If you’ve been to a movie theater recently, or just been on any social media, you’ve most likely seen ads and posters advertising a new horror movie, “Longlegs”. Many people are claiming the film to be the best horror movie of 2024. The Washington Post goes as far as saying “Nerve-jangling and devilishly bleak, “Longlegs” is easily the front-runner for scariest movie of 2024.” But can this claim really be supported?
Starting off with the cast of this film, Nicholas Cage, an incredibly famous and prevalent actor, starring in films such as “National Treasure” and “Renfield,” makes his appearance as the main villain in this movie, which the movie is named after. The main character is played by Maika Monroe, who stars in a number of other horror films like “It Follows” and “Watcher.” Her experience in horror films definitely shows here, and she kills the role of Lee Harker, an FBI agent on the hunt for an infamous serial killer by the alias of Longlegs. Lee’s mother in the movie is played by Alicia Witt, who does a stunning job of making things religiously eerie, and is another substantial character to the plot.
The movie itself is shot incredibly, with dull colors in parts to make the tone seem dreary, and more vibrant colored parts to make the scene feel hyper realistic. The movie starts with a minute long segment introducing the cast with a bright red background and dark letters. As the cast is introduced, disturbing images flash on the screen, including future clips of the movie. They play the song “Get it On” by the English rock band T. Rex. during the intro, and even quote the slightly disturbing lyrics: “Well you’re slim and you’re weak / You’ve got the teeth of the hydra upon you / You’re dirty, sweet, and you’re my girl.” This opening scene is barely a glimpse into the strange art of the film, that expertly captures the insanity of the situation in the movie.
The story starts with a snippet of agent Lee Harker’s past, where she comes face to face with the killer at a young age. This is then the beginning of Harker’s spiral into the case, using her almost psychic intuition to try and catch the infamous killer. As the case continues to get darker, the killer himself starts leaving letters and clues for Harker. After an intense build up of confusion and horror, the movie finally peaks with an insane plot twist and an end sequence that will have you on the edge of your seat. The story was well written, and really managed to get its hooks in you and grab your attention to bring you along for the ride.
With all of “Longlegs” positive reviews, people are beginning to claim it as the best horror movie of 2024, with little to no competition. With three months left in the year, not many more horror movies will likely be released, leaving the top seat for “Longlegs”. If you wanted to compare it to some other films released this year, some highlights of 2024 would be “Late Night With the Devil,” “I Saw the TV Glow,”and “Immaculate.” Overall, once the few more horror films of 2024 release, it begs the question of whether “Longlegs” will come out on top among the rest of the fantastic films that emerged this year.
