Watching horror movies has been my thing since early childhood. Especially during my teenage years, I binge-watched as many horror movies as I could find online. So yes, I have been spoiled regarding horror. Finding one that would actually send shivers down my spine is difficult.
Despite this, I still get excited when hearing the rumors of the scariest movie of the year. As long as I can remember, every year some movie will be marketed as the scariest movie of the year. And almost every year, it’s a disappointment. But I remain hopeful.
This year’s big promise was Longlegs directed by Osgood Perkins. The title alone piqued my interest. Longlegs, what could it mean? Various pictures came to mind. A psychopath disturbed by his abnormally long legs, seeks revenge on society with normal legs. Or some kind of monster with atypical legs. Maybe the meaning was not literal, but a symbol for something more ominous. Anyway, I was hooked.
Unfortunately, after watching the movie, I realized that it was again just a marketing scheme after all. No sleepless nights over this one…
Disappointing.
Probably comparable to the current fuss about the new Terrifier movie (Terrifier 3); people walking out of the theaters, medical staff waiting by the doors, cinema personnel handling out puke bags, and more of this kind of nonsense. At the end of the day, if you have seen SAW, then you have seen all there is to torture horror.
Longlegs is not a bad movie. By far not the worst of the year (that prize goes to The Strangers; Chapter One). But it’s just not that scary. And overselling it in this manner increases expectations, which are in the end not met, resulting in disappointment.
The director has tried too hard to create an uneasy atmosphere, which makes it awkward instead of uneasy. The acting is done well by Nicholas Cage, sure, he is a true psychopath in the movie. But besides a couple of effective scenes (for example, the scene in the car, great acting! If you know, you know) there is not much to offer regarding the background of the story, and the ending kind of sucks. It feels like another take on The Silence of the Lambs but then with an occult twist. So the movie falls apart at the end, and we still don’t know why it’s called Longlegs. It makes no sense. Nicholas Cage’s acting and the occult elements in the movie, made the film stand out a bit. But overall, it’s overhyped.
Go ahead, and watch Longlegs, it’s still worth your time. But if you want some real atmospheric horror vibes, I have another recommendation for you. I have found a not-so-much talked-about gem that may just deliver on the promise of a real scare.
As far as I know, there was not much marketing for this movie and I randomly heard of it in a recommendation video on YouTube. A less-known Irish director, Damian McCarthy, may have made the best movie of the year; Oddity. I can’t say that this one will be the scariest one, besides, it’s all subjective anyway. But it certainly has potential; great acting, a solid storyline, an ominous gothic house, haunted objects, and a touch of family loyalty. Everything a good horror film should have.
In Oddity, a psychiatrist and his wife move into their new house. An old and large mansion, too creepy to actually live in, which still needs a lot of work. The psychiatrist works the nights and his wife takes care of the painting and other chores. One night, one of her husband’s patients knocks on the door. He claims that someone is in the house. Can she trust him? Should she open the door?
The suspense is high from the start; the movie has no dull moments. All the actors played their roles perfectly. I especially loved the acting of Carolyn Bracken, she had the role of the wife’s twin sister. Overall it was a great experience and I look forward to seeing more from this movie director. The originality of this movie reminded me a lot of 2022’s movie Talk to Me. Not so much marketing, low expectations, great experience!
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