Filmmaker Osgood Perkins’ eerie, occultist serial-killer horror thriller “Longlegs” opens with a psyche-rattling sequence, barely a minute or two long, in which he crafts a chilling sense of shock, awe and humor simply through shot composition, editing and performance. It unsettles the viewer on a bone-deep level, the tension bursting like a bubble on a bravura music cue.
It is scary — only because of how it is presented formally, not necessarily thanks to any of the basic actions or imagery on screen — and it is thrilling because Perkins announces from the outset his audacious approach to tone as well as his mastery of cinematic technique to create suspense. The tension never lets up throughout “Longlegs,” though it is peppered with a dry, black humor that somehow just makes everything more disturbing. (…)
This movie was a triumph of acting and cinematography, but oh boy, what a terrible script.
Couldn’t agree more! Nicholas Cage’s catchphrase in this movie - trying to avoid spoilers - came off more cringey than scary.
I do have to say that the first half was sensational. The atmosphere, tension and Twin Peaks references were all working for me. They just didn’t stick the landing in the third act at all.