For me at the 3rd viewing he seems like (the creature he is, not the man he was born) an eternal creature a bit like something from a Germanic fairytale. He speaks in riddles and makes deals like one of those creatures, but the deals aren't fair because of magic (although there are rules set by the man downstairs no doubt). Your analysis based on Faust is very intriguing to me 😊
@@mistressofstonesvery cool and clever take. I loved this movie. I loved how openly satanic it is. When longlegs said hail satan I felt that he was talking to the packed theatre. Alot of people didn't like it but I loved it. It felt like a David Lynch film from hell. I heard somewhere the director said that longlegs is a demon who works for Satan and like everyone else hates his job with time but does it nevertheless.
random, but i immediately got a hint at the faustian bargain during my first viewing when the cops captured longlegs literally at a crossroad by a bus stop, in the middle of a road - a common visual interpretation of the faustian bargain scene
It’s a big stretch to say Harker is a Faustus character. The defining feature of Faustus is the making of the deal. Harker doesn’t make a deal. Her MOM makes the deal. Her mom IS a Faustus character. So the movie can better be thought of as “Daughter of Faustus”
As someone who isn't a fan of this director. This movie is gonna be one of those you can watch 10 times and still discover things that might change you're idea about whats going on. This is one of those horror movies that might make you question why its a horror movie on the first viewing. But as it sinks in the actual horror of the story slowly sinks in
Great comparison! On our previous horror episodes, we've called this subgenre "puzzlebox horror". It's very high risk / high reward for me, and usually works better on a second watch.
@@secondbreakfastpodLee’s mother making the deal to save her daughter in return for servitude is pretty clear. I do wonder if the devil would’ve cheated the mom and forced Lee to serve as well if her doll wasn’t shot (I just got out of the theater so still trying to wrap my head around everything)
Ooh that's interesting. I wonder if that would've felt too bleak? It's so interesting with horror movies -- we go to them because we love monsters and being scared, but some small part of us still wants the hero to win in the end and live happily ever after.
@@secondbreakfastpod I agree as well it’s nice that Lee won but if we look at the Bible for reference the devil did tempt long legs and the mom which ended up having 5? families destroyed in the process and he’s still out there in hell waiting for another chance. It’s very bitter sweet. Your theory seems very well thought out great video too
That's an interesting point, but I think there's a difference between having characters who are satanists and actually portraying Satan / the supernatural as real.
@@secondbreakfastpod I don't think people thought Longlegs himself was satan. What I got was that he was a man serving Satan until his time was up. He was to satan or a demon like Renfield to Dracula.
I didn't get this at all I was thinking more of a zodiac type beat but also like... Something down to Earth, silence of the lambs type deal. First watch I thought the occult weaving into the story was insanely cringe cause it's not scary, it's make believe. Real life CAN be horrifying. But I like all the little hints, the camerawork, the soundtrack. Everything is so immersive and eerie asf.
I partly disagree with her being arrested after the fact because they'd clearly notice the stab wounds / prints from the father stabbing the mother and Harker shooting him as defense. Now, the mother situation is much more open in the air
I agree. forensics will show that she acted in self defense. Satan still won because she was forced to kill her mom, and will have to carry that for the rest of her life, so I definitely don't see anything positive in her future
The mom had a knife in her purse, there are her fingerprints on it, they will possibly notice that she lunged onto the main character. She also shot that fbi lady with her own double barrel on which the police will also find her fingerprints. There will definitely gonna be an investigation, but I doubt that she will go to jail for that.
There's info in the codes left by longlegs and on the birthday murders site. The wind demon Hanbi is mentioned, and he is the father of Pazuzu. There's a focus on rock music, and a sound coming from the silver orbs. I'm more inclined to believe this is related to sound, connected to the wind demon. At least we have the threads. Longlegs also carries a guitar.
@@livstibal3852 I’m torn between returning to theaters and waiting for streaming. I want to be able to read the subtitles along with all the visual info.
Me too! We saw it in 35mm the first time and just a standard digital projection the second time. I wound totally recommend seeing both if you can, they are markedly different experiences.
The "sale" of her soul was made without her consent by her mother when she was 9. The mother thought she was saving her daughter's soul, but she ended up damning them both. I viewed the movie from the point of view of a survivor of CAS, and the cycle of abuse and evil that lurks in all those outwardly religious/wholesome/nuclear happy homes was honestly more tragic and terrifying to me than any jumpscare or "monster" because it is very much a reality.
Totally agree! I was waiting the whole movie in fact for there to be a tidbit about her former partner/Lee's dad as well, as a sort of short backstop for the mom and her comments "no one ever visits us"... just felt like there could've been another cool Avenue to explore there
I think there are clear parallels with Hereditary, that pervasive sense of doom, where even if the characters solve the film's clues, there's no changing avoiding the inevitably tragic outcome. If there's a Faustian bargain, it's between Ellen & Paimon, Ruth & Longlegs. Both mothers bargain for different reasons (Ellen wants power, Ruth wants to extend Lee's life). Peter & Lee appear to be the wagers, mothers betting with demons using their children/grandchildren as collateral. A bit like the story of Rumpelstiltskin, bargaining with the first-born. Longlegs may or may not be inhabited by a demon, but a broker between the infernal & mortal. In Hereditary many viewers have interpreted the ending as Ellen getting what she hoped for. However, I think there are clear implications that Ellen bit off more than she could chew. After all, what are Paimon's motivations for obtaining a mortal vessel? He's not going to be satisfied going to high school & chilling like a normal teenager. He's going to want to cause destruction & pain in the real world, & probably, find a way to bring the devil into it & kick start the apocalypse. Dealing with demons seems to be an obviously bad deal. You can't deal with someone who you can't trust. A deal relies on both parties keeping their word & demons, by their very nature, aren't trustworthy. Ruth's deal seems to extend Lee's life, but what does Longlegs truly want? What kind of life does Lee have after all that? She's never truly in control over her own existence. & in return, Longlegs gets a safe place to hide, a corrupted servant in Ruth & in the end, still gets to destroy Lee's life. All that happens is that Ruth enables Longlegs the ability to more easily spread misery & death for a longer time than he may have without her help. Merely a false stay of execution rather than a true reprieve. The tragedy of dealing with demons is that you can't trust them.
I mean, sure. 🤷♀️ But the person who makes the deal is the mother who is IMMEDIATELY dragged to hell to keep her daughter safe from "hell" for X amount of years.
I have absolutely been telling people longlegs absolutely benefits from a second watch. I felt disappointed the first time bc I was expecting an unreasonable experience. Second time once I knew what was happening I really enjoyed it
No right? Idk something about the trailers gave me a more supernatural vibe (like longlegs was actually some type of evil humanoid/creature thing especially given the title of the movie) rather than religious horror. I saw somewhere that Os Perkins advertised this way this on purpose because religious horror is kind of hit or miss with people and he didn’t want to give it away in the teasers. Watching it a second time blew my mind, the detail, it was truly like playing a game and finding all the clues that I was unaware of before! Wish they made movies like this more often
I think the death of Harker's mom is a factor here, especially since a witness saw Harker take her out. Either way, there's a metaphorical, personal hell that Harker is being thrust into by the film's climax.
