It may be macabre, but a good thriller where people are trying to track down a prolific killer has always been a popular genre for moviegoers. With a lot of buzz building around it, the 2024 new movie Longlegs could be the latest example of a dark, twisted chase for a killer that viewers happily enjoy.
Longlegs is not a big-budget blockbuster, but it has been gaining attention thanks to a clever marketing campaign and a trailer that hides its biggest star, Nicolas Cage, aside from the actor providing some creepy voiceover work. Can this indie movie (which even flew under our radar when compiling our most anticipated indie movies of the summer) become a breakout hit?
To learn more about Longlegs continue reading below, as we have everything you need to know about the movie.
Longlegs release date
Longlegs premieres on July 12 in the US and UK. It will be playing exclusively in movie theaters at that time.
It is one of a few new releases that week, with the Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson rom-com Fly Me to the Moon and the Colman Domingo indie movie Sing Sing also hitting theaters.
Longlegs cast
Cage is the big name on Longlegs, which is what makes his absence from all promotional materials so far so enticing. The Oscar-winner (Leaving Las Vegas) has given some truly off-the-wall, but also often brilliant performances in recent years (Pig, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) and the potential for this one has many fans (us included) excited.
Who has been front and center as the star of Longlegs is Maika Monroe as the FBI agent tasked with tracking down the movie's serial killer. Monroe may not be a household name, but she has given a number of notable performances in well regarded movies, including It Follows, The Guest and The Watcher.
Other members of the cast include Blair Underwood (Quantico), Alicia Witt (Orange is the New Black), Michelle Choi-Lee (Yellowjackets), Dakota Daulby (Shogun) and Kiernan Shipka (White House Plumbers).
Longlegs plot
Here is the official synopsis for Longlegs:
"In pursuit of a serial killer, an FBI agent uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to end his terrifying killing spree."
It reveals next to nothing about the script written by Osgood Perkins, which honestly is all for the better as audiences will be able to go in with little truly known about the movie.
Longlegs trailer
Watch the trailer for Longlegs right here:
A second trailer is now available as well, featuring many quotes from critics hailing the movie as a "masterpiece":
And, just days ahead of its release, Neon released a trailer that focused on Maika Monroe's heart-pounding reaction to seeing Nicolas Cage for the first time in character.
Longlegs reviews
Some early reviews for Longlegs are already in, and critics are loving the movie. As of July 8, it has a 97% "Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Osgood Perkins movies
Osgood Perkins began his career as an actor, appearing in notable projects like Six Degrees of Separation, Legally Blonde and more recently, Nope. But since the 2010s he has been expanding as a writer and director. Here is a list of the feature movies he has directed to date:
- The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)
- I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016)
- Gretel & Hansel (2020)
Fun fact, Osgood Perkins is the son of actor Anthony Perkins, who played one of the most famous movie killers of all time, Psycho's Norman Bates.
