How to market a movie

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE 2024 HORROR FILM LONGLEGS

I don’t know if I’ve seen much movie marketing in the past like what Longlegs did in the lead up to its release. The various little clips posted to YouTube ahead of time, these cryptic teasers that explained almost nothing about the film itself, were entrancing. It was a little gateway into this new world that we had hardly ever heard of, let alone seen. Hell, even when the official trailer was released, I barely learned anything else about the movie. But damn, if it did not have me hooked. I haven’t been this excited to see a new movie since The Lighthouse came out in 2019. Sadly, I was not able to catch that one in theatres, although it did not disappoint in the slightest when I finally got to it. Thankfully, Longlegs did not either (for the most part). And I got to see it in theatres too!

Longlegs is a horror-thriller film directed by Oz Perkins, and features Maika Monroe as FBI Special Agent Lee Harker, who is assigned to the case of the enigmatic serial killer only known by the moniker Longlegs, portrayed by Nicolas Cage. At the scene of every crime, Longlegs would leave a note in a cryptic lettering unknown to anyone, with his “name” signed at the bottom of it. As far as the plot goes, it was pretty alright. For the majority of the film, it is a pretty standard thriller, drawing frequent comparisons to films such as Silence of the Lambs and Zodiac, before it goes all supernatural and odd near the end of it. Most of the issues I have with this film lie in the actual story, namely in the pacing of it at times. The thing that stood out most to me, is how the hell was Harker able to immediately decipher the code? I understand that it is implied that she was granted the power through the whole doll and her own personal connection to Longlegs, but I felt robbed of some fantastic cat-and-mouse thriller moments. 

I also felt that it was a little rushed in the finding of Longlegs himself, as well. I wanted to see some more with them showing us less, taking its time to really pick apart the characters more and understand their intentions. At times, it felt as if they left us purposefully unaware of some story so that they could produce a prequel surrounding how Longlegs made his pact with the devil. (Side note: why give him the name Dale? No disrespect to any Dales out there, but it is not exactly a name that strikes any fear in me.) It also proved a little predictable at times, with many of the plot points being guessed through the film by me and/or my girlfriend, albeit that didn’t really impact my enjoyment much at all. Overall, the story did what it had to and kept me in my seat, providing an interesting enough plot for me to wanna keep watching, that helped to highlight some of the other outstanding parts of this film. 

The production for this film was absolutely outstanding. The cinematography was done pretty much perfectly, with pretty much every shot either being terrifying or beautiful, sometimes both at the same time. So many of the shots would keep the subject to the side, leaving a nice empty space for anything to happen behind them: an empty doorway where someone could appear, a window to be smashed, a room for someone to stroll through. While it is often a mulligan, it works incredibly to build the tension in a scene, even when there is little to no pay-off. I was also obsessed with how they would shoot Longlegs himself towards the start of the film, keeping his eyes out of the shot purposefully. Letting it wander in our minds, imagining what he could truly look like when you fully saw him, really helped to portray him as a more otherworldly thing than he really was and amped up the fear that he brought when he would enter a scene. I really wish they had not abandoned this motif as they got further into the movie, as it was a cool and unique way to showcase this fella. 

Continuing from a production standpoint, the sound design and soundtrack were what really elevated this film for me. Written and performed by Elvis Perkins, brother of the director, it perfectly compliments the atmosphere and sells every single scary, disturbing, or otherwise odd moment in this film (of which there are lots). The way it would build up to any climactic scenes, such as the first direct meeting between Harker and the titular character, sent shivers down my spine. This whole scene was a masterclass, all of the best parts of the film combined into one taut moment, but it would not have landed without the incredible score with those haunting stabs.

Okay, so I know I just said that the production was what made this movie for me, but I may have lied. Nicolas Cage, one of the most divisive actors you may ever hear of in your life, capable of some of the greatest and also worst films you have ever seen, is what really made this film for me. He is so fucking terrifying from the second he steps on screen, with that warbly-ass voice and that musty-ass hair, there is just something off about him that made me wanna look away whenever I knew he would be coming. The way the makeup and prosthetics were put on him almost gives him this uncanny valley-type appearance which was really messing with me during the film. While I have not seen a large portion of his filmography, I can safely say that this is my favourite performance of his that I have ever seen. Despite almost looking like one of the skin moulds from White Chicks, and given some almost-cringeworthy moments like the screaming-wailing that song in the car, he still imbues this unsettling energy that makes my spine crawl outta my body. Bonus points for his death scene, for being one of the most visceral and crazy deaths I’ve seen in a movie in a while, and for almost making me jump outta my seat. 

While Longlegs is far from a perfect movie, it was still an exceedingly enjoyable time to see, and a case study in how to effectively market a movie in this ever-increasing online world. I was excited to see it the first time, and I am looking forward to watching it again, be that in theatres again or when it hits streaming. Rendered wholly unique for its sound design and cinematography, and featuring star turns from Maika Monroe and the always-fascinating Nicolas Cage, this movie is quickly becoming an essential for anyone who is interested in indie horror.

LONGLEGS RATING: 8/10