A fundamental attraction of Longlegs is witnessing Nicolas Cage’s performance. Cage has persisted as a noteworthy pop cultural phenomenon for decades. His performances encompass award-winning parts in Leaving Las Vegas, superhero portrayals in Kick-Ass, action sequences in Con Air, comedies such as Renfield, and eccentric roles in horror films like Arcadian and Mandy, offering a diverse array of options for all audiences.
Longlegs moderates the intensity with Cage in the role of a serial killer. When FBI agent Lee Harker conducts her investigation, she discovers a mystical element to the increasing body count attributed to Longlegs. The trailers establish an unsettling rivalry, prompting viewers to speculate whether Longlegs has included sequences to suggest more development.
Longlegs Does Not Have a Post-Credits Scene
Osgood “Oz” Perkins, the director of Longlegs, possesses an artistic, auteur sensibility in the realm of horror. He conjures a significant atmospheric arthouse ambiance that other horror directors, such as Ari Aster and Robert Eggers, embrace.
It was evident in Perkins’ earlier films, like I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House and Gretel & Hansel.
In such films, Perkins did not include any superfluous scenes, as it was not his aesthetic. Numerous creatives that prioritize artistic expression over mainstream appeal do not utilize mid-credits or post-credits scenes. Considering Perkins’ history, Longlegs likewise lacks a post-credits scene.
What Is Longlegs About?
Longlegs shares a comparable ambiance with Seven and Zodiac, among others. Lee receives enigmatic codes that have been occurring prior to her involvement in the case. It becomes personal, introducing an additional atmosphere reminiscent of Silence of the Lambs.
Lee recognizes that Longlegs is familiar with her, and that she may also be acquainted with him. This does not dissuade her from assembling clues to formulate an algorithm.
She identifies patterns in his murders, along with indications that they are part of an occult conspiracy. Longlegs is obviously a Satanist; nonetheless, Lee struggles to anticipate his subsequent actions.
Lee’s concern with her conflicts with her mother, Ruth, and her superior, Carter, who perceives her concerns regarding the black magic as exaggerated, exacerbates the situation. He seeks a more rational elucidation for why Longlegs leaves no trace and inexplicably incites families to commit fratricide.
The film is highly unsettling as Longlegs incites fathers to commit murder against their wives and children. The content includes gruesome and gory depictions of decaying corpses. However, Lee persists, particularly upon discovering her prior encounter with Longlegs years ago.
They ultimately apprehend Longlegs, resulting in an interrogation reminiscent of the dynamic between Heath Ledger’s Joker and Batman in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Longlegs acknowledges their status as soulmates, eternally interconnected. He subsequently commits suicide, leading Lee to reconsider another theory: he has an accomplice.
Eventually, Lee discovers that Longlegs’ hideout is located in her basement and that Ruth is his accomplice. Her mother negotiated the agreement to prevent Longlegs from offering Lee to the devil. Throughout the years, Longlegs crafted black magic dolls that the vivacious Ruth distributed to families.
These dolls had fathers, instigated all the killings, and provided Satan with souls to consume. Fortunately, Lee successfully prevents Ruth from experiencing Longlegs’ gruesome conclusion. Nonetheless, it incurs a cost: Ruth captivated Carter into murdering his wife, prior to Lee killing him and her mother.
Lee remains with Carter’s daughter, Ruby, amid the scene of a massacre. The film concludes ambiguously, emphasizing Perkins’ affinity for thought-provoking endings that require viewers to infer the subsequent events.
Is It Possible for Longlegs to Grow Into a Horror Franchise and Have a Sequel?
The doll as the unexpected MacGuffin frequently alludes to the Annabelle doll within The Conjuring Universe. Annabelle was a malevolent creature that instigated carnage wherever she appeared. The Longlegs dolls exhibit similar behavior, although lacking inherent personalities. They possess orbs that influence the children’s thoughts.
