🍿103: Longlegs
This week, three fantastic trailers, Surviver's Reign and something you (probably) didn't know about Anthony Hopkins 😱
“Well, Clarice — have the lambs stopped screaming?”
~ The Silence of the Lambs, 1991
I’m back!
After almost a month off writing reviews, it’s good to be back at the helm. Once again I’d like to thank
, and Karen for covering the past three issues of SP — your help kept us going!As the Great British summer continues to be dismal, we’ve been watching a lot of films and TV since we got back from Sicily. In just two weeks, I’ve managed to get very stuck into the latest series of House of the Dragon (does anyone else watch this or is it just me?) and Mia and were quick to finish both the third series of The Bear and the new Netflix animated series, Scavenger’s Reign.
If you’ve not seen it, it’s like a lo-fi horror sci-fi about a group of people marooned on an alien planet. There’s surreal beauty and horrific violence in equal measure, and it’s definitely worth checking out.
If you’ve already seen it, you might be interested to know that the show is based on the 2016 short film Scavengers, which you can watch here.
What’s Popping
First-look images of Rosemary’s Baby prequel, starring Julia Garner, have been released. Read more.
Saltburn director Emerald Fennel has announced she’ll be making a film adaptation of Wuthering Heights. Read more.
Timothée Chalamet is set to star in Josh Safdie’s A24 table tennis film Marty Supreme. Read more.
And finally, a Madonna biopic is in the works (again) after originally being cancelled last January. Read more.
Coming Soon
Anora
UK: TBC // USA: TBC
Sean Baker, director of The Florida Project and Red Rocket, won the Palme d’Or earlier this year with Anora, the story of a sex worker from Brooklyn, who gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.
The exact release date hasn’t been confirmed, but it’s set for October.
A Different Man
UK: 21 January // USA: 21 January
Sebastian Stan stars alongside Adam Pearson and Renate Reinsve (Worst Person in the World) as Edward, a man who, after undergoing facial reconstructive surgery, becomes fixated on an actor in a stage production based on his former life.
The Substance
UK: 20 September // USA: 20 September
Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), renowned for an aerobics show, faces a devastating blow when her boss fires her on her 50th birthday. Shortly afterwards, she’s offered a substance that promises to transform her into an enhanced version of herself.
Fact of the Week
With just 24 minutes and 52 seconds of screen time, Sir Anthony Hopkins’ performance in The Silence of the Lambs is the second shortest appearance to win an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role — behind David Niven in Separate Tables (at 23 minutes and 39 seconds).
However, in terms of screen time vs. total runtime, Hopkins only appears in 21% of the film, as opposed to Niven who manages to appear for 30% of the total run time, which, if you ask me, deserves a whole separate award.
Review: Longlegs
Star Rating:
3.5 (out of 5)
Where to Watch:
USA: Only in cinemas
UK: Only in cinemas
Runtime:
1hr 41m
Director:
Oz Perkins
Blurb:
FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes an unexpected turn, revealing evidence of the occult.
The Review:
In what has become this summer’s must-watch horror, director Oz Perkins proves that a great marketing campaign can be better than the final product. With cryptic, seconds-long teaser trailers, Longlegs has been one of the most-anticipated films of the year, with many expecting something akin to Silence of the Lambs — only more horrific. Sadly, however, that isn’t quite the case.
While there are some clear parallels to be drawn with Jonathan Demme’s 90s classic, Perkins treads a fine line between serial killer thriller and supernatural horror. That’s right: supernatural, a theme that isn’t shown in the trailers. The film suffers as a result, as the lack of disclosure sets the wrong expectations — but that’s not to say it’s a bad film.
For a start, it’s superbly well-shot, cinematographer Andres Arochi does a great job of making mundane sets and locations look and feel realistically eerie. It is scary, and even though a lot of the fear comes from jump scares, they’re done well enough to make you jump even when you see them coming. These moments, paired with regular flashes of fear-inducing images and violent noises make the film truly terrifying, at times.
The audience aren’t the only ones running scared as Maika Monroe seems genuinely terrified every time Agent Harker has to pull out her gun. In some ways, this is a refreshing way of making the character feel more human. However, when she’s not hyperventilating, Harker’s timid and introverted personality begs the question: Why did she choose this as her career?
Nicolas Cage on the other hand is appropriately creepy. He’d be almost unrecognisable if it wasn’t for his performance being so eccentric as to remind us of his other manic roles. As Longlegs’ goes from being a subdued weirdo to a screaming maniac (literally), I couldn’t help but be reminded of him being burnt alive as Big Daddy in Kickass.
It’s a difficult film to review, as I want to like it more than I do. And while it seems to have all the ingredients for a brilliant horror film, it lacks a cohesive story. It also feels like Perkins decided the film’s supernatural elements were enough to explain everything, though I was left with plenty of questions when the credits started rolling. While it all makes sense, there’s a lack of context around how certain characters became what they are.
It’s one of the few films that could do with being longer. Had the story progressed a little further and the characters given a bit more depth, Longlegs may have been worth the hype.
Scroll down to see what’s in the next issue.
If you liked Longlegs…
Manhunter
1986 | UK: TBC // USA: Apple TV+ ($3.99)
If, like me, you were hoping to watch a straight-edged film about a serial killer, then film critic Mark Kermode reckons this Michael Mann film, an adaptation of Thomas Harris’ first Hannibal Lecter book, is better than The Silence of the Lambs.
I’m yet to see it myself, but seeing Brian Cox play Hannibal Lecter is enough for me to add it to my watchlist, though admittedly the trailer isn’t great. Apparently it’s not available in the UK either, so now might be a good time to get a VPN.
Next Week:
Crossing
UK: 19 July // USA: 19 July | Watch the Trailer
