Longlegs (4K UHD Review)
- Review Date: Oct 01, 2024
- Format: 4K Ultra HD
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Director
Osgood PerkinsRelease Date(s)
2024 (September 24, 2024)Studio(s)
C2 Motion Pictures Group (Neon/Decal Releasing)- Film/Program Grade: B+
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: C+
Review
Horror thrillers were once a cinematic staple in the American moviegoing diet, having since moved to television and streaming where audiences have come to expect them. They occasionally get made for mainstream theatrical experiences, but few have received the kind of attention that Longlegs has continued to garner long past its theatrical release window. In an era when many above-the-line films are making multiple millions of dollars at the box office, there appears to be an appetite, minor though it may be, for slow burn, atmospheric, character-driven horror and thriller films. Longlegs fits snugly into that category, and it’s currently considered the biggest success in the history of its distributor, Neon.
In the 1990s, FBI Agent Lee Harker (Makai Monroe) is brought in by her superior, Agent Carter (Blair Underwood), to investigate a series of murder-suicides, all of which are marked with a handwritten letter in Satanic coding, signed “Longlegs.” Harker’s seemingly clairvoyant abilities aid her in discovering more about these cases, which Longlegs (Nicolas Cage) takes notice of, leaving her a private letter of her own, warning her not to go any further in order to protect the life of her devoutly religious mother, Ruth (Alicia Witt). Ever-vigilante, she descends further into a deadly rabbit hole, discovering long-hidden truths about both Longlegs and herself along the way.
Longlegs is certainly not shy about its cinematic source material. The obvious influences are all there, including The Silence of the Lambs, Se7en, and Zodiac, likely among others that have been overlooked (Oz Perkins also name checks Don’t Look Now and Carrie in the extras). One might also throw the highly undervalued and mostly forgotten Just Cause into the mix, especially due to the presence of the always reliable Blair Underwood. Though all of these influences have basically been thrown into a blender, Longlegs manages to maintain its own identity.
Performances are wonderful across the board. Makai Monroe’s socially awkward and introverted Agent Harker is put through the emotional ringer while Alicia Witt’s Ruth harbors dark secrets, both actors excelling with their characters. Blair Underwood we’ve covered already, but there’s also a fine but brief performance by Kiernan Shipka, portraying one of Longlegs’ only surviving victims. That brings us to Nicolas Cage, who is absolutely buried in make-up and costume, giving yet another unhinged performance, which is probably the biggest criticism of the film, outside of those who seemingly wanted something more from the film than what it gave them. He’s used sparingly and effectively, but you’re either with him for it or you’re not.
The biggest star of the film is its look. Cinematographer Andrés Arochi Tinajero infuses it with deep shadowy environments, giving them a warm amber glow, or a stark whiteness in the winter, or simply capturing overcast landscapes... there’s no sunshine in this film. There are also occasional uses of neon red, or deeply dark environments, presented in frames that are wider than usual, giving audiences a sense that something may leap out of the shadows at any moment. Tinajero goes a step further by shooting all of the events in the 1970s on film, and capturing the 1990s material digitally, presented in different aspect ratios and color temperatures, and (thankfully) avoiding the temptation to add grain to the digitally-sourced footage.
Word of mouth and a minimalistic ad campaign that showed little but emphasized atmosphere got Longlegs to where it is. It’s one of those films that, when you’re coming out of it, you know it’s going to get some attention. How long will that last? It’s difficult to say, especially these days when there’s a fire hose of content being sprayed at us at all times from all directions. Part of me believes that Longlegs will indeed have legs, no pun intended, but we’ll know for sure when we start to see people dressing up as some of the characters from the film for Halloween.
For Longlegs, cinematographer Andrés Arochi Tinajero shot scenes taking place in the 1970s on 35mm film (Kodak Vision3 250D 5207) in the aspect ratio of 1.33:1, while scenes taking place in the 1990s were captured digitally in the ARRIRAW (4.5K) codec on C.Fast 2.0 memory cards in the aspect ratio of 2.39:1. A combination of Arri Alexa Mini LF and Arricam LT cameras and Arri Signature Prime and Cooke S4 lenses were used, with the final results finished as a 4K Digital Intermediate in the aspect ratio of 2.39:1, pillarboxing those scenes shot for 1.33:1. Neon and Decal Releasing bring the film to 4K Ultra HD, likely sourced from the DI, which has been graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 only, and presented on a triple-layered BD-100 disc. It’s a gorgeous picture with bitrates that sit between 80 and 100Mbps, frequently soaring beyond that. The mixed sources blend well, with a very fine sheen of grain for the 1970s scenes, and a crystal clear frame for the 1990s scenes. The color palette offers a rich and varied range of nuanced hues, which the HDR10 grade fully boosts, getting plenty of detail out of the film’s shadows and deepened blacks. A Dolby Vision pass is all that could improve this. It’s an amazing presentation.
Audio is included in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, as well as an English 2.0 Audio Description track, with optional subtitles in English SDH or Spanish. The multichannel experience allows for many subtleties in the atmospherics, while also supporting very dynamic staging and abundant uses of low frequency activity. Dialogue is king here, and everything comes through beautifully, even when it’s been altered to be a bit more ambiguous. An Atmos experience would put this soundtrack over the top, but it’s a muscular experience in its own right.
Longlegs on 4K Ultra HD sits in a black Amaray case alongside a 1080p Blu-ray copy of the film, with an insert and a slipcover featuring artwork from one of the film’s theatrical posters. The extras, aside from an opening trailer for Cuckoo on Blu-ray, are identical on both discs:
- Audio Commentary with Osgood Perkins
- On Set Interviews:
- Maika Monroe (4:11)
- Osgood Perkins (6:07)
- Blair Underwood (4:40)
- Alicia Witt (4:20)
- Evidence (18 in all)
- Clues:
- Every Year There Is Another (:37)
- Remember to Say Your Prayers (:37)
- We’ve Been Waiting for Her (:25)
- Teaser (1:25)
- Dirty/Sweet (2:10)
- Trailer (2:21)
- More Evidence (16 in all)
Oz Perkins flies solo for this commentary, occasionally speaking to someone off-mic for occasional clarification. He handles it well and keeps things lively, providing plenty of detail about the making of the film. The On Set Interviews are much more than short fluff pieces. Instead, they’re a series of Q&As with the actors and director, shot while the film was still underway. Evidence and More Evidence contain a series of crime scene photographs as seen in the film. The rest of the extras consist of some of the film’s promotional materials.
Side note: this is a trigger warning for those who suffer from epilepsy. The main menu flashes various slides on a slide projector, as seen in the film, of varying colors and shapes. I don’t suffer from epilepsy myself, but even I was bothered by it after a bit (likely intentional, to some degree).
Neon and Decal Releasing’s 4K UHD of Longlegs is certainly a demo-worthy disc, outside of the extras which are somewhat brief, even with some decent interviews and a fine commentary from Oz Perkins. It’s likely that we’ll see something more substantial down the road, but in the meantime, this is a very nice release. Highly recommended.
- Tim Salmons
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