At The Movies: Longlegs

Not usually a fan of horror movies, I really liked this one – though I would classify it more as a murder mystery. FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), who has a bit of a natural, almost psychic, instinct for solving puzzles, is assigned to a case of unsolved serial murders spanning decades. They all appear to be murder-suicides carried out by the father of the house against his wife and daughter – except at each scene there is a mysterious coded letter all signed “Longlegs”.

Harker identifies a pattern emerging around timing of the deaths and the birthdays of the young female victims, and eventually breaks the coded messages which are linked to the occult. Longlegs (a barely recognisable Nicholas Cage) presents as a pretty weird-looking but terrifying individual, though nobody knows what he looks like. Harker uses her investigative talents to track down a survivor of one of the murders, Carrie-Anne Camera (Kiernan Shipka), but who is in a mental institution. Harker’s meeting with Carrie-Anne leads her to believe that Longlegs has an accomplice – but who?

The further she delves into these bizarre murders, the more it appears that Harker herself has a personal connection. Her boss, Agent Carter (Blair Underwood), orders her to visit her mother Ruth (Alicia Witt), but only gets cryptic answers and nothing definite.

In this well-produced and directed movie, Longlegs is seen briefly at the start but then not seen again until well into the story – or the further Harker gets into the investigation. When he does appear, Cage certainly makes his evil character send chills down your spine! If you like mysteries and are not averse to a scare or two, then this is well worth a visit to the cinema.

Movie Review by John Glennie

Showing now in all cinemas
Rating: MA15+
Runtime: 101 minutes