All through October, I’ll be posting reviews of the best of the best films in the horror genre released since October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024. As an added bonus, I’ll be adding a secondary review that may be somewhat related to the main review or slightly missed the countdown by inches. Follow along the countdown every day in October. Feel free to agree, disagree, or better yet, give me your own picks for your favorite horror movies of the year. Happy Halloween!

#3 – LONGLEGS (2024)
Released on July 12, 2024, and available On Demand from Neon Films!
Directed/Written by Osgood Perkins.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/OG7wOTE8NhE
A socially awkward and psychically intuitive FBI agent named Lee Harker (Mika Monroe) tries to track down a serial killer named Longlegs (Nic Cage) who seems to kill his victims without even entering the homes of his victims. The killer somehow has ties to Lee’s foggy past.

I’m a fan of filmmaker/actor/son of Anthony Perkins, Oz Perkins, though I know he is not for everyone. His films are often smattered with what some call arthouse qualities and others call pretentious fluff. So, I am going to understand if you’re of the camp of not getting or downright loathing LONLEGS. It doesn’t follow convention and if you’re idea of horror is of the more traditional and forward shooting Blumhouse style joints, this film will frustrate the hell out of you.

That said, since I do like this sort of thing, where all of the answers are not spelled out and there is a vague oddity about everything, I dug LONGLEGS quite a bit. While it attempts to tell a straight forward detective/serial killer tale, it does keep you guessing pretty much from the get-go and leaves you scratching your head wishing you didn’t do so many whippets that one time in high school and had a few more brain cells to figure this one out.

Perkins is a master at mood. It is evidenced in all of his films, and prevalent in LONGLEGS. He makes a simply made but meticulously plotted stoic scene nightmarish. One might say the themes and the way he communicates them suggest that Perkins films all occur in the same cinematic universe. Satanism is addressed and while it is more in the forefront here, it feels like the same kind of themes that were hinted at in THE BLACKCOAT’S DAUGHTER, where the devil is always lurking over our shoulder and in every shadow. Perkins communicates this through images of shadowy figures looming in the background. There is an evil influence lingering in every scene, simply through the way Perkins somehow brings out the darkest evil in the most banal of scene compositions, or though long pauses focusing on doorways that always seem to pop up and fail to keep the evil at bay. The repeated image of the door feels intended, as much of the most harrowing stuff occurs framed within one.

Filming the various flashbacks and breaks from the main narrative is wonderfully done as well, with a square bound image and grainy retro film stock. These scenes feel like an old Polaroid that one finds in the attic, full of foreboding and untold secrets.

Adding to the terrifying mood is the unsettling score by Zilgi who uses unconventional instruments and sounds, not unlike the tension laden score from the Shining. Touches like this creep under the skin. I wouldn’t surprise me that this is a film that affects people in ways they can’t really articulate. From minute one, you’re in Perkins’ odd world and you don’t know what to expect just off camera or around the corner.

Maika Monroe has become quite the scream queen. Though she is young, she’s starred in movies from many modern masters of terror. Here she shows a shaky vulnerability, like a baby deer lost in a dark forest. You can’t help but feel for her, despite the bad decision s she’s made to be in this awful place. Her moments on the phone with her mother at the beginning are a wonderful window into this layered character. I loved the rigid scenes she has with her partner’s daughter Ruby (Ava Kieders) who she cannot relate with but these scenes also show how likable she is despite her social setbacks.
Blair Underwood plays a significant role here without standing out too much. He is supposed to be the sole person in this film that is relatable and not a complete head case. Alicia Witt is unrecognizable as Lee’s mother but manages to be creepy as hell, giving you a clue as to why Lee is such a mental mess.

Nic cage delivers another iconic performance. As Longlegs, Cage channels his inner Tiny Tim with a creepily high and sing-songy voice. Cage plays this character convincingly. He’s under a lot of prosthetics and make-up to play this sadistic, albino creep. At times, he feels like an over-the-top Batman villain, but never crossed the line into camp. Still there are a few scenes where he tap dances close to that edge. The restraint Perkins has with his reveal is wonderfully tense. We only see bits of his face and then from far away for most of the film, making Longlegs all the more mysterious. Plus, his costuming, layering different shades of white make him look truly surreal in a subtle way.