I see your point, but Harker’s mom still killed a cop before getting shot by Harker, which further adds ti the complexity of the case.. I would love to see how things really play out in the aftermath.
Goethe's Faust is amazing. Marlowe's Dr Faustus is good, but Faust is great, and Faust Part 2 is one of the best things ever written. Faust Part 2 is definitely considered the best work of German literature.
Honestly I like to think Lee would’ve eventually been alright. Assuming there’s no supernatural evidence tampering, although that might be a pretty big ‘if’, then they have all the evidence to show the husband attacked and killed the wife, and so it would be reasonable to assume that Lee shot him in self-defence, which she did. As for the mum, the lines are blurred a bit more, but they’ll find the knife with her fingerprints on it so they could also assume the mum attacked Lee first? Furthermore, she has the daughter as a witness, assuming she’s not possessed or catatonic and she can be used as a legit witness. So all in all, I think there’s a good chance she’d be cleared of all charges, or at least that she’d get a reduced sentence. Then again, I don’t know how the law works in America so I could be completely wrong
Really interesting analysis here, and I love the idea that the movie leaves Lee with the question of how much she can tell the truth about what happened at the end. If Satan and Longlegs and the freaky dolls are all real in this world, then you'd want to shout it from the rooftops -- but if you do, everyone might think you're a nut. Invoking demons during a trial, especially one that lived in the basement of your childhood home, is not going to make you look great!
Love this take, but the open ended-ness for me remains mostly as to the fact that the doll is still unharmed when the credits roll, hence the little girl still under its spell, and that makes me the most anxious because then what exactly does that mean? When the cops arrived does Lee grab one’s gun and shoot it then? Is she able to or is she also under some sort of curse/spell that Longlegs created specifically for that doll? Ugh I love this movie!
While talking about the dolls - we know there are dolls, she knows, but the FBI know about a singular doll which is incidental to, but not automatically associated with the farm murder, a broken doll and associated material at Lee's mother's house and thus associated with Longlegs, and the unbroken Ruby one. The other murders don't have the dolls as evidence associated with the crime, they were taken by Lee's mum after the murders as not associated with the other murders (the only link mentioned by the fbi is the daughter's birth day being 14). Also, Lee, while under control, joins the FBI and is being used as a method or process to set up in specific time, her own demise. Longlegs would have had to prior know her chief's daughter's birthday is 14th and set up so that Lee arrives to make the choice between kill her mum or allow the family to die, which explains why Longlegs 'gives himself up' at a specific date, sets up messages for her including letters and letting her see her type of fate in 'another girl who wakes up' as well as using the mum to message her when talking with her, as well as obviously the murders. To me it is a coming of age movie, her birth is when the metal ball (a techne apple) is bitten and she is thrown from the relative paradise of being 'suppressed and controlled by a powerful being' to having a (terrible) choice. Christianity is paradise to profane, she is from profane (a naive child) to purgatory (a stilled growth) to the circles of hell. Her awareness is born when she realizes her 'blindness' and comes out of it. People felt the ending was rushed ... but it is meant to be ... its the overwhelm of realizing you are uprooted and no longer asleep.
Love this analysis, and the fact that this movie can give me that sinking feeling of dread almost a week later! Such insidious ambiguity, it's wonderful storytelling.
8:23 If you remember, she open the letter and she put her finger on the "S" of "Longlegs", and the "S" vanish and it look like the letter is actually written with blood. It can be interpret almost as an unvolutary signature.
@@beanofdean Yes I think you're right but even with this case, it's pretty surreal that he could write the letter, with the cipher code and stuff during the very short time he was in the house. I love that.
Lee won't be arrested because her boss does kill his wife first so it's the same pattern as the previous murders, unless she is pinned to the whole longlegs and her mom working together but the movie doesn't give any clues to this possibility. I would also argue that Longlegs and her mom are more of Faust and the demon in the dolls is Mephistopheles.
Amazing video. One of the best vids I’ve seen regarding this movie. I think this film is gonna be the best horror film of the year, and one that will be talked about for years.
@@secondbreakfastpod I doubt it. Considering many award shows don’t give horror actors the recognition they deserve. But nonetheless amazing performance
i really appreciate this analysis, and this isn’t intended to come off sour, but I can’t help but feel that this comparison is relatively forced upon the narrative rather than this being sub-textually there from the get go. I’m all for an analysis that isn’t necessarily intended by the creator, and/or an interpretation built around subtext, but I am just confused/curious as to what prompted you to make this comparison. Thanks.
This is a totally fair observation. I've been a Faustus fanatic for years, studying / writing about the play through college and grad school. It's the lens that I see stories through, especially two character rivalries with constantly shifting power dynamics that flirt with the supernatural. Frankenstein is a big example here. It's been a constant point of reference for me on the show, but yes, it's absolutely a weird and particular hyper fixation! Great comment!
I like it but I think the symbolism that is shown in the movie is what detracts it from the Faustus comparison but nonetheless a great video and I’ve subscribed for the great work
I think the name Longlegs comes from a Friedrich Nietzsche quote. He says, "In the mountains, the shortest way is from peak to peak. But for that one must have long legs." The peaks are meant to represent knowledge and truth. Those with long legs would be the few who know truth and are entitled to the sacrifices of others for their cause. One can't simply choose to have long legs, so knowledge and truth aren't for everyone, only the genetically gifted. Nietzsche believes only the strong have access to the truth, the strong would be predetermined at birth by their genetics, and have every right to enslave weaker men. He also said, "God is dead," which was meant to convey how our scientific advances were quickly destroying the need for faith and religion in the world. He was extremely anti-religion.
Seeing it a 2nd time almost makes it a different movie because you can see differences all over like see the satan shadow multiple times besides just at the end
Yes! I noticed so many more of those the second times, it almost reminded me of the ghosts hidden throughout Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House!
I dont know if i totally agree with this analysis. I love everything you mentioned and the way you related the events to this “faust’s journey,” pattern was extremely convincing, but i think it might be different. This movie’s arc reminds of robert egger’s Witch, or Ari Aster’s Midsommer and Hereditary . You could even argue it has the same arc as Attack on Titan. The only literary connection i can find that has a similar arc is a shakespearean/ Greek tragedy take on it; where a protagonist is subjected to extremely traumatic events where in their journey to avoid or stop these events from unfolding( particularly in attempting to thwart a prophecy of which they unknowingly fulfilling). Like Macbeth or Oedipus. While i love the occult references that reinforce a faustian perspective this to me feels more like a greek tragedy- she is the subject of a power beyond reality (fate and demonic designs are in this case similar) and is slowly recruited through extreme trauma and killing of own family.
I never thought Longlegs was the devil....I thought that much was pretty clear throughout the movie. He even said things referring to working for the man downstairs, etc. To me Cobble (Longlegs) seemed more to be another one of the Devil's victims. Listening to the way he talks, it seemed like he was forced to do the Devil's bidding because he made an illicit deal for his soul...I can't say though because they never go into Cobble's past in the movie.
