Viewers have been left deeply unsettled by a new movie that has been hailed the "best horror film of 2024."
Now, I don't usually go to the cinema to watch horror movies, but when I heard the reviews for this one, I just knew it would be worth the watch.
Directed by Oz Perkins, Longlegs follows the story of an FBI agent who has been tasked with tracking down an occultist serial killer responsible for murdering multiple families across America.
However, while on the case, she uncovers some terrifying truths that will change her life forever.
The thriller stars the likes of Maika Monroe, who has played notable roles in other movies such as Watcher (2022) and Greta (2018) alongside the ever-so-talented Nicolas Cage, who leaves viewers clutching their pearls with his portrayal of the antagonist in the film.
After the release of the flick earlier this month, social media users have not stopped talking about it online with many hailing it as the "best horror film of ‘24."
"I was so lucky to see #Longlegs, and no exaggeration: it could be the best horror film of ‘24. Oz Perkins can really get under my skin; this is his masterpiece. Monroe gives a fabulously unique lead performance, and Cage? NIGHTMARISH. Maybe the scariest 1st 10 mins, ever," wrote one user, while another added: "#Longlegs is such an unsettling movie. Nicolas Cage is unlike you've ever seen him before and he is absolutely fantastic. Maika Monroe is great here as the lead, and it's always great to see Blair Underwood. It's not the scariest movie, but it is unnerving and sticks with you."
A third user pointed out: "The scariest part of Longlegs is the rot and indifference of its empty world. The ciphers, scares, and even Nicolas Cage’s wild performance are window dressing. Agents gunned down in broad daylight, entire annihilated families lie undiscovered for months — does anyone even care?"
And this rave review was posted by another X user: "LONGLEGS is scary in ways horror hasn’t been scary in years. Took me back to the rare feeling of being a kid and watching a scary movie where I felt something evil may have attached itself onto me afterwards because I watched something that didn’t feel demonic but was demonic."
Speaking of how he managed to encapsulate the "demonic" inspiration behind the titular serial killer, Cage revealed that he just referred to moments in his own childhood with his mother.
"Not that she was Satanic," Cage clarified in a recent interview with AP, but said witnessing her struggle with mental illness throughout his life was something he needed to process. "In my approach to try and get more personal with my film performances, I’ve been trying to find a constructive place to put my memories of my mother."
Elsewhere he also revelled in how the genre allowed him to explore characters on a deeper level.
"I have always maintained that horror, when done well, is genuinely surreal. It’s dream logic. It doesn’t have to rely on physics or reality. It can allow actors to express themselves in other ways besides that which is considered the arbiter of great acting, which is 1970s naturalism," he lamented. "That is good, but we’ve done it again and again, ad infinitum, ad nauseum."
And let's just say, Cage really hit the mark with his portrayal of Longlegs - so much so that even his co-star Monroe was left reeling.
"...He's completely transformed in arguably one of his best performances ever and it's just one of those moments where you... have to pinch yourself," she told Discussing Film.
The director also had only the best words to describe the actor's authenticity when it comes to acting stating that when he reads a script, he wants to remain true to the original words.
"He doesn’t want to improvise. He doesn’t want to write his own stuff. He wants to see the character as written and try to find how to make it work for him," he said of Cage.
Longlegs is now available to watch in all major theatres.
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