LONGLEGS : Tuesday 23rd July 2024.

I saw the MA15+ rated 'LONGLEGS' at my local multiplex earlier this week, and this American horror film is Written and Directed by Osgood Perkins, whose prior feature film credits take in his debut with 'The Blackcoat's Daughter' in 2015, then 'I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House' in 2016, 'Gretel & Hansel' in 2020 with 'The Monkey' based on a 1980 short story by Stephen King set for a cinema release in February 2025. Released in the US last week, this film has garnered generally positive reviews and has so far grossed US$59M off the back of a production budget of less than US$10M. 

The film opens with car driving along a snow covered road and coming to halt outside a remote house. It is Oregon, sometime in the 1970's. A little girl observes the car, puts on a winter jacket and goes outside to investigate. She follows a strange voice coming from behind the house and is confronted by a man wearing pale makeup and long white straggly hair who is acting erratically. 

We then fast forward to sometime in the 1990's, and newly recruited FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) seems to posses the gift of intuition in the field, as is evidenced when she correctly points to a local house on a cookie-cutter estate in which a murderer is hiding, and whom she captures, but not before the murderer had gunned down Agent Horatio Fisk (Dakota Daulby), Harker's partner while he was conducting a routine house to house enquiry.

As a result of her testing for possible precognition she is assigned to a decades-long case of a series of brutal murder/suicides involving families throughout Oregon state. In each incident, the father brutally murdered his wife and children before taking his own life, and left behind at each crime scene a letter with cryptic, seemingly Satanic coding, that is signed 'Longlegs'. The handwriting belongs to none of the victims, despite no forensic evidence of any home invasion or third parties having been present.

While Harker is talking on the phone one night to her mother, she is visited by a mysterious figure who leaves behind a 9th birthday card with a coded message. Harker decodes the text with the aid of a Bible, which states that if she reveals to anyone how she figured out the code, Longlegs will kill her mother. Harker is able to quickly connect certain similarities between the families, namely that each had at least one nine-year-old daughter born on the 14th of the month, and the murders all occurred within six days before or after the birthday itself. When scribed out on a linear calendar, the dates of the murders form an occult symbol of an inverted triangle, with one date missing to complete the shape. 

Armed with a clue, Harker and her supervisor, Agent Carter (Blair Underwood) travel to a remote farmstead some eighty miles away and there upstairs in a barn, unearth a doll buried under the floorboards of one of the former crime scenes. A forensics expert performs an autopsy on the life size and realistic looking doll and inside its head, find a strange metal orb that emits high energy sounds despite being empty inside. Despite Carter's skepticism of the supernatural, Harker hatches a theory that each family received a similar doll from Longlegs, and he has been infusing the orbs within each doll with some sort of evil energy that can possess and influence those in close proximity to it. Carter grows concerned that Harker is connected to Longlegs after seeing hints of Longlegs' knowledge of Harker and her mother Ruth (Alicia Witt).

Harker visits her mother who still lives in the same home that she grew up in, who denies any memory of her daughters 9th birthday but subtly directs her to search through her childhood belongings, as she never throws anything out. Harker finds a chest in her childhood bedroom containing a pile of Polaroids. Among them is a picture of the pale-faced man, revealing her to be the girl from the films introduction. Knowing now that she was visited by Longlegs (Nicolas Cage, who also Co-Produces here), she hands the picture over to Carter, allowing the FBI to track him down and arrest him at a bus stop with two suitcases containing letters written in the same Satanic code.

After realising the missing date on the inverted triangle is that day, Harker believes Longlegs may have an accomplice. In the interrogation room, he tells her that he serves 'the man downstairs'. He tells Harker to question her mother's involvement in his crimes, proclaiming 'Hail Satan' before repeatedly slamming his face and jaw into the metal table, finally killing himself after splintering open his forehead and nose. 

Agent Carter is somewhat distressed that Harker's line of questioning led Longlegs to kills himself so bringing their investigations to a premature end. Agent Browning (Michelle Choi-Lee) seeing that Harker is in no fit state to drive herself, drives Harker back to her mother's home. While investigating the house, Harker witnesses her mother unloading with both barrels of a shotgun on Browning who was waiting patiently in the car for Harker to return. Harker then stumbles to a back yard and sees Ruth shooting the head off a doll resembling a young nine-year-old Harker, causing her to lose consciousness.