Thoughts on what the mother meant by "Don't call me that!" at the end of the movie? Is it her maybe letting out her suppressed anger or hatred for Lee after years of doing the killings for her daughter's sake? Or something else? I'd like to hear what someone else thinks!
This is so fascinating! That scene is so chaotic and stressful, I’m not sure I even caught this line. I love those theories though. Facilitating those murders must feel so at odds with her identity as a mom, signing away her freedom to protect her child. I totally buy the idea that she has to almost disassociate to live those two lives simultaneously. It also kind of explains how strange she is on the phone when Lee calls multiple times and refers to her as Mom! Fantastic comment!
That is the demon in her talking. The whole movie is an elaborate plan of Satan using his pawns to make a bunch of people suffer over a long period of time. He even gets the person who thinks they are the hero to shoot their own mom in the head (who spent her life saving her) and kill their boss and left to answer for it in the end. Tagline of the movie should be "Satan wins!"
Great video! I think both Lee Harker and Cobble himself both serve as Faustus. Cobble, a wannabe 70s rockstar that makes a deal with the devil and becomes its servant, and Lee serves as the second Faustus character for all the reasons you listed. You could even say that Harkers mom is also a Faustus. There is no middle man. No Mephistopheles. Just a little bit of the devil in all of them. And they are all dragged to hell in the end. ( I know cobbles backstory is never told but you can really infer his past as a wannabe rocker from his love of early 70s rock to his guitar and amps in his basement. And his overall appearance, but I am inferring all of that)
perfectly executed 🤘 I've watched Longlegs twice as well...the second time really puts it all together & adding more concepts, thoughts, true comparisons. very well said my friend.
Although...when Harker kills the family, she held back the little girl & saved her...she was an Eye witness correct? 🧐 so maby this didn't ruin her life..get locked up..? just a thought😊
Thank you very much! And yeah, I'm left as uncertain and nervous about that ending as you are. It's such a powerful, unsettling way to complete the story.
I was familiar with Faust from Berlioz Damnation of Faust. The Fall of the House of the Usher TV series was also based on a Faustian tale but by contrast Roderick's bargain was never intended to spare his bloodline. Ruth on the other hand had to be an accomplice and Lee was not totally spared in that she was being controlled. Alicia had a bigger part than I thought and I thought she was fabulous. really well cast all around - great to see Blair and look foraward to see what Maika does next. thanks again for the video as I like art that is thought provoking. Shout out to the cinematographer Andres Arochi - such beautiful shots.
Unusually I've been watching spoiler videos before I see the movie. Maybe because i don't intend to see it a second time so need to be able to spot all the layers. Thank you for the literary take.
This is amazing. Pretty much saved the movie for me. Looking forward to seeing it again. By the way, Mephistopheles’ definition of Hell isn’t a place but a condition of the Mind. The Faustian Hell is anywhere God is Not. Lee doesn’t pray. She is Not with God. She has arguably been in Hell her entire life.
How do you go into this expecting Clarice vs. Hannibal Lecter when every trailer showed a Buffalo Bill type character? I'm really scratching at my head. Every time we saw a bit of the villain of the story he looked like a caricature of Buffalo Bill and in fact was based on Buffalo Bill? I don't see how any person familiar with Silence of the Lambs sees the trailer and thinks there's going to be this polished intelligent sociopath directing the lead agent like in Silence of the lambs when all we see in the trailers is Buffalo Bill replica.
Another interesting comment, thank you! I think the fact that Longlegs himself is hidden in much of the promotional material sort of blurs the lines for what kind of character we expect him to be. After seeing the film, I agree that there's more Bill than Lecter in the character, but I think the basic pitch of namedropping Silence of the Lambs on the poster and advertising A-list movie star Nicholas Cage as the bad guy is going to make people think about Anthony Hopkins, not Ted Levine.
Well, actually, while the main trailers didn't allude to any supernatural stuff, the other marketing did. The phone call, the website, a deeper analysis of their marketing arg they set up really leaned into the supernatural. It's the only reason why I ended up going to see it
It also makes sense that a female Faustus would be younger and reluctant, as women have adulthood thrust upon them through menstruation, whereas males have to go out and find it. A Joseph Campbell take on it perhaps.
I agree for so much of this, it’s a fantastic take. But they’re not gonna arrest Harker. The man murdered his wife and her mother tried to kill her. Harker is not going to jail, she’ll be commended
Thank god for an intelligent breakdown. You just earned a new subscriber ❤ Edit: since we now know Longlegs’ past as a glam rock singer, hence his random singing and also his love for T. Rex and such based on photos in his room + our soundtrack, I’m also curious how much Longlegs made a “deal with the devil” for fame as an artist, but instead found fame through a different means, i.e. the murders. He created art since he’s an artist, first as a musician then as a doll maker. Possibly asking for fame or even guidance in life, a purpose, knowledge, etc. from the devil, and then ending where the movie shows us he ends up…I think it makes his character even more fascinating. Like, was he always evil, with intent to harm? Is he an influence on the Satanic Panic craze where parents were scared the devil lived in rock music and would steal their children’s souls, but was unsuccessful in that so went into doll making? (Which the latter is a random change anyway, so even how he became a doll maker / why / his inspiration, maybe doll making was his first artistic love, etc) Anyways, rant over. Absolutely love your video and excited for what you make in the future. :)
Ooh I love that idea! It’s like those fables about genies where the moral is to read the fine print and be super specific in the wording of your wish. Thanks for the comment, and welcome aboard!
I also saw a lot of correlation to an unholy Trinity with the inverted triangle. The triangle being the symbol of the trinity father, son, Holy Spirit (the Holy Spirit often depicted as female). I agree there is a lot of Faust the movie. Forgive me, but I think you might be reaching a bit to make it fit? None of the seven people who took the “bargain“ from Longlegs got anything like 24 years of pleasure from it. They were immediately put into hellish service and, following that, actual hell.
Listening to the director talk about the role of long legs I’m not sure he had this mephistopheles vision you speak of. That being said, art does tend to echo symbolism and your parallels are fun.
Hey thanks! I'm not sure what exactly he had in mind either -- but I've always believed in the idea that art stops solely belonging to the artist once it is released into the world. We all see things through our own lenses, and that's the magic of it!
I'm not sure I'd agree that Lee harker will be arrested at the end, afterall Carter had a knife in his hands and was covered in his wife's blood after he stabbed her in the kitchen, and Lee's mother also had a knife when she got shot. I think the depths as you put it was more her state of existence, afterall now she had to live after having everyone close to her dead after she inadvertently put them in the line of fire, just like the agent that got shot near the start of the film, she was technically the same as the demon killing people, she brought death wherever she went.
In my opinion, Osgood Perkins is just throwing a bunch of stuff he thought was cool into a nonsensical plot without context. Kind of felt like I was in a creative writing course at community college… 😂 I believe you’re giving Perkins a lot more credit and reaching kind of far.
Hard disagree on Harker going to jail. There is significant evidence that her boss stabbed his wife and charges her after doing so. The same with the mother who attacks with a knife. The mother killing the other agent with the shotgun will also have physical evidence associated with it. She solved the case, and saved the girl.
