The hype surrounding Oz Perkins’ Longlegs is something of a perfect storm. For starters, Perkins (the filmmaker behind The Blackcoat’s Daughter, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in The House, and Gretel & Hansel) has felt poised for a breakout hit for some time now. For another, the film stars living legend Nicolas Cage, and the glimpses we have caught of him in the film’s trailers indicate he’s doing something Big and Weird in this role, something that always gets people talking. And then there are those trailers themselves, which have whipped the horror crowd into a frenzy with their sinister vibes and chilling imagery. People are champing at the bit to see this movie, us included.
Longlegs won’t arrive in theaters until July 12th, but last night NEON began showing the film off to critics, and guess what, folks? The word is good.
Already quite confident calling #LONGLEGS my favorite Oz Perkins film.
Those teasers sell it well. The mystery/unsolved serial killer case is wildly fascinating and HUGELY unnerving. No spoilers, of course, but where things land? I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I tend to… pic.twitter.com/IFOjODb3rb
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) May 10, 2024
LONGLEGS: a mesmerizing horror film that swallows the viewer whole. Enrapturing and seductive, you feel the terror in your bones. Oz Perkins slays; the cast, including Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe, get it on. LONGLEGS is one of the best films of 2024. (Un)Holy Hell! @neonrated pic.twitter.com/182tjENzhJ
— doloresquintana (@doloresquintana) May 9, 2024
LONGLEGS (2024): Holy shit. Oz Perkins has crafted an outstandingly bleak and fiendish investigative thriller. It’s so violently evil (😈). A film that lingers in your thoughts, under your skin, and in the pit of your stomach well after it’s over. Perkins’ best (so far). pic.twitter.com/cw99b5ChIq
— Matt Donato (@DoNatoBomb) May 9, 2024
Get ready y’all because Longlegs is the real deal. Absolutely rancid, cursed vibes that had me scared to enter my dark hotel room. Maika Monroe is stunning and Cage is disturbing. This is Osgood Perkins in top form.
A contemporary Silence of the Lambs, methinks. pic.twitter.com/Alm9tUHXmS
— Mary Beth McAndrews (@mbmcandrews) May 9, 2024
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. pic.twitter.com/ImMEDDxGXi
— Bill Bria (@billbria) May 9, 2024
#Longlegs builds tension and does not let up, with a an eerie use of colors to enhance dread. Maika Monroe gives a pained performance while Nicholas Cage’s maniacal acting cranks up the unrelenting discomfort. pic.twitter.com/wZ1NWU2ffI
— Speak Up/Save Palestine (@DarkSkyLady) May 9, 2024
Music to our ears! This is precisely what we were hoping to hear about Longlegs, and … well, on the one hand, it’s always nice to see strongly positive early reactions to a movie you’ve been looking forward to. But on the other hand, all this acclaim does have the adverse effect of making the wait for Longlegs even harder. Perhaps the folks at NEON are trying to torture us? If so, well done.
As previously reported: Longlegs stars Maika Monroe as FBI Agent Lee Harker, who finds herself tasked with tracking down Nicolas Cage’s serial killer. Somehow, this investigation will involve eerily lifelike dolls and heavy occult overtones. Also in the cast: Blair Underwood, Kiernan Shipka, Alicia Witt, and Lisa Chandler.
Stay tuned for more on Longlegs between now and its July 12th arrival in theaters.