Seen in flashback, it is revealed that Ruth has been Longlegs' accomplice ever since Lee's encounter with him as a child. Longlegs returned in the night to attack and subdue Ruth, forcing her to make a choice—let her daughter be murdered as part of the ritual, or to comply with his wishes to spare her. She complied, leaving Lee to be the missing birthday on the triangle. Longlegs has lived in the Harker house basement ever since, creating dolls he would infuse with his Satanic magic. Ruth would pose as a nun delivering a gift from the church to bring the dolls to the families who are then possessed and proceed to kill one another. Lee's doll has been guiding her with the Satanic influence of Longlegs since that time.

Coming around in the basement to the sound of a distant phone ringing, Harker makes her way upstairs to the kitchen and answers the phone to hear a demonic voice proclaim, 'You're late for Ruby's party'. Realising Agent Carter's daughter, Ruby (Ava Kelders), has her ninth birthday that day and that the Carters' deaths would complete Longlegs' triangle, Harker races over to the Carter household to intervene, only to discover that Ruth had already delivered the doll to the family, who are all already possessed. After Carter murders his wife in the kitchen, Harker shoots and kills Carter to protect Ruby. Ruth stands up maniacally brandishing a dagger, leaving Harker little option but to shoot and kill her mother with a bullet to the forehead. Harker tries to shoot the doll's head, but her gun is either out of ammunition or it jams. She then tells Ruby they need to leave but remains transfixed on the doll. 

With 'Longlegs' Director and scribe Osgood Perkins has crafted a chilling and thrilling slow burn police procedural horror film that is akin to 'Silence of the Lambs' with a little bit of 'Se7en' thrown in for good measure, and his film succeeds on almost every level. Maika Monroe's performance is a stand-out and Nicolas Cage still has what it takes to play the gonzo bat-shit crazy unhinged role that this film requires. The film mixes the supernatural with the psychological all woven together in a neat package that is at once terrifying, creepy and will crawl under your skin and hibernate there long after the end credits have rolled. 

'Longlegs' warrants four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

GRETA : Tuesday 5th March 2019.

'GRETA' which I saw earlier this week, is a psychological thriller offering Directed and Co-Written by Neil Jordan whose previous big screen credits over a long and distinguished career take in 'The Company of Wolves', 'Mona Lisa', 'We're No Angels', 'The Crying Game', 'Interview with the Vampire', 'Michael Collins', 'The End of the Affair' and 'The Brave One' amongst others. The film saw its World Premier screening at last years TIFF in early September, and only last week did it get a release in Australia, and in the US too. The film has garnered generally mixed Reviews, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by it, and it has so far taken US$6M at the Box Office.

Here Frances McCullen (Chloe Grace Moretz) finds a handbag on the New York subway and dutifully returns it to Greta Hideg (Isabelle Huppert), an eccentric and late 50/early 60 year old French piano teacher who loves tea and classical music, but is just a little lonely. Greta is overjoyed that Frances has returned her handbag and invites the young girl in for a freshly brewed coffee. Over coffee in the afternoon, Frances learns that Greta is a widow, and has a daughter living in Paris studying music at University, with whom she speaks to quite often over the phone. Frances is working as a waitress in an upmarket restaurant and living with her best friend Erica Penn (Maika Monroe) in a penthouse bought for her by her parents. We also learn that Frances one year ago lost her own mother to cancer and is still coming to terms with that loss. Meanwhile her father Chris (Colm Feore) is a workaholic, and with whom she has a strained and distant relationship.

Frances begins to spend time with Greta, having struck up an instant liking for each other, and they are both seemingly very comfortable in each others company. Frances suggests that Greta should get a dog to keep her company, and that it would be a welcome distraction. At first Greta shirks off the idea but then warms, and agrees only if Frances will help her choose one from the Dog Rescue Centre, which she does. One night while Frances is helping Greta prepare a dinner for the two of them Frances stumbles across a stash of handbags in her sideboard, identical to the one she retrieved and containing the same set of contents. Furthermore, on the back of each handbag is a Post-It note with the name of a girl and a mobile phone number. This gravely disturbs Frances, who cuts dinner short, and upon the advice of Erica, cuts ties with Greta completely.

Shortly thereafter following numerous unanswered phone calls and text messages from Greta to Frances' mobile phone at all times of the day and night, Greta begins stalking Frances and is even seen standing outside the restaurant where she works staring blankly in through the window from across the street. This unsettles Frances. On another occasion, Greta books a table at the restaurant, insults Frances while she is going about her work and creates a scene upturning her table in a fit of rage. She is restrained by other restaurant staff and Security Officers and the Police called. Greta is carted off in an ambulance for treatment and released from custody the next day. At this point, after Greta has also stalked Erica one evening while out at a club, both Frances and Erica seek to take out a restraining order but are told by the Police that the process could take months.