She's not going to get arrested. Forensics will easily be able to determine that the father was the one who murdered the wife. This murder also perfectly matches the modus operandi of all the other murders where a father murdered his other family members. She'll also be able to explain that mother was acting as cobbles accomplice when she shows them the basement of her mother's home. She'll be okay in a legal sense however she's going to have to live with what's happened for the rest of her life, however long that is. Gunshot residue and DNA and fingerprints on the shotgun will also determine that the mother is the one who killed the female agent at the house as well. Of course the police are not going to believe any devil worshiping Supernatural explanation, but they will most likely use some psychological explanation of induced psychosis or maybe they'll suppose that there was some kind of larger Cult at work
One thing to consider: The Blackcoat's Daughter. The devil of TBC is the same as in Longlegs. Same design, and talks to the protagonists on the phone as well. The devil in both films is operating through people to sow chaos and cause evil. Longlegs is simply an agent of the devil and is expendable once their work is complete.
I have a different theory. What If lee is not Faust but Gretchen? The mother is Faust and has a deal with Mephisto and Gretchen/Lee is the one who gets involved and commits sin. In the Play Gretchen gets pregnant by Faust and drowns herself. Lee gets involved and doesn't now how to Help herself other than kill/commit sin. What If the movie is a alternative Version of Faust where Gretchen is "the final Girl" ?
Why would they arrest Lee when she can easily explain that it was her mother who was behind everything. Given that Longlegs himself pointed at the mother during an interrogation that was documented by law enforcement itself, this doesn't seem like a stretch. Meanwhile, there would be evidence that her superior stabbed his wife in the kitchen (literally blood splatter DNA would show he was the aggressor), which would explain why she shot him. Not to mention, the pattern of murders was FATHER kills family. If she somehow said her superior tried to kill his family as part of a cult, which her mother and others were a part of, this wouldn't seem farfetched, especially that in this world the FBI apparently believes in clairvoyancy and gives out tests to their agents. I can't see them believing in psychic abilities but not cults. lol Lastly, she clearly saves the little girl. I don't see how you interpret that ending - logically - as Lee is on her way to being arrested.
First off, I love the level of time and thought you put into these comments, thank you so much for engaging with the episode so rigorously. I think you make good points here, that serve the (gloriously) miserable ambiguity at the end of the story. I think Lee could try to explain it all away as being her boss' fault / the work of a cult, but I'm not sure how successful that would with the higher ups, and even then, I think you could make the case that by having to be part of that horrific finale and do what she did, Lee is thrust into her own personal hell that she might never escape from.
@@secondbreakfastpod The personal hell she will now live in is exactly what Satan had planned the whole time. Longlegs is the story of Satan making a whole bunch of people suffer greatly and in terrible ways (like the "hero" at the end killing the mom that tried to save her).
i love literary analysis but the Faust comparison seems like a stretch. you spent this whole video basically explaining how it’s different from Faust. i don’t think it’s Faust framing or Dracula framing. it’s Longlegs framing.
I don't see why Lee would get arrested. She killed the boss in self defense after he murdered his wife. She killed her mom in self defense, too, who is a serial killer. Without anything supernatural (for the sake of the FBI), the mom verbally convinced the dads to kill the families. Lee won't go to jail. She'll just be traumatized for life lol
She wouldn't be put in jail because there is evidence that her boss killed his wife. For the rest of the crimes, she was a kid, or she was at school. Regarding her career, that is another story.
I think these kinds of readings (which is very well thought out, tyvm for posting this) only works when writer/directors make some effort to keep their intentions to themselves, which I encourage (Peele for example, as much as I dislike the blatant symbolism in every little thing, I admire his approach towards press by mostly not outright saying "here's what this means, here's what that means"). Oz unfortunately has been spilling left and right, and I feel like the framework, or lock, he's written here just happens to fit the key you've crafted. I'm keen to rewatch though, as the aesthetics and cinematography is undeniable, but this film was really betrayed by its marketing imo, at least on initial viewing.
I really appreciate this perspective, as far as artist's not over-explaining their work -- and I'm glad to hear that someone else was thrown during their first viewing. Thanks for the comment!
i really enjoyed this movie and want to watch it again. after watching it last night i gotta kinda agree that the reveal from the mother reminded me of saw and i don’t know how i feel about it. maybe because it is recent to me and i haven’t had much time to process everything but i feel like they could’ve stretched the last act a little more. i both feel like they revealed too much and too little with how the demonic “magic” works. after nic cage is gone, the horror and suspense of the movie didn’t quite land as it did at the start. i just wish the mother explaining everything was done without the narration and went into more in depth of her going through with it. i still definitely enjoyed the movie and i think this video offers some very interesting points i will keep in mind for my next viewing.
Love the analysis! I have to disagree with your assessment of the ending or the aftermath of the ending. I don’t think she gets arrested. There would be no physical evidence that she killed the wife, the evidence would at the very least support her story that the wife was murdered by the husband and that Lee killed him in self defense.
Id say Lees mother is more Faust she makes a pact with Longless/devil to save Lee and allow her to grow up and live and in return she must do the devil's work
He may have believed (or been told by Satan) that he would be rewarded in the afterlife. He turned himself in willingly as if it were part of the whole plan. Nothing in the movie was NOT part of Satan's plan/doing.
Her career wouldn’t be over because her boss killed his wife ,she could say she was there on a hunch and her mom was long legs partner so I don’t think her career would be over
Okay sooo glad I found your channel, amazing analysis! Saw this last night and was slightly underwhelmed leaving the cinema but since then it’s really grown on me! Are you excited for Nosferatu this winter? 😃
i disagree with the assessment the Lee would be arrested. the fbi gives her a psychic test at the start of the film and never approach any aspect with skepticism; in the universe of the film I don't think the paranormal are unknown factors.
11:02 I don’t know if I agree here. Ultimately she’s a cop so there’s a level of immunity at play. Plus her boss murdered his wife in the kitchen before coming at her. She can absolutely argue he was trying to kill her and she acted in self defense. Mom had a knife too so there’s grounds there as well. Even if she brought up they were “possessed” I’m sure it would be taken as hyperbole. She’s and that daughter are gonna need a fk ton of therapy lol but I don’t think she’s going to jail for this.
I disagree with Lee being arrested in the end! I think she will be a hero and boost her career which is part of Longlegs plan and the devil’s overall strategy to gain political power.
One point I disagree on is that Harker’s life is over in the end. Even if no one will believe the doll possession angle, the boss did in the wife and has a bloody knife in his hand. Shots fired in his chest. The mom has a knife in her hand as well, forensics would show the same self defense. And I didn’t see the ending as fitting, you made the connection of it all coming full circle and she completes the ritual killing a family. But that isn’t right either as the boss’ daughter lives. Someone help me make sense of why it ended the way it did!
Longlegs is still in theaters, and it looks fantastic up on the big screen. If you ask me, there's nothing better than great horror and a packed audience.
