--- title: "Longlegs: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/longlegs/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/longlegs" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 16 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Longlegs (2024): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 16 reviews: 15 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics are frightened, and grateful for it. The praise clusters on Nicolas Cage, whose transformed, barely recognisable turn as the killer is called unforgettable almost everywhere, and on Maika Monroe’s anxious, buttoned-down lead, which several reviews treat as the film’s anchor. Osgood Perkins’s direction draws near-uniform admiration for building dread out of ordinary rooms and off-balance framing rather than jump-scares. The reservations are consistent too: Sight and Sound, Vulture and The Guardian all find the closing exposition weaker than what precedes it, and The Independent and Polygon feel the film is less terrifying than its marketing promised, though still worth the evening. A few note plot contrivances. The spread is narrow, with fifteen of sixteen reviews positive, and the one outright dissent is the Evening Standard, which calls the film generic and finds Cage’s performance a disappointment, wailing rather than menacing. Nobody else agrees. ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 5/5. 8 July 2024. The critic calls it a work of chilling brilliance and the full-body, mind-violating horror experience of the year. They single out Nicolas Cage's unsettling performance and the film's artful handling of influences for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/longlegs-review-2024) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 8 July 2024. The critic highlights the palpable evil and unvarnished bleakness that envelops the viewer in this sinister feature. They single out Maika Monroe's haunted performance and the film's tonal control and airtight explanations for praise. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/longlegs-review/5195156.article) ## The i Paper — Christina Newland Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 2024. Longlegs is terrifying and worth all the hype, making everything feel sinister and lingering under the skin. The film is singled out for luxuriating in atmosphere and dread rather than relying on jump-scares, turning the banal into something skin-pricklingly dangerous. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/longlegs-review-3162530) ## Empire — Sophie Butcher Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 July 2024. Longlegs is a singular, sensory cinematic horror experience that delivers an effective, heart-pounding opening and leaves viewers suitably shook. The remarkable transformation of Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe’s star quality are singled out alongside the film’s atmospheric blend of influences. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/longlegs/) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 July 2024. The critic praises the film's leaner, off-kilter energy and strong central performances from Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage. They single out the enigmatic occult mechanism and Cage's grotesque portrayal for praise while noting a weakness in the closing exposition. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/longlegs-nicolas-cage-gives-monstrous-performance-ritualistic-serial-killer-this-gruesome-occult-horror) ## Total Film — Neil Smith Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 4 July 2024. A little Nicolas Cage goes a long way in this deeply disconcerting experience. The film is singled out for its unsettling atmosphere and Cage’s memorable contribution to the horror. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-movies/longlegs-review/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 2024. The critic finds the film mostly terrifying in its first hour thanks to Perkins' aggressively stylized direction, off-balance compositions, and Lynchian uncanny atmosphere that turns the mundane into the unreal. Maika Monroe's anxious performance and the sense of ordinary people compelled to evil are praised, though the final act's exposition weakens the overall impact. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-neons-new-horror-longlegs-is-mostly-terrifying.html) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 July 2024. The critic finds the film a brooding, atmospheric chiller with strong performances from Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage, plus striking visuals and symmetry motifs, though undermined by third-act exposition and a less effective broadening of the threat beyond the central villain. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/jul/14/longlegs-review-maika-monroe-and-nicolas-cage-grip-in-brooding-horror-thriller) ## The Independent — Clarisse Loughrey Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2024. The film is not as profoundly terrifying as its marketing promised but remains a nasty, precise and unexpected satanic jaunt. Perkins is singled out for his subtle direction that has its cake and eats it by blending real-life serial-killer references with arch Seventies horror flourishes. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/longlegs-review-movie-b2578022.html) ## Evening Standard — Nick Howells Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2024. This is a generic, disappointing horror that fails to deliver genuine scares despite the hype. Nicolas Cage’s performance is singled out as pitifully disappointing, reduced to wailing incomprehensibly rather than showcasing his legendary lunacy. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/longlegs-review-nicolas-cage-b1169536.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh 19 July 2024. The critic praises the wintry moodiness, expert performances from Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage, and Perkins' masterful cinematic technique that builds suspense and dread. The film offers a thrilling, unpredictable ride worth experiencing. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-07-19/longlegs-review-maika-monroe-nicolas-cage-osgood-perkins-serial-killer-horror) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney 6 July 2024. The critic calls it a mesmerizing serial killer chiller steeped in occult horror and satanic power, praising its tense FBI procedural and nightmarish visions. Nicolas Cage's late-revealed, unforgettable performance as the title character is singled out as a highlight, along with the film's atmospheric dread and effective realization of Perkins' vision. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/longlegs-review-maika-monroe-nicolas-cage-neon-horror-1235939771/) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis 11 July 2024. The critic finds the film a weakly plotted but strongly styled chiller featuring Nicolas Cage as a cheery evil entity. It is a frustrating pleasure that mixes clichés with an offbeat sensibility. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/movies/longlegs-review.html) ## Variety — Peter Debruge 6 July 2024. The critic notes the film disturbs more over time than in the moment, thanks to an iconic Nicolas Cage performance as the boogeyman that lingers in nightmares. While the plot has contrivances, Perkins excels at destabilizing expectations and creating dread. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/longlegs-review-nicolas-cage-1236061830/) ## /Film — Bill Bria Rating 10/10. 10 June 2024. The critic calls it a masterpiece and the most terrifying horror movie of 2024, praising its unsettling atmosphere and Nicolas Cage's iconic, disturbing performance as the killer Longlegs alongside Maika Monroe's compelling lead. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1582538/longlegs-review-osgood-perkins-maika-monroe-nicolas-cage-horror-movie/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 July 2024. The critic praises Nicolas Cage's gonzo, unrecognizable performance as the title serial killer and highlights the film's effective homage to 1990s thrillers like The Silence of the Lambs. Monroe's grounded lead work and atmospheric direction stand out, though some supernatural plot turns feel over-the-top. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2024/07/longlegs-review-nicolas-cage-tops-twisted-filmography-most-severely-creepy-role-yet-1236004254/) ## NME — James Mottram Rating 4/5. 12 July 2024. The critic praises the film as an infernally creepy serial killer tale that distinguishes itself from influences like Silence of the Lambs through Cage's batshit performance and a smart twist. They highlight Maika Monroe's buttoned-down lead performance and the moody, measured direction. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/longlegs-review-nicolas-cage-maika-monroe-horror-3774136) ## Polygon — Austen Goslin Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2024. Longlegs is a fantastic, supremely creepy horror movie that prioritizes nervous laughs and squirming over outright scares, thanks to its supernatural serial-killer premise and Cage's goofy yet unsettling performance. It succeeds as a strange, memorable film even if it doesn't meet expectations as the scariest release of the year. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/24195330/longlegs-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 July 2024. Osgood Perkins is hailed as a master of dread through his macabre imagery and unsettling style, creating one of the scariest-looking films in recent memory. The narrative's enigmatic oddness and Cage's exaggerated villain challenge expectations but deliver a striking, disquieting experience. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/longlegs-review-maika-monroe-nicolas-cage-osgood-perkins/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating 7/10. 9 July 2024. The critic finds Longlegs an effective and unsettling horror film that succeeds through its atmosphere of uncertainty and strong performances. Perkins' direction creates discomfort throughout, making it one of the year's best horrors despite some rocky early moments. [Read the review](https://collider.com/longlegs-review/) ## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell 12 July 2024. The critic calls Longlegs one of the best movies of the year and an unforgettable horror experience that lives up to the hype. They single out the excellent, emotionally invested performances by Maika Monroe and a transformative Nicolas Cage, along with the oppressive atmosphere and smart direction. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a61508887/longlegs-review/) ## Paste — Jacob Oller Rating 8.5. 11 July 2024. Longlegs immerses viewers in evil with an unforgettable Nicolas Cage performance as the villain. The film excels through its controlled performances, rich aesthetic, queasy score, and gripping pace centered on one of horror's most original antagonists. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/oz-perkins/longlegs-review) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/longlegs.md