Nicolas Cage’s Record-Breaking New Horror Movie Is A Reminder To Watch This Under-The-Radar 88% RT Thriller

Summary Longlegs is a chilling horror film that surpassed Oscar winner Parasite in gross earnings, featuring a bold performance by Nicolas Cage.

Rising horror star Maika Monroe shines in her role as FBI Agent Lee Harker, adding to her impressive resume in the genre.

Monroe shines in her 2022 horror film Watcher, a psychological thriller that showcases her talent in creating tension without jump scares.

Audiences have been chilled to the bone by Longlegs, a horror film with 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. Longlegs has broken the record for distributor Neon by quickly becoming their highest-grossing film, beating Oscar Best Picture winner Parasite. Grossing $73 million on a $10 million budget, Oz Perkins' film features an unrecognizable Nicolas Cage as the eponymous serial killer in a brash performance that sears into the brain.

The real star of Longlegs is rising horror icon Maika Monroe. Monroe has made a name for herself in the horror genre with her amazing performance in It Follows. In Longlegs, she portrays protagonist Lee Harker, a troubled FBI Agent. However, this isn’t the first time Monroe has chased down an elusive killer.

Maika Monroe's Horror Movies Role Year of Release Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score It Follows Jay Height 2014 95% The Guest Anna Peterson 2014 92% Greta Erica Penn 2018 61% Tau Julia 2018 27% Villains Jules 2019 84% Watcher Julia 2022 88% Significant Other Ruth 2022 70% Longlegs Agent Lee Harker 2024 85%

Related 10 Unmistakable Similarities Between Longlegs & The Silence of the Lambs From FBI agents to grotesque gifts, Longlegs unveils jaw-dropping similarities to the cult classic The Silence of the Lambs throughout its runtime.

After Longlegs, Watch Maika Monroe's 2022 Horror Movie Watcher

Monroe Was Hunted By A Serial Killer In Watcher Before Becoming The Hunter In Longlegs

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Since starring in It Follows, Maika Monroe has taken the horror genre by storm, cementing herself as a modern scream queen in films such as The Guest and Significant Other. In 2022, Monroe starred in Watcher, a psychological thriller that features the best aspects of Longlegs in both atmosphere and performance. Monroe portrays Julia, an American woman who moves to Bucharest with her partner Francis, played by Karl Glusman. Julia quickly notices a figure always watching her from a neighboring window, while the city is plagued by a serial killer, known as The Spider.

Maika Monroe is set to return to horror again in the sequel to It Follows, titled They Follow.

Like Longlegs, Watcher manages to drum up the scares without the usage of jump scares or blood. There is a constant sense of dread permeating through the film, as every dark space could be hiding the Spider from view. Monroe plays the lead role differently from Lee Harker, as Julia is not trained or equipped to deal with this kind of threat. Instead of fighting, Julia is constantly looking over her shoulder as she finds herself pursued by her shadowy neighbor across the city. It’s a slow build-up of tension that features some of Monroe’s best work in the genre.

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buy Not available Not available Not available *Availability in US Director Chloe Okuno Release Date June 3, 2022 Writers Chloe Okuno , Zack Ford Cast Maika Monroe , Karl Glusman , Burn Gorman , Tudor Petrut Runtime 96 Minutes Main Genre Horror Expand

Watcher Deserves a Resurgence In Popularity After Longlegs' Record-Breaking Success

Watcher Went Relatively Unnoticed As It Wasn't Widely Released In Theaters

Watcher differs from Longlegs in their villains’ performances. Cage takes the opportunity to play Longlegs as elaborately and eccentrically as he can, disguising himself under heaps of garish makeup and prosthetics. Notable character actor Burn Gorman plays The Spider, instead creating an equally terrifying character in the opposite manner. Gorman is quiet and restrained, with every word he speaks piercing the eerie silence that infects the film. He’s a very ordinary-looking man, reinforcing Julia’s fear that he could be waiting around any corner. It’s a brilliant performance from Gorman that matches the sinister world crafted by director Chloe Okuno.

Watcher received a positive critical reception, earning a high 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. The New York Times described it as “one of this century’s most arresting tales of female anxiety,” and it was nominated for Best U.S. Picture at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and Best Independent Film at the 46th Saturn Awards. However, Watcher did not have the same success at the box office, only grossing $3.2 million against a budget of $5 million. With the excitement that Longlegs has brought to the genre, Maika Monroe fans should revisit this under-appreciated genre gem that matches Longlegs for scares and serial killer thrills.

Source: The New York Times