Im 5 seconds in but THANK GOD finally a literary analysis. I tried to get into something like this on reddit but wrong audience lol
For me at the 3rd viewing he seems like (the creature he is, not the man he was born) an eternal creature a bit like something from a Germanic fairytale. He speaks in riddles and makes deals like one of those creatures, but the deals aren't fair because of magic (although there are rules set by the man downstairs no doubt). Your analysis based on Faust is very intriguing to me 😊
@@mistressofstonesvery cool and clever take. I loved this movie. I loved how openly satanic it is. When longlegs said hail satan I felt that he was talking to the packed theatre. Alot of people didn't like it but I loved it. It felt like a David Lynch film from hell. I heard somewhere the director said that longlegs is a demon who works for Satan and like everyone else hates his job with time but does it nevertheless.
Ooh I love that! I've always been more into Marlowe than Goethe but that's a great catch.
@AnthonyNelms Yes! It felt genuinely provocative and challenging and dangerous -- like the greatest works of horror always are!
You just had to use the word GENUINELY 😅@@secondbreakfastpod
Best part of the movie? Mother: "We're going to go cut the cake in the kitchen, we'll be right back"
Father: "NO! I'll be back, she wont!"
That whole exchange was chilling!
“No, I'll be right back, _you'll still be in the kitchen.”_
It was chilling on the very edge of ridiculous, their helpless awareness made it worse.
@@jneilson7568omg incredibly point, that they literally knew but were unable to do anything about it 😢😢
i looked at my girlfriend when he said that and gave her a “holy shit” look. so so good.
random, but i immediately got a hint at the faustian bargain during my first viewing when the cops captured longlegs literally at a crossroad by a bus stop, in the middle of a road - a common visual interpretation of the faustian bargain scene
Good point. I also wondered if he had been killing for 24 years and now it was time for him to go into hell? Maybe long legs was Faust?
Maybe I'm thinking of something else, but isn't it usually a crossroad?
It’s a big stretch to say Harker is a Faustus character. The defining feature of Faustus is the making of the deal. Harker doesn’t make a deal. Her MOM makes the deal. Her mom IS a Faustus character. So the movie can better be thought of as “Daughter of Faustus”
Nic Cage might be a meme, but let's not forget he's also capable of turning in a powerhouse performance. Wow!
100%
he hasnt been a meme in like 10 years
As someone who isn't a fan of this director.
This movie is gonna be one of those you can watch 10 times and still discover things that might change you're idea about whats going on.
This is one of those horror movies that might make you question why its a horror movie on the first viewing. But as it sinks in the actual horror of the story slowly sinks in
I totally agree. The second viewing really foregrounded the horror for me.
Yes!! This is how Hereditary is for me, too, it becomes horror by the third act and the final scene when the whole story finally settles in.
Great comparison! On our previous horror episodes, we've called this subgenre "puzzlebox horror". It's very high risk / high reward for me, and usually works better on a second watch.
what about lee harkers mother as faustus? and she gets dragged down to hell when she’s killed by her own daughter
Totally! I think Lee and her mother are both Faustus-style characters here!
@@secondbreakfastpodLee’s mother making the deal to save her daughter in return for servitude is pretty clear. I do wonder if the devil would’ve cheated the mom and forced Lee to serve as well if her doll wasn’t shot (I just got out of the theater so still trying to wrap my head around everything)
Ooh that's interesting. I wonder if that would've felt too bleak? It's so interesting with horror movies -- we go to them because we love monsters and being scared, but some small part of us still wants the hero to win in the end and live happily ever after.
@@secondbreakfastpod I agree as well it’s nice that Lee won but if we look at the Bible for reference the devil did tempt long legs and the mom which ended up having 5? families destroyed in the process and he’s still out there in hell waiting for another chance. It’s very bitter sweet. Your theory seems very well thought out great video too
Whoa, I totally get what you’re putting down!
I thought the sigils ALLLLLLLLL over the marketing made it implicitly clear this was occult horror, devil shit.
That's an interesting point, but I think there's a difference between having characters who are satanists and actually portraying Satan / the supernatural as real.
@@secondbreakfastpod I don't think people thought Longlegs himself was satan. What I got was that he was a man serving Satan until his time was up. He was to satan or a demon like Renfield to Dracula.
Mostly everyone looked at it as he was a Satanist. But not literally a vessel
Interesting comparison, Longlegs certainly has that Renfield-like fanaticism to him!
I didn't get this at all I was thinking more of a zodiac type beat but also like... Something down to Earth, silence of the lambs type deal.
First watch I thought the occult weaving into the story was insanely cringe cause it's not scary, it's make believe. Real life CAN be horrifying.
But I like all the little hints, the camerawork, the soundtrack. Everything is so immersive and eerie asf.
I partly disagree with her being arrested after the fact because they'd clearly notice the stab wounds / prints from the father stabbing the mother and Harker shooting him as defense. Now, the mother situation is much more open in the air
It's definitely open-ended, but I was left with a feeling of dread for her future both times I saw the ending.
I agree. forensics will show that she acted in self defense. Satan still won because she was forced to kill her mom, and will have to carry that for the rest of her life, so I definitely don't see anything positive in her future
Same but I thought they won't believe the dolls posess them
The mom was about to shoot the kid though wasn't she?
The mom had a knife in her purse, there are her fingerprints on it, they will possibly notice that she lunged onto the main character. She also shot that fbi lady with her own double barrel on which the police will also find her fingerprints.
There will definitely gonna be an investigation, but I doubt that she will go to jail for that.
The silver orbs inside the dolls seem a Phantasm reference.
It really did remind me of that
There's info in the codes left by longlegs and on the birthday murders site. The wind demon Hanbi is mentioned, and he is the father of Pazuzu. There's a focus on rock music, and a sound coming from the silver orbs. I'm more inclined to believe this is related to sound, connected to the wind demon. At least we have the threads. Longlegs also carries a guitar.
This is so interesting, thank you! I haven't seen much analysis about the musical element of the film, this is fascinating.
I cannot WAIT to see this a second time. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I saw it last week
Me too, it lives in your head like a worm, I need to watch it at least 3 more times
@@livstibal3852 I’m torn between returning to theaters and waiting for streaming. I want to be able to read the subtitles along with all the visual info.
Me too! We saw it in 35mm the first time and just a standard digital projection the second time. I wound totally recommend seeing both if you can, they are markedly different experiences.
Once in theater and now I’m saving to own it on physical media. Hopefully NEON does a steelbook.
What did you think about the shadows of the devil seen through out the movie? How many did you catch?
I'm going to see it again today there's a lot of layers to this film I'm constantly reevaluating it and that's a sign of good art
Love this comment
Well looks like Longlegs has a spiritual prequel in Ghost Rider then
Ha! Love this comment! For some reason, I saw both of those movies -- in the theater!
The "sale" of her soul was made without her consent by her mother when she was 9. The mother thought she was saving her daughter's soul, but she ended up damning them both. I viewed the movie from the point of view of a survivor of CAS, and the cycle of abuse and evil that lurks in all those outwardly religious/wholesome/nuclear happy homes was honestly more tragic and terrifying to me than any jumpscare or "monster" because it is very much a reality.
Totally agree! I was waiting the whole movie in fact for there to be a tidbit about her former partner/Lee's dad as well, as a sort of short backstop for the mom and her comments "no one ever visits us"... just felt like there could've been another cool Avenue to explore there
I'm sick of abuse allegories, it's about the devil
@@chickenandksivideoreviewer9739 k
Ohh my hecking politics
@@FireBurner101 wtf does child sex abuse have to do with politics, cheese dick?
