From an unnoticed project, Heretical tragedy (International title: Longlegs ) has become a surprise hit of the horror genre at the box office this year. The film had a budget of less than 10 million USD but grossed more than 103 million USD when it was released, currently holding the record as the highest-grossing independent film of the year.
The work was highly appreciated for its clever exploitation of spiritual themes combined with detective stories, while also inserting creepy and thrilling details. In particular, Nicolas Cage's performance as the murderer also left a strong impression on viewers.
Combining spirituality with detective
The film is set in Oregon, USA in the 1990s. At this time, a series of murders occurred one after another, with unknown causes and no trace of the perpetrator, haunting the entire country.
The only information about the killer was left by him: the coded words at the crime scene and the Longlegs “signature.”
The main character Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is a young but brave FBI agent who has been pursuing this massacre for a long time. With her intelligence and courage, she gradually discovers the common points of the murder cases, thereby solving the mysteries and getting closer and closer to the demon named Longlegs.
However, Harker's own life is also threatened because the truth behind the cases is more horrifying than she could have imagined.
Maika Monroe's appearance as Lee Harker.
Heretical tragedy written and directed by Osgood Perkins. He is the son of the late actor Anthony Perkins – best known for playing the murderer Norman Bates in Psycho (1960) by Alfred Hitchcock.
The film's script is built in the direction of a detective story. The more the audience follows the trail of the murderer, the more they feel scared because of the horror and suspenseful details. This direction reminds many classic works such as The Silence of the Lambs , Cure , Zodiac , Se7en …
Therefore, the film does not overuse jump scares or scares, but chooses a slow, leisurely narrative to establish a dark, creepy atmosphere throughout.
The director makes good use of the setting, sound and light to lead the audience into the world of crime. The filmmaker favors wide angles and nostalgic film colors to highlight the cold scene of America in the past decade. He also inserts some details related to religion, quoting the Bible to create depth for the story.
Many scenes are simply staged but create a feeling of suffocation and discomfort. Even when the murderer's identity is revealed, the story still makes the viewer feel suffocated because of the darkness and fear.
The film also has many scary and violent scenes, so it was labeled T18 (for audiences under 18 years old) when released in Vietnam.
Some images from the movie.
Nicolas Cage surprises
Except for Nicolas Cage, the cast in the film are all little-known faces. But if you don’t know, it’s rare for the audience to recognize the actor born in 1964. Because he completely “transforms” with a monstrous and scary appearance in the role of a mysterious murderer.
Although he doesn't appear much, Nicolas Cage's villain role as Longlegs is truly the highlight of the film. To fully embody the character, the actor uses his acting techniques, clearly showing from his eyes, gestures to voice.
Every time he appears, Longlegs' pale face seems to take up the entire frame, making the story even more creepy.
Receiving many compliments for his acting, Nicolas Cage declared that this was the only time he transformed into a savage killer on film. Interview IndieWire the actor said he also felt “tired” of the role, he “doesn't like violence” and “doesn't want to play people who hurt others”.
The female lead Maika Monroe – famous for It Follows (2014) – also left an impression with the main role of Lee Harker. She convinced the audience when she became a policewoman with complex emotions but very brave, not compromising in the face of evil.
Nicolas Cage left a strong impression as a crazy murderer.
When launched, Heretical tragedy received a “shower” of praise from critics, achieving a “Fresh” certificate on Rotten Tomatoes with 85% positive votes. However, the film created controversy with the audience, only achieving 6.8/10 points on IMDb.
Most reviews praised director Osgood Perkins' story, Nicolas Cage's performance, and the film's visuals.
The downside is that the script still has some loopholes. The way the plot is resolved is simple, the ending is also somewhat rushed and predictable, not creating any surprise for the audience.
Basically, Heretical tragedy The idea is not too new. However, the film still attracts audiences when choosing a direction reminiscent of many classic Hollywood films.
In addition, the film's revenue achievement also comes from a strange but effective promotional strategy. Before the film's release, the crew continuously posted many mysterious messages, short videos containing puzzles and codes on social networks… This direction created curiosity with the audience, partly helping to increase the coverage of the project.
