Longlegs: A Major Flaw I Can’t Overlook (Yet I Adore Maika Monroe)

Overview of Longlegs

Maika Monroe delivers a standout performance in Longlegs alongside Nicolas Cage.
The film’s plot falters by attributing the murders to an evil doll’s possession.
The portrayal of the serial killer lacks depth, diminishing his threat and intrigue.

As an avid horror enthusiast, I eagerly anticipate every film featuring Maika Monroe. Her breakout role in the acclaimed 2014 movie It Follows solidified her status as a talent to watch. When it was announced that she would star in Longlegs, directed by Oz Perkins and featuring Nicolas Cage as a mysterious serial killer, my excitement reached new heights. Cage, known for his unconventional and often bizarre roles in the horror genre, intrigued me with the prospect of his latest character.

The promotional materials for Longlegs positioned it as a modern homage to classic thrillers like The Silence of the Lambs, presenting an enthralling narrative wherein a killer engages in a tense game of cat-and-mouse with a young FBI agent. However, there’s a significant aspect of Longlegs that has left me dissatisfied, raising questions that I’m sure fellow horror aficionados share.

My Key Concern with Longlegs

Longlegs-Mystery-Teaser-screencap cropped

While Longlegs impresses in various aspects—particularly the powerful performances by Monroe and Cage, set against a consistently eerie backdrop—there’s a critical flaw that detracts from its overall impact. The character of Longlegs embodies a thrilling villain, his unpredictable tendency to unleash sudden outbursts contributing to his chilling persona. Nonetheless, I’m dissatisfied with how the film explains the spree of murders, attributing them to the influence of an evil doll.

In this narrative, Longlegs manipulates Lee Harker’s (played by Monroe) mother, Ruth (Alicia Witt), into delivering a cursed doll to various victims. Each incident follows a tragic pattern where the father is driven to murder his family before taking his own life—a grim cycle perpetuated by this malicious artifact. The backstory indicates that Lee was traumatized by a past encounter with Longlegs as a child, but the doll’s role in suppressing her memories feels overly contrived.

In my view, the choice to center the storyline around the doll’s dark magic was underwhelming. There are numerous notable films that successfully explore the theme of killer dolls—ranging from the campy thrill of M3GAN to the menacing presence in the forthcoming film Companion. As a psychological thriller, Longlegs could have avoided leaning on this overused horror trope, and the decision ultimately undermines its chilling tone. Instead of enhancing the suspense, the doll’s involvement seems more cartoonish than terrifying, failing to resonate with the film’s otherwise grim atmosphere.

The reliance on a possessed doll diminishes the genuine terror that Longlegs could otherwise evoke. By shifting focus away from Longlegs as an active serial killer to a manipulative figure who orchestrates chaos from the shadows, his character loses significant menacing qualities. While the character may outshine Josh Hartnett’s villain in Trap, he still falls short of achieving his full potential as a horror instigator.

Furthermore, the conclusion of Longlegs limits our ability to understand the villain’s motivations or history. The narrative centers on Lee’s attempts to unravel her mother’s past connection to Longlegs, sidelining any exploration of the character himself. This lack of depth raised numerous questions in my mind regarding Longlegs’s initial acceptance of dark influences and the origins of his malevolent actions. While his unsettling appearance—with heavy makeup and disheveled hair—captures the audience’s attention, the film doesn’t provide enough context to truly comprehend who he is.

Maika Monroe’s Heritage in Horror Cinema

Jay (Maika Monroe) standing in her high school hallway in It Follows

Monroe has made her mark in the horror genre through several impressive titles, including It Follows, Watcher, The Guest, Greta, and Villains. Among these, I believe Watcher stands out as Monroe’s finest work within the genre. She takes on the role of Julia, a woman grappling with feelings of isolation after relocating to Bucharest with her husband, Francis (Karl Glusman). As she senses she is being stalked, the film evolves into a gripping and intense experience that also delves into themes of personal security in urban settings.

In a recent interview with Marie Claire, Monroe elaborated on her passion for electing to star in horror films. She noted the evolution of the genre, stating:

“The horror genre has come such a long way. Even just in the past 10 years, to me, [horror has been] some of the most interesting roles that I read, most interesting scripts. It’s just not this sort of typical one-note character—whether it’s the Tough Girl or this or that. It’s much more complicated and there’s such a beauty in that. I love roles like that.”

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