I honestly never saw Longlegs as a human , he was more like a demon serving a devil. I feel like the mother was Faust
That’s what he said at the beginning. He said that Long leg was like Mephistopheles (that’s the Demon that Faust makes the bargain with).
I think there are clear parallels with Hereditary, that pervasive sense of doom, where even if the characters solve the film's clues, there's no changing avoiding the inevitably tragic outcome. If there's a Faustian bargain, it's between Ellen & Paimon, Ruth & Longlegs. Both mothers bargain for different reasons (Ellen wants power, Ruth wants to extend Lee's life). Peter & Lee appear to be the wagers, mothers betting with demons using their children/grandchildren as collateral. A bit like the story of Rumpelstiltskin, bargaining with the first-born. Longlegs may or may not be inhabited by a demon, but a broker between the infernal & mortal.
In Hereditary many viewers have interpreted the ending as Ellen getting what she hoped for. However, I think there are clear implications that Ellen bit off more than she could chew. After all, what are Paimon's motivations for obtaining a mortal vessel? He's not going to be satisfied going to high school & chilling like a normal teenager. He's going to want to cause destruction & pain in the real world, & probably, find a way to bring the devil into it & kick start the apocalypse. Dealing with demons seems to be an obviously bad deal. You can't deal with someone who you can't trust. A deal relies on both parties keeping their word & demons, by their very nature, aren't trustworthy.
Ruth's deal seems to extend Lee's life, but what does Longlegs truly want? What kind of life does Lee have after all that? She's never truly in control over her own existence. & in return, Longlegs gets a safe place to hide, a corrupted servant in Ruth & in the end, still gets to destroy Lee's life. All that happens is that Ruth enables Longlegs the ability to more easily spread misery & death for a longer time than he may have without her help. Merely a false stay of execution rather than a true reprieve.
The tragedy of dealing with demons is that you can't trust them.
Woah that’s an long read comment
I mean, sure. 🤷♀️ But the person who makes the deal is the mother who is IMMEDIATELY dragged to hell to keep her daughter safe from "hell" for X amount of years.
Nic Cage is in a class of his own. A master of his craft.
It's an incredible performance, I hope he gets some awards recognition at the end of the year!
I have absolutely been telling people longlegs absolutely benefits from a second watch. I felt disappointed the first time bc I was expecting an unreasonable experience. Second time once I knew what was happening I really enjoyed it
absolutely
No right? Idk something about the trailers gave me a more supernatural vibe (like longlegs was actually some type of evil humanoid/creature thing especially given the title of the movie) rather than religious horror. I saw somewhere that Os Perkins advertised this way this on purpose because religious horror is kind of hit or miss with people and he didn’t want to give it away in the teasers. Watching it a second time blew my mind, the detail, it was truly like playing a game and finding all the clues that I was unaware of before! Wish they made movies like this more often
I don’t know that she’ll get arrested for all this, it’s pretty clear Carter killed his wife and I don’t see why she would be blamed for that
I think the death of Harker's mom is a factor here, especially since a witness saw Harker take her out. Either way, there's a metaphorical, personal hell that Harker is being thrust into by the film's climax.
I see your point, but Harker’s mom still killed a cop before getting shot by Harker, which further adds ti the complexity of the case.. I would love to see how things really play out in the aftermath.
Faust: 24 years contract
Longlegs: 24 minutes singing Happy Birthday
Ruth sold her soul to save Lee. Lee didn't make any Faustian bargain. Longlegs gives her a choice so Lee didn't become the seventh victim.
This is such a good analysis. I've seen the film twice so far. Rich text!
Can't wait to see how it evolves over the years. Excuse the pun, but I think this movie has legs!
Goethe's Faust is amazing. Marlowe's Dr Faustus is good, but Faust is great, and Faust Part 2 is one of the best things ever written. Faust Part 2 is definitely considered the best work of German literature.
Funny, I analyzed Marlowe’s plays for a grad class in my first semester. I’m glad to have this video show up on my feed.
Honestly I like to think Lee would’ve eventually been alright. Assuming there’s no supernatural evidence tampering, although that might be a pretty big ‘if’, then they have all the evidence to show the husband attacked and killed the wife, and so it would be reasonable to assume that Lee shot him in self-defence, which she did. As for the mum, the lines are blurred a bit more, but they’ll find the knife with her fingerprints on it so they could also assume the mum attacked Lee first? Furthermore, she has the daughter as a witness, assuming she’s not possessed or catatonic and she can be used as a legit witness. So all in all, I think there’s a good chance she’d be cleared of all charges, or at least that she’d get a reduced sentence. Then again, I don’t know how the law works in America so I could be completely wrong
Really interesting analysis here, and I love the idea that the movie leaves Lee with the question of how much she can tell the truth about what happened at the end. If Satan and Longlegs and the freaky dolls are all real in this world, then you'd want to shout it from the rooftops -- but if you do, everyone might think you're a nut. Invoking demons during a trial, especially one that lived in the basement of your childhood home, is not going to make you look great!
Love this take, but the open ended-ness for me remains mostly as to the fact that the doll is still unharmed when the credits roll, hence the little girl still under its spell, and that makes me the most anxious because then what exactly does that mean? When the cops arrived does Lee grab one’s gun and shoot it then? Is she able to or is she also under some sort of curse/spell that Longlegs created specifically for that doll?
Ugh I love this movie!
While talking about the dolls - we know there are dolls, she knows, but the FBI know about a singular doll which is incidental to, but not automatically associated with the farm murder, a broken doll and associated material at Lee's mother's house and thus associated with Longlegs, and the unbroken Ruby one. The other murders don't have the dolls as evidence associated with the crime, they were taken by Lee's mum after the murders as not associated with the other murders (the only link mentioned by the fbi is the daughter's birth day being 14).
Also, Lee, while under control, joins the FBI and is being used as a method or process to set up in specific time, her own demise. Longlegs would have had to prior know her chief's daughter's birthday is 14th and set up so that Lee arrives to make the choice between kill her mum or allow the family to die, which explains why Longlegs 'gives himself up' at a specific date, sets up messages for her including letters and letting her see her type of fate in 'another girl who wakes up' as well as using the mum to message her when talking with her, as well as obviously the murders.
To me it is a coming of age movie, her birth is when the metal ball (a techne apple) is bitten and she is thrown from the relative paradise of being 'suppressed and controlled by a powerful being' to having a (terrible) choice. Christianity is paradise to profane, she is from profane (a naive child) to purgatory (a stilled growth) to the circles of hell. Her awareness is born when she realizes her 'blindness' and comes out of it. People felt the ending was rushed ... but it is meant to be ... its the overwhelm of realizing you are uprooted and no longer asleep.
Love this analysis, and the fact that this movie can give me that sinking feeling of dread almost a week later! Such insidious ambiguity, it's wonderful storytelling.