There is a sequence I feel would have been better shown earlier rather than later in the movie that would have helped explain why Lee—this meek, shivering, and awkward character, would have been chosen to be in the FBI in the first place. The scene comes early on, as Lee is given a test to examine psychic abilities. I didn’t want to have Lee’s partner Carter (Blair Underwood) simply explain it on clunky exposition, but I feel if that test would have been interspersed with the opening credits, it would have given me the crucial info as to why the hell Lee is in the FBI in the first place in a more natural way. Instead, that fact and a few others, like the fact that Longlegs is a Satan worshipper, and parts of Lee’s past are rather clunkily revealed through dialog. These lead to an especially convenient climax that is quite predictable to everyone but the main characters. It’s moments like this that qualify LONGLEGS as just shy of perfect.

LONGLEGS is a patient thriller that will horrify you in ways you might have difficulty identifying. This is subliminal and subtle horror. While there are some straight up terrifying scenes of gore, shock and carnage, the scariest stuff is in the periphery and better noticed after multiple viewings I imagine. I’ll definitely be seeing it again. If you’re a fan of Perkins previous movies, this feels like his most mature and accomplished ones he’s done yet while still playing in his familiar sandbox. But be forewarned, this isn’t a mainstream horror movie!

Plus – LOVE LIES BLEEDING (2024)
Released on March 8, 2024, and is streaming on Max from A24 Films!
Directed by Rose Glass.
Written by Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/BF_J3-DmiS0
A gym manager named Lou (Kristen Stewart) is blown away when a new bodybuilder named Jackie (Katy O’Brian) makes her way into town. The two quickly become embroiled in a strong relationship. Daisy is training to perform in an upcoming bodybuilding competition and in order to look her best, begins using steroids, making her emotionally unstable. Meanwhile, Lou is having family issues as her father Lou Sr. (Ed Harris) is the local crime boss with his hand in every operation going on in the small New Mexico town and her sister Beth (Jenna Malone) is in an abusive relationship with her no-good husband JJ (Dave Franco). All of this drama comes together in an explosive and violent way by the time the credits roll.

Those who balk at the mere word of the word lesbian are going to have a lot to run away from in LOVE LIES BLEEDING, but if they do they are going to miss out on an incredibly complex and bombastic movie about the horrifying things we do for those we love. While, yes, there is a lot of girl on girl action in this one, the film escalates to a fever pitch once you realize that the old adage about love is true, “the brightest fire burns out the fastest.” Both Lou and Jackie are deeply flawed individuals, drawn to one another mainly because they really have never met someone like each other before. I don’t want to over-generalize, but I have it on good authority from my lesbian friends that there’s an old joke in the lesbian community, “What does a lesbian bring on her second date? Her suitcase and all of her things.” Meaning that there is a tendency in the lesbian community to rush into relationships, most likely because once one finds someone with the same kind of likes and dislikes in a small town where LGBTQ are parts of the alphabet aren’t used very often, they tend to move quickly while the fire is hot. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not. Not judging or anything, but it certainly is a bad thing between these two tragic souls starring in LOVE LIES BLEEDING. The film has a fiery beating heart, just waiting to explode at any minute and director Rose Glass and her co-writer, Weronika Tofilska build tension atop tension in this seedy story that feels ripped from the same cloth as such epic crime/love stories as TRUE ROMANCE, THE GETAWAY, and BLOOD SIMPLE. While the lesbianism is strong with this one, this is a story mainly about rushed love and brutal violence resulting from it.

LOVE LIES BLEEDING has an amazing cast of actors who alone could carry a movie themselves. Though she still has a bit of that TWILIGHT baggage, I really like the film decisions Kirsten Stewart has chosen, though admittedly, I’ve only seen her in UNDERWATER and LOVE LIES BLEEDING, but in both films she is a force of nature in a minuscule body. She is the guiding force of this storyline and everyone in the film revolves around her, though Stewart’s Lou doesn’t want any of that type of attention. But you really feel the impact Jackie has on Lou’s life and the hope she feels as this relationship begins, as well as the sorrow when she seems to be the only one who understands how hopeless that relationship is.

Of course, the role that makes the biggest impact, literally and figuratively, is played by Katy O’Brian as Jackie. Disney should be kicking themselves not just simply using this actress as the She-Hulk instead of the CG monstrosity they ended up with. On top of delivering a heartbreaking performance, O’Brian commands every scene she is as the monstrously muscular bodybuilder with the heart of gold, but a mind that is…shall we say, impulsive. Seeing the mistakes she makes along the way as this story rolls on made my throat clench up.

