Movie Review: LongLegs
Two things cross my mind when I see a movie being aggressively promoted:
It's either so good that the studio knows it'll do well and doesn't want people missing out on it, or the studio isn't so sure of the experiment and, as such, needs to drum up enough interest so that they at least break even.
LongLegs had quite a good promotion that sincerely piqued my interest. One, Nicolas Cage was starring in it. Two, I'm a horror movie lover. So, naturally, I wanted to see it. I did see it, and I just wasn't feeling it so much.
Quick Recap
An FBI detective has to follow a series of clues to figure out the tactics of a serial killer and stop him before he claims more lives.
The Plot
I’ve seen quite a number of horror movies with blended genres. By blended genres, I mean they mix up certain elements. For example, in The Black Phone, we had the murder element with a mix of supernatural elements too.
For LongLegs, we had occult, possessed dolls, murder, and maybe a hint of some malevolent element too, which in my opinion was just a bit too out there. The issue with the blend in this movie was that it took away attention from all and gave attention to none. I'm not saying they should have gone into some very detailed backstory about the killer, but the general idea was a bit shifty.
The Male FBI Agent
I get that your personal life should be independent of your work life, but my gosh, doesn't it make sense that, as someone investigating a case where children whose birthdays fall on the 14th are being killed, you would at least take extra precautions with your own child?
I understand that the case was closed before his daughter's birthday, but even so, it just felt like he slacked with that bit of info.
The Confrontation
So, let me get this straight. You saw a stranger outside, you called the police, then you somehow stayed long enough to have a discussion with him that led to you being tied down. Why didn't she confront him with the gun when she came out? Why not scare him away or, better still, keep him there till the cops come? She was a mother trying to save her child, but we could see she eventually just liked doing it. Nothing stopped her from reporting to her daughter, who was a cop, but she was too far gone.
The Female FBI Agent
So, that ending is the most disappointing ending in a horror movie, and I say this with respect to the genre. People die in movies. People are gored. People are chewed up. But she had just one job, and that was to shoot the nonsense doll first. She stood there long enough for the husband to kill his wife before realising she had to make a move. I do like that we were able to understand how she was able to understand the letters and help catch him, but that didn’t still do any good. Evil won but could have won in a different way.
Cage
His delivery was impressive. The makeup department sincerely went crazy with his look, and taking up the role of a psychotic manipulator and murderer is a new and welcome look for him. His range seems to be expanding more and more, and I can't wait to watch his next movie.
My Thoughts
Overall, for me, it was a case of overpromising and underdelivering. I just didn't feel as excited as I wanted to be when I finished it, and maybe that's because I watched with certain expectations. No matter, it was an okay watch but not one I have any intention of rewatching.
