What do ‘Hansel und Gretel’ (2020), ‘Legally Blonde’, ‘The Monkey’, ‘Psycho II’ and ‘Longlegs’ (2024) have in common? All of these films belong to the filmography of Oz Perkins, the director of one of the most and best directed films I have seen in recent times. Honestly, it was an excellent surprise to come across this psychological horror film..... For a long time now, the industry has been growing in originality in new stories, and the freshness that can be observed in its more than one hour and forty minutes of duration is simply masterful. Although, the review, as such, starts now. However, my happiness is such that it is impossible for me not to show it.
Open shots, low lighting, fantastic cinematography and, above all, the masterful acting of one of its protagonists, Nicolas Cage, are evidence of the genius that, fortunately, we still have in today's cinema. Let's not forget that Longlegs arises in a complicated context within the offers that we can ‘choose’ at the moment of seeing a film in the cinemas. Sequels and remakes are some of the most common features that can be seen in different genres in cinema marquees around the world.
Longlegs is as simple as it is fantastic. The anticipation it generates is so abysmal, it feels like imminent danger is seconds away from attacking you. Within this choking, adrenaline-fuelled sensation, this story unfolds the search for and subsequent capture of a serial killer who cannot overlook his most primal urges. It's horror, that's undeniable, but it's also a wonderful psychological thriller. Subtle and visually beautiful. It's one of those films where the majesty of the shots goes hand in hand with the story we witness as we watch on the big screen.
Personally, I had a lot to look forward to in a film of this genre. I had given up, I admit it.... I've always been a fan of thrillers and darkness within cinema but in recent years, what I've seen, to say the least, has disappointed me greatly.... However, I felt that the time passed absurdly in a hurry to see this film. Usually, that happens to me when I'm fully immersed in what I'm doing. I still close my eyes and see that scene of Longlegs (literally, the name of the killer) in the car, driving, with the shot from the perspective of the passenger seat and how the power of Nicolas Cage's madness releases its spell. What a good act it is, for God's sake....
You know what is appreciated by a horror film buff like me? That the surprise element of the plot is not revealed in the first 30 minutes of the film, and that is precisely what you can see in Longlegs. A film that is unpretentious but no less interesting for that? In fact, it is one of those films where it is impossible to look away. And look, I saw it in the cinema, in the middle of 2024, where it is practically impossible to take your fingers off your mobile phone, and from my position in the screening room I couldn't see anyone without paying the attention that this pleasant surprise deserves. I don't give away plot secrets; I hate to do that. This is cinema, and therefore, I encourage you to see this film; it will not disappoint.