Nicolas Cage‘s titular killer has largely been kept out of the marketing for Osgood Perkins‘ Longlegs, but this final trailer gives us an unsettling glimpse of the “monster” right at the end…
We’re now less than two weeks away from the release of a movie that has been hailed as the most terrifying serial killer thriller since The Silence of the Lambs, and Neon has debuted one final trailer for Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs.
A Trailer That Keeps You Guessing
This latest teaser pulls back on the horrific imagery (slightly), but still manages to be highly unsettling. It features what might be our best look yet at Nicolas Cage as the titular killer right at the end. Aside from a few quick glimpses, Longlegs himself has mostly been kept out of the marketing, which Perkins believes will make his full reveal all the more effective for audiences when they’re sitting down to watch the movie in theaters.
It’s driving people towards a freak show at a circus tent,
said the filmmaker in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. We’ve got the thing behind the curtain, and when there’s enough people gathered ’round, we’re going to pull the curtain.
Cage’s Intriguing Character Reveal
It’s the equivalent of putting a warning label on a jar of nitroglycerin,
added Cage. The monster is a highly, highly dangerous substance. The way it’s moved, unveiled, deployed has to be treated very carefully. Forget about the movie theater blowing up; the whole city could blow up, nay the country, maybe even the world. He is going to change your reality. Your doors of perception are going to open, and your life is not going to be the same.
You may think Cage is exaggerating a little here, but the reactions to Longlegs have hailed it as potentially one of the scariest movies of this decade. Collider’s Perri Nemiroff already considers it her favorite Oz Perkins film: Already quite confident calling LONGLEGS my favorite Oz Perkins film. Those teasers sell it well. The mystery/unsolved serial killer case is wildly fascinating and HUGELY unnerving. No spoilers, of course, but where things land? I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
The Filmmaker’s Perspective on Editing
Perkins goes on to admit that he did consider revealing Cage’s “monster” prior to the film’s release.
Editing a picture is a nearly psychedelic experience,” he says. “It really is because it’s so infinite. The permutations and combinations you can get from putting this there and that there, you’re in a Rubik’s Cube of possibilities. I think we found the sweet spot.
The Narrative Focus of Longlegs
This guy lives just outside the consciousness of our protagonist. He’s there, but he’s totally not there, but he’s totally there.
The new trailer hints at FBI Agent Lee Harker (Monroe) who is assigned to an unsolved case involving an elusive serial killer (Cage). As Harker digs deeper, she uncovers evidence linked to occult practices and discovers a personal connection to this merciless killer. She must race against time to prevent another family tragedy.
A Look at Production Details
Nicolas Cage is also on board as a producer along with his production company Saturn Films (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Pig), Dan Kagan (Significant Other), Brian Kavanaugh-Jones (Insidious), Dave Caplan (The End We Start From) and Chris Ferguson (Child’s Play).
Longlegs is rated R for “Bloody violence, disturbing images and some language,” and also stars Alicia Witt (The Walking Dead) and Blair Underwood (American Crime Story).
