Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage Star In Longlegs
Jul 11, 2024
LONGLEGS opens July 12th
The idea of a homicidal psychopath on the loose is one of the most horrifying things one can imagine. That being said, it is surprising that there are not more horror movies focused specifically on serial killers and the investigations into their crimes. However, LONGLEGS is such a film that audiences should have no trouble associating with the genre.
The thriller, which is creeping into AMC Theatres on Friday, July 12th, has been recognized as an AMC Artisan Film. See if you might be able to brave the unsettling twists and turns in LONGLEGS with our guide below.
A title like LONGLEGS might give an unassuming moviegoer the idea that the plot could revolve around some monstrously large, spider-like creature wreaking havoc on a community. Indeed, the film does involve a terrifying predatory force on the loose, but one of a more frighteningly familiar and realistic sort. The word “Longlegs” refers to the only known alias of a dangerous serial killer.
The story follows a young FBI agent committed to ending the murderer’s killing spree. Through her research of all the evidence she and her team can find, she uncovers clues related to the Occult, which are unsettling enough. However, she comes to realize that she is in for the fight of her life when signs show that she may have her own personal link to Longlegs.
Leading the LONGLEGS cast as the young FBI agent on the case is Maika Monroe, who cemented her Scream Queen status a decade earlier as a woman hunted by a shape-shifting entity in IT FOLLOWS. She has since fallen prey to the likes of alien invasions in THE 5TH WAVE and INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE and voyeurism in WATCHER, but LONGLEGS sees the actor going toe-to-toe with her most chilling threat yet.
Embodying that threat as the titular killer is Nicolas Cage. The Academy AwardⓇ winner has always been known to give no less than 100% in his portrayals of the most unsettling characters in his repertoire – such as Castor Troy in 1997’s FACE/OFF or even Dracula in 2023’s RENFIELD – but Longlegs might be his scariest role yet. A promotional video reveals that Monroe’s heart rate increased heavily when she first laid eyes on her co-star in character.
LONGLEGS is the fourth feature from writer and director Osgood “Oz” Perkins, who was already born into horror royalty as the son of PSYCHO’s Norman Bates actor, Anthony Perkins. He even made his own acting debut as the killer’s younger self in 1983’s PSYCHO II.
Perkins’ bleak creative vision was first introduced in 2015 when he made his directorial debut with the A24 thriller THE BLACKCOAT’S DAUGHTER, which he followed with Netflix’s I AM THE PRETTY THING THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE the next year. He more recently directed Sophia Lillis and Samuel Leakey as the title characters of his dark take on a classic fairy tale, 2020’s GRETEL & HANSEL, and his next feature – an adaptation of Stephen King’s short story, “The Monkey,” is set for an early 2025 release.
A good way to test for just how much of an intense and alarming experience LONGLEGS will provide lies in the film’s official trailer. Try not to get too creeped out by watching the clip for yourself below:
The teaser masterfully keeps things mysterious by never quite spelling out exactly what the story entails, but provides just the right amount of details, and sets the tone effectively enough to entice interest. It subtly paints an intriguing portrait of Monroe’s character, highlighting the challenges she faces as a woman in her profession and hints at her own dark secrets. The editing of the promo is especially impressive, in its use of startling sound effects and showing only brief glimpses of Cage as Longlegs, in order to keep his appearance a surprise.
It is fitting that LONGLEGS — a film that fuses a crime drama with horror elements — is being distributed by Neon, which is a studio that has recently put out some acclaimed horror films and crime thrillers alike. For instance, in late 2023, the company released ANATOMY OF A FALL – a French courtroom drama that received five OscarⓇ nominations and earned one for co-writer and director Justine Triet’s original screenplay.
Earlier this year, star and producer Sydney Sweeney played a nun who discovers a disturbing secret about her convent in IMMACULATE, which received rave reviews for its shocking scares. Neon is also producing Monroe’s next horror film, THEY FOLLOW, in which she will reprise her role as Jay Height from IT FOLLOWS.
LONGLEGS opens July 12th
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