From the very first frame, it is clear that director Osgood Perkins attempts to create something different with “Longlegs.” While the film may have all the trappings of the classic horror movies that came before it, such as, a mysterious killer, supernatural tendencies and a protagonist with an unknown past, the film is much more than a classic horror. It is something completely new, giving the audience levels of fear that must be seen to be believed. 

“Longlegs” follows the rookie FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) as she attempts to catch the notorious serial killer, Longlegs (Nicolas Cage), a mysterious murderer who managed to kill numerous families without leaving a single sign of his presence behind. While this plot may seem basic, Perkins manages to elevate this film by embellishing one important aspect: cinematography. 

“Longlegs” brings highly notable cinematography to the horror genre by employing almost exclusively high-quality static shots, making nearly every single frame seem like a still taken by a $10,000 camera. Thanks to this camerawork, the setting always manages to portray a haunting look, maintaining that sense of terror throughout the entire movie. 

It is difficult to avoid the marketing for “Longlegs,” with everything from cryptic posters to shaky trailers flooding the internet. The marketing of this film is enticing to even the least horror-experienced fans, making the payoff of witnessing it on-screen ever more satisfying. Even with all the visuals released, the film’s marketing manages to remain very mysterious, notably never revealing the face of the main antagonist. Such bold marketing demands an equally bold product, which the film’s antagonist more than delivers.

Cage masterfully plays the role of Longlegs, the film’s satanic murderer, hell-bent on torturing his victims through strange and unnatural means. It is clear from his first on-screen appearance that this deranged serial killer is someone who meets his reputation, if not exceeds it. Every line Cage delivers gives the audience a sense of uneasiness that lingers even when he leaves the screen. Oftentimes, horror movies offer moments of reprieve to make the horror scenes hit harder. This is not a problem with Cage’s villain, whose aura is felt constantly, even before he is mentioned and long after he leaves the camera’s view.

Monroe holds her own as well, masterfully conveying genuine horror and fear throughout the film, only to make the audience more uncomfortable. Monroe’s character, Harker, acts as the perfect antithesis to Longlegs’ more zany, goofy demeanor, with Harker never really raising her voice or betraying her stoic face,  unless she is in absolute fear. 

While most horror movies today focus on jumpscares and scary monsters to terrify their audiences, this film tries something very different. By focusing on making an atmosphere that is constantly unnerving and uncomfortable, the audience is almost never given a reprieve from fear, with every moment feeling like you could bear witness to the most terrifying scenes on screen. It can be seen as akin to a sneeze, where the viewer can feel it coming seconds before, but this sneeze never comes, leaving you in a state of distress, with goosebumps never leaving your skin, your heartbeat never slowing down and no sense of relief in sight, even as the credits roll.