“Longlegs” was one of the surprise hits of 2024. This thriller horror movie was made on a budget of less than $10 million but went on to score over $126 million at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing film for distributor Neon in the U.S.
It also happens to be pretty darn good. The movie starts almost as an homage to “The Silence of the Lambs,” something writer/director Osgood Perkins says he intentionally used as inspiration for the film’s opening half. But it then turns from a serial killer thriller into a truly horrifying Satanic horror film and it’s this part of the movie that will really have you on the edge of your seat.
If you missed it in theaters, there’s good news. You can finally stream this serial killer thriller on Hulu after a long wait for it to finally hit one of the best streaming services. Here’s why you need to watch “Longlegs” right now.
‘Longlegs’ is brilliantly crafted
“Longlegs” stars Maika Monroe as FBI Special Agent Lee Harker. On a case, Lee exhibits possible clairvoyance, and shortly after she’s assigned by her boss William Carter (Blair Underwood) to investigate a series of murder-suicides where the only evidence pointing to an sinister outside force is a letter left behind at each crime scene with Satanic coded writing signed “Longlegs.” This movie is plenty spooky, creepy and scary, and we’ll get to that shortly.
But one of the reasons I loved this movie so much was the way it was made. The cinematography is gorgeous, with the snowy Vancouver landscape that’s standing in for Oregon a perfect backdrop for the Satanic serial killer thriller that’s about to unfold.
The score is also excellent, and frankly got me to jump more than any of the movie’s jump scares, of which there are a few good ones. Honestly, the title card for the second of the movie’s three parts combined with its musical cue got me to flinch more than anything else in the movie.
‘Longlegs’ is more creepy than scary but it’s still a must-watch for any thriller horror fan
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Even if this movie wasn’t brilliantly made, it’d still be a really good thriller. The first half of the movie — the part that’s almost a “The Silence of the Lambs” rip-off — is admittedly weaker than the second half where it turns into an occult horror movie more in line with “The Black Phone.” I found myself struggling to connect with Lee’s character and while it was beautifully shot with excellent framing, I found myself losing interest at times aside from a moment where Longlegs delivers a letter to Lee herself.
But that all changes once the movie enters its second act. From there, I was completely hooked — and not just by Nicolas Cage’s unhinged performance as the titular Longlegs. There are some truly scary moments as the movie makes its way toward its shocking conclusion, and you’ll want to queue up “Longlegs” on Hulu right now to see what they are.
