Nicholas Cage brings a new twist to the horror while being a creepy serial killer. His transformation as Longlegs might also help him bag a supporting actor nomination.
Released on 12 July this year, Longlegs have received positive feedback from reviewers and critics. Osgood Perkins, like his father Late Anthony Perkins has found his place in horror films and Longlegs is an example of this expensive taste.
Credits: NEON
Under the marketing of Neon, Longlegs will gain the position of being a cult classic, given its script, and direction by Osgood Perkins.
The indie studio Neon isn’t a new name for most cinephiles. Neon has expanded its marketing value and production by collaborating with other movies like Parasite, Anatomy of a Fall and even Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Neon Studios can be regarded as a reason behind the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once, which states that they take risks with films that will stand at the forefront of the cinematic conversation.
Was it Perkins’ script or Neon’s Marketing?
The independent production company promoted the movie in a strategic, close-to-real-life serial killer style. From having posters on Billboards to having a website to mark the killings committed by the character Longlegs.
Even the Seattle Times, had an entire half-page filled with Zodiac Killer code giving viral praise and promotion to Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs.
Credits: Seattle Times
However, the full credit can’t be given to the marketing strategy, it is the plot that engages the audience. Perkins both wrote and directed the film showing the true potential of a horror movie.
Borrowing ideas from Silence of the Lamb, Longlegs brings the creepy non-horror element that disturbs its reviewers.
The plot follows the journey of psychic FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) unraveling the whereabouts of a satanic serial killer who goes by the name Longlegs (Nicholas Cage). In an eerie setting of wintry burbs and of the Pacific Northwest, a serial killer leaves marks of families that he has murdered, thus giving more closure to Lee Harker.
Maika Monroe resembles the character of Clarice Starling from Silence of the Lamb, a socially introverted young woman trying to fit in a man’s world, whereas Cage’s Longlegs is terrifying. Cage’s screen time throughout the movie leaves the audience with a disturbing sensation which was exactly what the director intended to achieve.
Nicholas Cage and Longlegs.
Being one of the two central figures in the movie, Cage delivers a very subtle and creepy performance that would best describe the satanic serial killer, Longlegs. Cage had already shown his potential for versatile acting when it came to horror movies like Wicker Man, Mandy, and Renfield.
Cage’s potential role in Longlegs can be described as one of the reasons behind its popularity and skyrocketing success at the box office.
During his (Cage) interview with AP, he shared that making a serial killer horror movie was a healing experience. For the film, he completely turns himself into a character, whose face is almost unrecognizable, voice changes frequently, leaving the audience to wonder who the actor playing.
Credits: Instagram/Neon
The film was reviewed on Rotten Tomatoes with 87% and 66% audience score, making it a hit in the theaters.
Longlegs (2024) is a Perkins masterpiece that directs horror in a non-traditional manner, whilst keeping the old horror essence intact. From aesthetic artistic shots that bring the 1970s vibe to claustrophobic scenarios that cause uneasiness. The movie doesn’t lose its true meaning- horror.
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