Horror fans are a tough bunch to impress.
There are such vast differences between what one person finds to be chilling and what makes another person’s skin crawl. Scary can mean many different things. Still, any real horror fan knows that feeling when they get when watching a great film.
For months, Longlegs has been praised online as the next film to scare and mesmerize. Will it deliver?
For Longlegs, there’s a feeling of anticipation before you even hit your theater seat.
Let’s face it — horror movies haven’t delivered big in recent years. There could be a lot of factors that play into that, but it’s hard to pick a title that has gotten widespread hype. The fact that there’s so much buzz—particularly on social media—around Longlegs can’t be ignored as part of its appeal.
For the dedicated horror fans who are headed to theaters to see if this one is the real deal, you’re likely thinking about the last time a film truly made your stomach turn as you get settled into your seat. Depending on your tastes, Longlegs could be that film.
That anxious feeling won’t leave you as you watch the film.
The tense score and cinematography add to the anxious atmosphere that reigns supreme throughout the film. The Satanic serious killer is at the heart of the film’s action and deals in the kind of cat-and-mouse action that keeps you glued to the screen.
That’s not to say that the film brings anything completely unheard of to the genre.
Many of the disappointed viewers who shared thoughts (and spoilers) online felt that given the hype, the horror elements didn’t live up to it—which, in part, is because this horror is also rooted in mystery.
It’s written and directed by Osgood (Oz) Perkins.
Horror fans might be familiar with Oz Perkins’ penchant for haunting imagery and palpable dread. If you’re not, it’s fair to note that there’s definitely room to argue about his body of horror thus far (While there were some fans of The Blackcoat’s Daughter, Gretel & Hansel enjoyed less success).
And as a bonus, non-horror fans will know Oz Perkins for his role as David in Legally Blonde.
Here’s a (spoiler-free) look at what audiences are saying
If you’re a horror fan deciding whether or not to see the film, here’s a look at some of the internet discourse around it.
#Longlegs isn’t the scariest film ever, but it IS a FANTASTIC 90s set serial killer film reminiscent of silence of the lambs & se7en. The eerie cinematography & sound design create such a dread filled atmosphere that’s enough to give anyone chills, + Monroe and Cage are SUPERB!! pic.twitter.com/OKy5WxaELc
— maika monroe archive (@LoveMaikaM) July 13, 2024
LONGLEGS is scary in ways horror hasn’t been scary in years.
— Slasher Reviews 〇° (@SlasherReviews) July 12, 2024
Took me back to the rare feeling of being a kid and watching a scary movie where I felt something evil may have attached itself onto me afterwards because I watched something that didn’t feel demonic but was demonic. pic.twitter.com/2rUZRnpS2h
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