Something strange happened to me leading up to the release of Longlegs.  I started to get nervous.  The marketing on the film was so good (kudos to you, Neon, on a smashing campaign) at keeping the film’s secrets while still making clear how scary it was that I almost second-guessed seeing it by myself.  The good news? I survived.  The better news?  While serial killer films are a dime a dozen, memorable cinematic nightmares like Longlegs are rare.  With its chilling atmosphere, meticulously crafted characters, and masterful direction, this haunting experience will linger long after the credits roll and you are tucked safely in bed. 

Slicing out its place in the genre with an unsettling grace, it stands out not for its terrifying premise but for exploring the darkest corners of the human psyche, reminiscent of classics like The Silence of the Lambs.  Comparisons to that 1990 Best Picture winner are inevitable (production designer Danny Vermente absolutely nods to it on several occasions), but this is no direct clone.  Characters like Clarice Starling, Hannibal Lecter, and Buffalo Bill are too etched into the public consciousness to be repurposed, and writer/director Osgood Perkins knows this.

The son of Psycho star Anthony Perkins has written and directed this masterclass in controlled menace, beginning with a scene reminiscent of the end of The Silence of the Lambs.  New FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe, Significant Other) is recruited by Agent Carter (Blair Underwood, Bad Hair) to join an unsolved murder case that has plagued the FBI for nearly three decades.  Displaying a deep sense of intuition that catches the eye of Carter, she’s awkwardly stilted when asked to be social but laser-focused when given the case files that include cryptic calling cards left at the scene signed by the elusive Longlegs (Nicolas Cage, Pig).

The family murders, gruesome crimes committed by the fathers who then take their own lives, form a grisly puzzle that has stumped the investigators since the mid-’70s.  Agent Harker, in the Clinton-era ’90s, delves deeper into the ciphers, finding occult connections and entangling herself in a web of codes and symbols as she gets closer to the killer.  Harker’s own troubled past and the strained relationship with her mother, Ruth (Alicia Witt, I Care a Lot), will factor in as Longlegs begins to haunt not just the Bureau but her as well.

Perkins has cast his film exceptionally well, starting with Monroe as a demonstrably different type of investigator than we’re used to seeing.  Her vulnerability and fear of the unknowns are palpable, and as the film unspools and its twists are revealed, even more of her performance is uncovered.  It’s work that will, I think, be valued with repeat viewings; Clarice Starling had a resolve that gave her the necessary pluck, while Harker’s stoic gaze provides a compelling anchor to a film that could have spun into chaos.

Speaking of chaos, Cage delivers yet another triumphant performance.  The movie is nearly over when we finally see Longlegs in full, but there’s plenty of teasing leading up to that reveal, which is downright freaky.  I could feel a chill zap up my spine just glimpsing his jaw early in the film.  Working with makeup effects wizard Harlow MacFarlane, Cage has given birth to a new boogeyman destined to plague our collective nightmares (and bound to be a popular Halloween costume come October).  The makeup isn’t everything, though.  For Longlegs, Cage inhabits a muted malevolence that’s more mesmerizing than any of his infamous over-the-top histrionics.  In a rollercoaster career of eclectic roles, Cage reaches a new peak, taking on this role, resisting the urge to take it into caricature (though he comes close a few times).

Continuing down the cast list, Underwood and Witt are two unexpected but dynamite choices for critical roles in this story.  As Harker’s superior, Underwood (who hasn’t aged for the past two decades; someone look into that, please) balances the authoritarian with the paternal, and he handles some of the film’s weaker moments well enough that the wrinkles they provide are smoothed out faster.  I’ve liked Witt for many years, and this is a nifty role for her. Stripped of her flame-red hair for a musty dishwater gray for much of the action, she’s tasked with a critical moment of clarity and pulls it off beautifully.  The only question mark for me was the usually reliable Kieran Shipka (Totally Killer) as the lone survivor of Longlegs’ actions.  Shipka’s tragic innocence falls prey to salty dialogue and a strange accent that feels out of place with everything else Perkins has assembled.

Following up on his previous atmospheric chillers, The Blackcoat’s Daughter and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, Perkins raises the stakes several levels with Longlegs.  Already proven to be well versed in slow-burn horror with a sophisticated, if overly drawn out, style, his methodical precision of letting dread reach a fever pitch before releasing the pressure finally pays off.  Taut and unsettling, Longlegs will, without a doubt, elevate Perkins to a new level of notoriety, and surprisingly, his restraint in violence and a focus on three-dimensional realism make the movie’s horror even more impactful.  Had this been made at a major studio, the cast would have been less exciting, and the violence kicked up several notches.  Finding a home at Neon has allowed Perkins’ freedom to be extreme but not disgusting or expected.

Filmed in Vancouver, Andrés Arochi Tinajero’s cinematography shifts seamlessly between eerie suburban homes and desolate remote locations, enhancing the film’s unsettling aura.  Paired with Vermente’s production design that alternates between the wood-paneled boredom of FBI offices and the claustrophobic tension of a killer’s lair, Tinajero seems to be able to control our pulse depending on the camera angles he uses and how much of Cage he’s showing.  That they keep him hidden for so long is akin to Spielberg holding back the shark in JAWS until the right moment.  When he appears in full, it’s tremendously effective.  Zilgi’s score is excellent in provoking a mood, adding tension to Eugenio Battaglia’s sound design without overwhelming the senses.

While it falters ever so slightly near the end, it’s a minor stumble for an overall superb entry in the serial killer genre.  It’s a movie guaranteed to haunt viewers and spike the sale of nightlights as audiences grapple with the lasting shadows it casts.  Neon has delivered big time with this Perkins project featuring Cage cast in another role he’ll be forever associated with. Hopefully, it will give Monroe that final push to the A list she’s been hovering on the outskirts of.  Brace yourself for sleepless nights – Longlegs is coming, and he’s bringing your worst nightmares with him.