Well damn ur last sentence just blew up ur entire argument then
8:23 If you remember, she open the letter and she put her finger on the "S" of "Longlegs", and the "S" vanish and it look like the letter is actually written with blood. It can be interpret almost as an unvolutary signature.
I think it does not vanish but smudge to show how recently it was written
@@beanofdean Yes I think you're right but even with this case, it's pretty surreal that he could write the letter, with the cipher code and stuff during the very short time he was in the house. I love that.
You're Faust, I'm Faust, we're all Faust
Music to my ears!
Are there any more FAUSTS I should know about?
I want to see it a second time, I question her ability to sense / see anything. I think a part of her just knows things.
Lee won't be arrested because her boss does kill his wife first so it's the same pattern as the previous murders, unless she is pinned to the whole longlegs and her mom working together but the movie doesn't give any clues to this possibility. I would also argue that Longlegs and her mom are more of Faust and the demon in the dolls is Mephistopheles.
Amazing video. One of the best vids I’ve seen regarding this movie. I think this film is gonna be the best horror film of the year, and one that will be talked about for years.
Thank you very much, and I'm glad you enjoyed the movie! I hope Cage gets some awards recognition for his performance.
@@secondbreakfastpod I doubt it. Considering many award shows don’t give horror actors the recognition they deserve. But nonetheless amazing performance
i really appreciate this analysis, and this isn’t intended to come off sour, but I can’t help but feel that this comparison is relatively forced upon the narrative rather than this being sub-textually there from the get go. I’m all for an analysis that isn’t necessarily intended by the creator, and/or an interpretation built around subtext, but I am just confused/curious as to what prompted you to make this comparison. Thanks.
This is a totally fair observation. I've been a Faustus fanatic for years, studying / writing about the play through college and grad school. It's the lens that I see stories through, especially two character rivalries with constantly shifting power dynamics that flirt with the supernatural. Frankenstein is a big example here. It's been a constant point of reference for me on the show, but yes, it's absolutely a weird and particular hyper fixation! Great comment!
I like it but I think the symbolism that is shown in the movie is what detracts it from the Faustus comparison but nonetheless a great video and I’ve subscribed for the great work
To each their own! Thank you for the subscription, and the thoughtful comments too!
I think the name Longlegs comes from a Friedrich Nietzsche quote. He says, "In the mountains, the shortest way is from peak to peak. But for that one must have long legs." The peaks are meant to represent knowledge and truth. Those with long legs would be the few who know truth and are entitled to the sacrifices of others for their cause. One can't simply choose to have long legs, so knowledge and truth aren't for everyone, only the genetically gifted.
Nietzsche believes only the strong have access to the truth, the strong would be predetermined at birth by their genetics, and have every right to enslave weaker men. He also said, "God is dead," which was meant to convey how our scientific advances were quickly destroying the need for faith and religion in the world. He was extremely anti-religion.
I saw this movie last week and haven’t stopped thinking about it! Great video and great analysis :)
Seeing it a 2nd time almost makes it a different movie because you can see differences all over like see the satan shadow multiple times besides just at the end
Yes! I noticed so many more of those the second times, it almost reminded me of the ghosts hidden throughout Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House!
I dont know if i totally agree with this analysis. I love everything you mentioned and the way you related the events to this “faust’s journey,” pattern was extremely convincing, but i think it might be different. This movie’s arc reminds of robert egger’s Witch, or Ari Aster’s Midsommer and Hereditary . You could even argue it has the same arc as Attack on Titan. The only literary connection i can find that has a similar arc is a shakespearean/ Greek tragedy take on it; where a protagonist is subjected to extremely traumatic events where in their journey to avoid or stop these events from unfolding( particularly in attempting to thwart a prophecy of which they unknowingly fulfilling). Like Macbeth or Oedipus. While i love the occult references that reinforce a faustian perspective this to me feels more like a greek tragedy- she is the subject of a power beyond reality (fate and demonic designs are in this case similar) and is slowly recruited through extreme trauma and killing of own family.
Ooh I love those comparisons, especially to the greek tragedies! This movie is just a kaleidoscope of great influences and references.
It also reminds the tragedy of Stephen king's Carrie, and some of the Grabber, nicely played by Ethan hawke.
Agreed 100%. While the Faustian angle seems intriguing it seems like a reach the deeper you go. Still a refreshing opinion though
I never thought Longlegs was the devil....I thought that much was pretty clear throughout the movie. He even said things referring to working for the man downstairs, etc. To me Cobble (Longlegs) seemed more to be another one of the Devil's victims. Listening to the way he talks, it seemed like he was forced to do the Devil's bidding because he made an illicit deal for his soul...I can't say though because they never go into Cobble's past in the movie.
Thoughts on what the mother meant by "Don't call me that!" at the end of the movie? Is it her maybe letting out her suppressed anger or hatred for Lee after years of doing the killings for her daughter's sake? Or something else? I'd like to hear what someone else thinks!
This is so fascinating! That scene is so chaotic and stressful, I’m not sure I even caught this line. I love those theories though. Facilitating those murders must feel so at odds with her identity as a mom, signing away her freedom to protect her child. I totally buy the idea that she has to almost disassociate to live those two lives simultaneously. It also kind of explains how strange she is on the phone when Lee calls multiple times and refers to her as Mom! Fantastic comment!
That is the demon in her talking. The whole movie is an elaborate plan of Satan using his pawns to make a bunch of people suffer over a long period of time. He even gets the person who thinks they are the hero to shoot their own mom in the head (who spent her life saving her) and kill their boss and left to answer for it in the end. Tagline of the movie should be "Satan wins!"
Since she couldn't shoot the doll, wouldn't that mean that the girl would just be a husk now
That's interesting. I don't believe she speaks at all during the finale -- that's an interesting ambiguity. Great catch!
I had the same thought because she was hugging the doll and seemed already possessed by it.
Great video! I think both Lee Harker and Cobble himself both serve as Faustus. Cobble, a wannabe 70s rockstar that makes a deal with the devil and becomes its servant, and Lee serves as the second Faustus character for all the reasons you listed. You could even say that Harkers mom is also a Faustus. There is no middle man. No Mephistopheles. Just a little bit of the devil in all of them. And they are all dragged to hell in the end.
( I know cobbles backstory is never told but you can really infer his past as a wannabe rocker from his love of early 70s rock to his guitar and amps in his basement. And his overall appearance, but I am inferring all of that)
perfectly executed 🤘 I've watched Longlegs twice as well...the second time really puts it all together & adding more concepts, thoughts, true comparisons. very well said my friend.
Although...when Harker kills the family, she held back the little girl & saved her...she was an Eye witness correct? 🧐 so maby this didn't ruin her life..get locked up..? just a thought😊
Thank you very much! And yeah, I'm left as uncertain and nervous about that ending as you are. It's such a powerful, unsettling way to complete the story.
I was familiar with Faust from Berlioz Damnation of Faust. The Fall of the House of the Usher TV series was also based on a Faustian tale but by contrast Roderick's bargain was never intended to spare his bloodline. Ruth on the other hand had to be an accomplice and Lee was not totally spared in that she was being controlled. Alicia had a bigger part than I thought and I thought she was fabulous. really well cast all around - great to see Blair and look foraward to see what Maika does next. thanks again for the video as I like art that is thought provoking. Shout out to the cinematographer Andres Arochi - such beautiful shots.
