Easter egg culture isbeginning to influence the art-house, it would seem. Neon has shared a new super-cut that collects all the scenes inLonglegswhere directorOsgood Perkinssnuck in the actual Devil. We’re talking about a proper horned demon here, lurking behind characters in the horror-thriller’s most eerily quiet scenes — the ones where you’re expected to scan the background for any sort of sudden movement. As it turns out, Perkins was actually directing your attention towards a deeper horror than what you were witnessing in the foreground.
Inspired byJonathan Demme’sThe Silence of the LambsandKiyoshi Kurosawa’sCure, at least on paper,Longlegsfollows a rookie FBI agent as she hunts down a notorious serial killer who’s eluded capture for decades. What most audiences probably didn’t anticipate was just how confidently the movie would transform into a supernatural horror as it went along. Not only does the protagonist have psychic powers, we are told, but the serial killer is supposedly doing the Devil’s bidding and not just murdering for thrills. This could easily be a metaphor, but with these new Easter eggs now in the mix, it would seem like Perkins wasn’t kidding around.
The super-cut urges viewers to “look closer,” as we’re shown footage ofcharacters innocently going about their business while the Devil lurks behind them. While some of these appearances are easily noticeable, others are blink-and-miss. For instance, there’s one shot in which the protagonist — Lee Harker, played byMaika Monroe— walks out of frame, and you can see the distinct outline of a horned creature in the background for a split-second. Another instance shows a young Lee sitting on her bed, with the Devil looming over her.
How Many Devil Cameos in ‘Longlegs’ Did You Clock?
Neon’s note reads, “Take a nice, long look. Writer-director Osgood Perkins has hidden more than 15 appearances of the devil in Longlegs. Have you spotted them all?” It’san ingenious way to get audiences that have already watched the film to return for a second round. Neon’s marketing for theLonglegspreviously peaked withthat videoin which Monroe’s heartbeat skyrocketedwhen she first laid eyes on Nicolas Cage as the titular killer.
Longlegsopened to excellent reviews, with critics praising Perkins’ command of atmosphere, and Cage’s creepy performance. The film is currently sitting at a “fresh” 86% approval rating on the review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, with Collider’sRoss Bonaimedescribing itas “an uncomfortable, jarring experience that is unsettling from beginning to end.” In just 10 days of release, the movie has already creptpast the $50 million markat the global box office, and is on its way to beatingParasiteto become Neon’s top-grossing domestic release. you may watchLonglegsin theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
A chilling horror thriller directed by Osgood Perkins. The film stars Maika Monroe as Lee Harker, a promising new FBI agent assigned to solve the mystery of an elusive serial killer played by Nicolas Cage. As Harker delves deeper into the case, she uncovers disturbing evidence of occult practices connected to the murders.
