Longlegs (2024)

Osgood Perkins’s 2024 serial killer police procedural horror film Longlegs crawls under your skin without ever attempting to rip it wide open. It patiently establishes an existential feeling of dread for the unknown, the fear of something lurking just around the corner, out of sight but terrifying. Evil exists, and it’s right behind you, waiting to grab you by the throat the second you look away. So goes Longlegs, “the scariest movie of the year.” And of such a title, it’s most certainly deserving. But calling Longlegs scary would be an injustice. It’s guaranteed to scare you, what’s more is its lingering effect of bone-chilling paranoia. Those small unexplainable noises, making out strange figures in the dark corners of your bedroom, flashing images of the worst to come. For F.B.I. Agent Lee Harker, it’s the “man downstairs.” For you, it could be your worst nightmare.