian (2022) was. 7.0/10