Rounding out the cast is Ed Harris who is basically playing the embodiment of the devil. His receding mullet is a wonderfully demented touch, but he is lethal and terrifying in every scene he’s in, even when he’s trying to be the voice of reason and decency amongst the chaos Lou and Jackie have created. Jenna Malone is strong as Lou’s sister, delivering a complex role of the abused wife who still loves her family, even her abusive husband, deeply. And Dave Franco, who for some reason, I have a strong disliking of, is great as said abusive husband JJ.

Once the intense passion between Lou and Jackie begins to dim, the violence begins and whoa nelly, does this one get rough. There are some truly brutal moments that had me wincing and screaming. There are some scenes of delusion and nightmare that are scarring. After we get to know our cast, Glass and Tofilska’s story mauls each and every character relentlessly and it’s hard to shake.

Now, the ending of LOVE LIES BLEEDING slides right off into batshit-ville with a fantastical sequence oozing with metaphor. This is where the film is going to lose a lot of people, as everything that has grounded the film before the film’s climax fades away and Lou and Jackie transcend to become much more than simple humans. I could have done without it, literally hyping them to mammoth proportions is a representation of their importance to this story. At the same time, as Lou and Jackie become towering titans, it feels appropriate as size and strength are ever-present on both Lou and Jackie’s minds. Lou is a small person in a small town, trampled down by the weight of her criminal father while Jackie is an insecure person burying herself under mounds of muscle. While it’s not as literal, this ending is not unlike THELMA & LOUISE or BUTCH & SUNDANCE diving or driving off that cliff into mythic infamy. So while this shift from the literal to the metaphorical is a jolt, I think it fits in this epic love story we’ve watched unfold.

Containing powerful performances, an epic story of love and loss, and a brutal and violent nature, LOVE LIES BLEEDING is definitely unlike most films you’re going to watch this and any year. Keep an open mind and give it a shot.

The Best in Horror Countdown 2023-2024
#31 – HERE FOR BLOOD (DESTROY ALL NEIGHBORS)
#30 – THANKSGIVING (THE SACRIFICE GAME)
#29 – MILK & SERIAL (LOWLIFES)
#28 – PROJECT SILENCE (FROGMAN)
#27 – THE SEEDING (DARK HARVEST)
#26 – BEEZEL (THE FRESH HELL TRILOGY)
#25 – ABERRANCE (COLD MEAT)
#24 – OUT OF DARKNESS (ALL YOU NEED IS DEATH)
#23 – ARCADIAN (A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE)
#22 – YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME (GHOSTS OF THE VOID)
#21 – NEVER LET GO (LOVELY, DARK, & DEEP)
#20 – ABIGAIL (BLACKOUT)
#19 – SPEAK NO EVIL (EIGHT EYES)
#18 – BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (LISA FRANKENSTEIN)
#17 – MAXXXINE (SHERYL)
#16 – CUCKOO (AMELIA’S CHILDREN)
#15 – 15 CAMERAS (MIDNIGHT PEEPSHOW)
#14 – DO NOT DISTURB (KILL YOUR LOVER)
#13 – WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS (HELL HOLE)
#12 – ALIEN: ROMULUS (INFESTED)
#11 – HELL HOUSE LLC ORIGINS: THE CARMICHAEL MANOR (V/H/S/85)
#10 – STOP MOTION (MONOLITH)
#9 – IN A VIOLENT NATURE (HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS)
#8 – THE COFFEE TABLE (HANDLING THE UNDEAD)
#7 – THE FIRST OMEN (IMMACULATE)
#6 – ODDITY (EXHUMA)
#5 – LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL (I SAW THE TV GLOW)
#4 – WHEN EVIL LURKS (THE DEMON DISORDER)
#3 – LONGLEGS (LOVE LIES BLEEDING)

Like, Share, and Subscribe already!!!

Help me out at my Patreon page here – https://www.patreon.com/MLMiller
Read written reviews and my comics news at https://mlmillerwrites.com/
Follow me on Twitter @Mark_L_Miller

Want some spooky comics? My two new trade paperback collections of PIROUETTE and GRAVETRANCERS are out now! Please show your support and let your comic shop know you NEED a copy! If they’re out, tell them to order more!

You can find your local comic shop on the Comic Shop Locator. https://www.comicshoplocator.com/

Music Written by Tim Heidecker
Music & Arrangement by Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy https://youtu.be/PDySbxQgZMg
(I do not own this music)