Summary
Longlegsseems to borrow one genius twist from a highly acclaimed Ari Aster movie, making the film’s ending even darker and scarier. Although Oz Perkins’Longlegsis unique in more ways than one, the film seems to adopt ideas and thematic elements from several renowned horror films. For instance,Longlegshas been compared withThe Silence of the Lambsby many because it uses the 1991 crime horror film’s storytelling structure as a device to get viewers invested in its initial moments.
Apart from adoptingThe Silence of the Lambsnarrative format, the film also cleverly plays with the familiar haunted doll trope but brings its own unique spin to it. EvenNicolas Cage’s titular character inLonglegsseems reminiscent of many terrifying clown characters that have previously appeared on the big and small screens. However, what adds another layer of terror and shock value to its overarching story and ending is its narrative parallels with anAri Aster moviethat boasts an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%.
Longlegs' Dolls Explained: Their Purpose, Power, & Real-Life Inspiration
The dolls in Longlegs are one of the creepiest parts of the film, and here’s what purpose they serve and how they are connected to a real murder.
Both Characters Experience A Sense Of Inevitability
Hereditarybegins slowly by only gradually immersing viewers into its impending sense of doom. Its terrifying drama finally kicks off when Milly Shapiro’s Charlie meets a shockingly tragic fate. However, as surprising as her sudden death may seem in the film’s first arc, many subtle details and clues in the early moments of the film foreshadow her future. For instance, long before her death, Charlie keeps spotting the members of the cult, and the cult’s symbol is also ingrained on the pole on which Charlie hits her head before dying.
These clues inHereditaryhighlight thatCharlie had no control over her fatesince her grandmother had put the demon Paimon inside her when she was a baby. Everything that happened in her life since then was merely controlled by external forces, determined to shape her destiny to serve the cult’s dark purpose.Longlegs' Lee Harker alsoexperiences a similar kind of “inevitability.“She, too, was possessed by Longlegs' doll when she was much younger, forcing her to follow the elaborate plan the satanic character had set in motion.
Longlegs' Hereditary Similarities Highlight How Lee Harker’s Ending Is Not A Happy One
Lee Harker Was A Mere Pawn In Longlegs' Plan
Harker liked to believe that she joined the FBI through her own will and possessed clairvoyant abilities. However, asLonglegs' terrifying endingsuggests, Harker was under the influence of the doll’s spell almost throughout her life. Her clairvoyant instincts were no supernatural powers but satan’s way of controlling her and leading her towards his malevolent objectives. Owing to this, it might look like Lee saves the day in Longlegs' ending by killing Agent Carter and her mother,but she actually succumbs to the dark influence that has governed her actions all her life.
Towards the end ofLonglegs, Agent Carter’s daughter loses her parents, and even Lee is forced to kill her mother, which clearly serves the devil’s purpose.
Just like Charlie turns out to be a mere vessel for the cult inHereditaryto bring forth Paimon, Lee Harker turns out to be an instrument to bring more chaos and darkness to the world inLonglegs. Satan’s motive inLonglegsis to destroy families so that he can weaken the bonds that hold society together. Towards the end ofLonglegs, Agent Carter’s daughter loses her parents, and even Lee is forced to kill her mother, which clearly serves the devil’s purpose.
Longlegs
Longlegs is a horror thriller film by writer-director Osgood Perkins. When FBI agent Lee Harker is assigned to a serial killer cold case, their investigation leads them down a rabbit hole riddled with disturbing discoveries and the occult at the center of it all. When the trail of evidence reveals a personal connection, it becomes a race against time to prevent another murder.