Later, Frances meets up with her father, with his advice being to cut Greta out of her life completely. Meanwhile, Frances has tried to make contact with Greta's daughter in Paris and indirectly finds out that Greta was released from a psychiatric hospital and also learns from a Counsellor that Greta's daughter committed suicide four years ago, and that she never did go to France to study music. Frances is encouraged to get out of the city for a break but torn to either go away with her father or go with Erica out of the country, but Frances feels that she should not not leave because of Greta’s behaviour. Erica suggests lying to Greta and saying she was leaving to fix her own issues, and to apologise to the woman for her behaviour. After some tuition in the art of blatant lying from Erica, Frances follows this advice, and meets with Greta in church to make peace.

The next day, Greta emerges in Erica's apartment and drugs Frances while she is home alone, and then kidnaps her, bundling the partially conscious Frances into the back of a taxi on the basis that she is very sick. Greta takes her to her home, where she bundles the now comatose Frances into a large wooden locked box in a secret room located behind the piano. Greta then proceeds to send text messages to both Chris and Erica telling each of them that she is with the other and having a good old time, using photo's found within Frances' mobile phone. When Frances is released from the confines of her wooden box she finds clothing and ID cards from the other girls that had been abducted by Greta over time, and she surmises met with a sticky end.

In time, Erica and Chris learn that Frances was not with either of them on holiday as they had been led to believe. By now she has been kept with Greta for a good couple of weeks, forced to learn piano and speak French. During a cooking lesson, Frances cuts off Greta's finger with a cookie cutter, and uses the rolling pin she is holding to knock Greta unconscious. Frances tries to escape but all the doors and windows are locked shut and there is no sign of any keys. Heading into the basement to try and find an exit Frances stumbles across a bodybag only to find one of Greta's victims in it and still breathing. Greta then appears and takes control of the situation by promptly wrapping a bag around Frances' head until she passes out. To prevent Frances from trying to escape again, she shackles her to  the bed frame and gags her mouth. In the meantime, the body in the bag in the basement is no longer breathing, having been seen to by Greta.

Chris hires a personal friend and Irish private investigator Brian Cody (Stephen Rea) to locate Greta and hopefully shed some light on Frances' disappearance. Brian, after doing some digging, explains to Chris that Greta was a nurse who was discharged for abusing sleeping medication and further explains that Greta was supposed to be back in Hungary, her home country. Brian visits the home to meet with Greta who lets him in and is very pleasant offering him a cup of coffee and a chat. He questions the old woman about Frances, but Greta shrugs off their brief acquaintance as the whim of a young girl. Meanwhile, Frances attempts to get his attention by thrashing her body against the bed and in turn the wall against which the piano is located on the other side. This action causes the metronome on top of the piano to activate. Brian snoops around and deduces that there is a secret room behind the piano despite Greta attempting to block off the noise by playing loud classical music. Brian is tranquilised and eventually shot dead by Greta with his own gun using three bullets at point blank range to the head.

By now weeks and possibly months have passed by with Frances still bound and gagged to her bed. Greta is back up to her old tricks and leaves another handbag for an unsuspecting victim on the subway. That unsuspecting victim brings the handbag to Greta's home and is welcomed inside by Greta, like history is repeating itself . . . again! Frances attempts to get their attention by banging once again against the bed frame, but is unsuccessful. After Greta drinks the coffee, she suddenly feels overcome with drowsiness and quickly deduces that it had been spiked and passes out as a result. The victim takes off her brunette wig to reveal herself as Erica. Erica is also alerted to the metronome that self started as a result of the bed banging against the wall next to the piano. She rescues Frances before the pair place Greta’s motionless body in the box and securing it with a makeshift lock, and then leave to get some much needed fresh air.

'Greta' may not offer the genre anything that we haven't already seen countless times before, but it is saved by the two female leads in Isabelle Huppert playing the totally unhinged antagonist to quiet calculating perfection, and Chloe Grace Moretz as the young innocent protagonist caught in the wrong place at the wrong time just trying to be an upstanding model citizen by doing the right thing. The other characters are left to hang as window dressing and to move the largely predictable cat and mouse plot along for all of its sub-100 minute run time. The film is certainly worth the price of your ticket, or you can wait to catch it from the comfort of your sofa in your own home, just don't expect anything new and fresh, but rather a respectable by the numbers rehash of previously trodden ground. 

'Greta' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-