I am BACK with some new horror movie reviews, and it’s good timing, too. Looking at the rest of this year, it’s a loaded slate of new, creepy movies, ranging from mystery and thrillers to straight horror. Today, I’m reviewing Longlegs, but plenty more reviews are coming soon.

Last year was one of the best in a long time, as far as new movies go. I tried my best to parse through some of my favorite blockbusters and under-the-radar films. The crazy thing is: This year will be even better! Already, we had Dune Part 2 which I reviewed and now Longlegs. Other movies I’m hoping to watch and review: I Saw The TV Glow, plus Maxxxine (and that whole trilogy), as well as the Quiet Place prequel. And those are just the horror movies! If you didn’t watch Bikeriders or Hit Man or Challengers, you don’t want to miss out on those, either!

Oh, and did I mention Nosferatu, coming this Christmas? It’s a stacked year. And yet, something tells me Longlegs is gonna be hard to beat out for the top spot. Let’s get into it.

Good

I went into this movie pretty blind, only knowing about the rave reviews and Nicholas Cage supposedly wearing a creepy get-up for this role. And all of that ended up being accurate! Come for Cage, stay for the frightening, vintage horror movie aesthetic.

The movie is so well-done from every angle. The actors are phenomenal. The cinematography blew me away, and that’s probably the most surprising thing to me. The director–who I found out also directed I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House, a favorite of mine–has upped his game tremendously. This movie even has some comedic moments, sometimes creepy comedy, but it manages to land every punch.

The first scene immediately grips you. I think the first half of this movie is just about perfect, if we’re being honest. It has the feel of a slow-burn thriller that crawls under your skin, but it never eases up, either. It’s something like Silence of the Lambs plus Zodiac, and it does justice to both of those movies.

Bad

So, it’s not a perfect movie. I think a couple times the plot gets convoluted and the movie definitely goes for “vibes” over plot. This is mostly noticeable right in the center of the movie. It’s not even two hours long, so it’s not like it drags significantly, but it does slow down a bit.

There’s a real lack of “moments” in this movie. I said the same thing about I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House, which I enjoyed, and this movie does a better job. There are a few moments that will stick with you forever, but overall it just sits under your skin and makes your heart pound.

And for me this last one is actually a positive, but it depends on how you feel about roller coasters. When the movie ended, it really did feel like I just got off a roller coaster. It was a little surprising, because I saw the ending coming, but that’s how well-done this movie is. Even a slightly-predictable finish leaves you feeling a bit numb.

Overall

There’s been some discourse with this movie since it’s release. Is it “scary” enough? Is it really “horror?” And I think the answer is yes to both. This movie definitely isn’t the scariest in recent memory, but it packs enough punch, and it’s so incredibly well-done. You might not be scared every single moment, but you will be impressed, and that’s good enough for me.

This movie has high tension and cold chills spread throughout, almost evenly. It’s what we applaud writers like Stephen King for doing with literature, only this time Oz Perkins mastered that feeling through a film.

So I’m giving it a 9/10.