Should the orbs remain unblemished, as with the dolls that were owned by Ruby, these youngsters can be coerced into forgetting the homicides. One victim, Carrie, experienced a distortion of her perception into an illusory reality.
Lee’s reality was partially illusory. Ruth manipulated her memories until her mother destroyed her doll and orb, revealing to Lee that they were serving Satan.
This establishes a scenario in which Lee may attempt to dominate Ruby’s cognition. For an unspecified reason, her firearm failed to discharge at the Ruby doll and orb at the conclusion, allowing for a sequel to explore Lee’s further actions toward Ruby.
Longlegs may return in a spectral form to torment them, all while attempting to fracture Ruby’s psyche. Significantly, he located Carrie, conversed with her at a psychiatric institution, and persuaded her to take her own life.
Enjoy the chilling brilliance of Nicolas Cage in Longlegs, a haunting narrative of mystery and malevolence. Look at the film’s intricacies, its ambiguous sequel possibilities, and Perkins’ adept narrative craftsmanship. Feel the excitement—visit our website for additional insights and exclusive updates on this horror classic!
This suggests that Longlegs is immortal, indicating he will perpetually have his claws embedded in his victims. Ruby regards Lee as an elder sister, establishing a natural sibling dynamic aimed at safeguarding the girl.
Longlegs had the capability to locate Lee wherever she travels, which is why he left letters in her cabin. He may possess a superior authority. This may enable Cage to elevate his character and transform into a genuinely menacing ghoul as he pursues the survivors.
Longlegs’ ethereal presence can utilize the apparitions of departed relatives in this psychological conflict. A new perspective for a Longlegs sequel has been established because to Longlegs’ workshop. He suggests the existence of further followers, indicating the potential for a cult to perpetuate his legacy.
They can continue disseminating dolls countrywide, creating a lethal contagion. This would position Lee and her supporters against not merely an individual, but a collective movement.
This would enable Lee to determine whether she possesses psychic abilities or if it is merely a leftover effect of Longlegs’ orb manipulating her cognition and binding her to malevolence. She is purportedly capable of tracking serial killers, hence she may recognize Longlegs’ selection of her as an element of a greater destiny and elevated purpose. Instead of serving the demon, she might resist.
This can enhance the narrative, focus on her and Ruby, and maintain the story as character studies. M. Night Shyamalan’s Servant pursued this theme with a malevolent cult attempting to compel an individual with abilities to become their Chosen One.
In this regard, Lee could become the next Longlegs if the cult successfully undermines her, or if she succumbs to the evil instilled in her by Longlegs following Ruby’s loss.
Is a Prequel Possible for Longlegs?
There is the possibility that Perkins could travel back in time. This film neglects numerous aspects. In a Longlegs prequel, Perkins can explore the transformation of Cage’s human identity, Dale, into a killer. It may analyze how the devil selected him, how he refined his abilities, and how he developed his doll-making skill.
The concept of the doll serving as a Trojan horse is sufficient to inspire a film. It is an unusual yet efficient instrument.
Considering Dale’s unconventional demeanor, people are interested in learning more about his personal history. Was he mistreated? What motivates his passion for singing metal at such a high volume? What led to his profound solitude?
Moreover, a persistent enigma remains regarding Ruth’s past. The film omits any reference to her spouse, allowing a Longlegs origin narrative to explore her history as a nurse, the circumstances surrounding Lee’s husband, and the rationale for their selection.
Longlegs was resolute that they would serve as perfect components in his scheme, which explores themes addressed in films such as Immaculate and The First Omen: toxic men diminishing women’s agency to exploit them as instruments of malevolence.
This type of prequel would introduce complexity. Furthermore, it presents an opportunity to populate the web that Longlegs ultimately constructs with his malevolent scheme. The demand is evident, as demonstrated by Longlegs’ box office revenue. Therefore, it may be advantageous to leverage Cage’s star power in a compelling demonic cat-and-mouse narrative.