Unusually I've been watching spoiler videos before I see the movie. Maybe because i don't intend to see it a second time so need to be able to spot all the layers. Thank you for the literary take.
So have I ...I feel quite confused already ...but am very looking forward to seeing this work of art ...
Fantastic video. This is such a great analysis
This is amazing. Pretty much saved the movie for me. Looking forward to seeing it again. By the way, Mephistopheles’ definition of Hell isn’t a place but a condition of the Mind. The Faustian Hell is anywhere God is Not. Lee doesn’t pray. She is Not with God. She has arguably been in Hell her entire life.
How do you go into this expecting Clarice vs. Hannibal Lecter when every trailer showed a Buffalo Bill type character? I'm really scratching at my head. Every time we saw a bit of the villain of the story he looked like a caricature of Buffalo Bill and in fact was based on Buffalo Bill? I don't see how any person familiar with Silence of the Lambs sees the trailer and thinks there's going to be this polished intelligent sociopath directing the lead agent like in Silence of the lambs when all we see in the trailers is Buffalo Bill replica.
Another interesting comment, thank you! I think the fact that Longlegs himself is hidden in much of the promotional material sort of blurs the lines for what kind of character we expect him to be. After seeing the film, I agree that there's more Bill than Lecter in the character, but I think the basic pitch of namedropping Silence of the Lambs on the poster and advertising A-list movie star Nicholas Cage as the bad guy is going to make people think about Anthony Hopkins, not Ted Levine.
Well, actually, while the main trailers didn't allude to any supernatural stuff, the other marketing did. The phone call, the website, a deeper analysis of their marketing arg they set up really leaned into the supernatural. It's the only reason why I ended up going to see it
There was definitely some mixed messaging in the marketing, but overall I thought the advertising push was really engaging / exciting!
I just have one bight question. What happened to all the other dolls from the other murders?
I heard the director say you can look at in different ways like he set this up for this ending as a daughter kills her mother
It also makes sense that a female Faustus would be younger and reluctant, as women have adulthood thrust upon them through menstruation, whereas males have to go out and find it. A Joseph Campbell take on it perhaps.
Hard to beat alot of Beatles songs for greatest piece of artwork ever made
This theory is very fascinating, I loved studying Dr. Faustas in college.
Random thought: Isn't murder punishable by 25 to life in Oregan? That (almost) ties in with the Faustian bargain of 24 years.
I agree for so much of this, it’s a fantastic take. But they’re not gonna arrest Harker. The man murdered his wife and her mother tried to kill her. Harker is not going to jail, she’ll be commended
Thank god for an intelligent breakdown. You just earned a new subscriber ❤
Edit: since we now know Longlegs’ past as a glam rock singer, hence his random singing and also his love for T. Rex and such based on photos in his room + our soundtrack, I’m also curious how much Longlegs made a “deal with the devil” for fame as an artist, but instead found fame through a different means, i.e. the murders. He created art since he’s an artist, first as a musician then as a doll maker. Possibly asking for fame or even guidance in life, a purpose, knowledge, etc. from the devil, and then ending where the movie shows us he ends up…I think it makes his character even more fascinating. Like, was he always evil, with intent to harm? Is he an influence on the Satanic Panic craze where parents were scared the devil lived in rock music and would steal their children’s souls, but was unsuccessful in that so went into doll making? (Which the latter is a random change anyway, so even how he became a doll maker / why / his inspiration, maybe doll making was his first artistic love, etc)
Anyways, rant over. Absolutely love your video and excited for what you make in the future. :)
Ooh I love that idea! It’s like those fables about genies where the moral is to read the fine print and be super specific in the wording of your wish. Thanks for the comment, and welcome aboard!
@@secondbreakfastpodyess love that!
I also saw a lot of correlation to an unholy Trinity with the inverted triangle. The triangle being the symbol of the trinity father, son, Holy Spirit (the Holy Spirit often depicted as female).
I agree there is a lot of Faust the movie. Forgive me, but I think you might be reaching a bit to make it fit? None of the seven people who took the “bargain“ from Longlegs got anything like 24 years of pleasure from it. They were immediately put into hellish service and, following that, actual hell.
Listening to the director talk about the role of long legs I’m not sure he had this mephistopheles vision you speak of. That being said, art does tend to echo symbolism and your parallels are fun.
Hey thanks! I'm not sure what exactly he had in mind either -- but I've always believed in the idea that art stops solely belonging to the artist once it is released into the world. We all see things through our own lenses, and that's the magic of it!
I'm not sure I'd agree that Lee harker will be arrested at the end, afterall Carter had a knife in his hands and was covered in his wife's blood after he stabbed her in the kitchen, and Lee's mother also had a knife when she got shot.
I think the depths as you put it was more her state of existence, afterall now she had to live after having everyone close to her dead after she inadvertently put them in the line of fire, just like the agent that got shot near the start of the film, she was technically the same as the demon killing people, she brought death wherever she went.
loved hearing this. i feel like this kind of analysis is long dead and then this pops up in my feed. thank you so very much for this.
In my opinion, Osgood Perkins is just throwing a bunch of stuff he thought was cool into a nonsensical plot without context. Kind of felt like I was in a creative writing course at community college… 😂 I believe you’re giving Perkins a lot more credit and reaching kind of far.
Hard disagree on Harker going to jail. There is significant evidence that her boss stabbed his wife and charges her after doing so. The same with the mother who attacks with a knife. The mother killing the other agent with the shotgun will also have physical evidence associated with it. She solved the case, and saved the girl.
She's not going to get arrested. Forensics will easily be able to determine that the father was the one who murdered the wife. This murder also perfectly matches the modus operandi of all the other murders where a father murdered his other family members. She'll also be able to explain that mother was acting as cobbles accomplice when she shows them the basement of her mother's home. She'll be okay in a legal sense however she's going to have to live with what's happened for the rest of her life, however long that is. Gunshot residue and DNA and fingerprints on the shotgun will also determine that the mother is the one who killed the female agent at the house as well. Of course the police are not going to believe any devil worshiping Supernatural explanation, but they will most likely use some psychological explanation of induced psychosis or maybe they'll suppose that there was some kind of larger Cult at work
One thing to consider: The Blackcoat's Daughter.
The devil of TBC is the same as in Longlegs. Same design, and talks to the protagonists on the phone as well. The devil in both films is operating through people to sow chaos and cause evil. Longlegs is simply an agent of the devil and is expendable once their work is complete.
mephisto confirmed?
Loved seeing him in Deadpool & Wolverine
What exactly is the difference between Dr Faustus and Goethe’s Faust?
This is such an interesting analysis. Definitely gonna check out the play sometime.
I have a different theory. What If lee is not Faust but Gretchen?
The mother is Faust and has a deal with Mephisto and Gretchen/Lee is the one who gets involved and commits sin. In the Play Gretchen gets pregnant by Faust and drowns herself. Lee gets involved and doesn't now how to Help herself other than kill/commit sin.
What If the movie is a alternative Version of Faust where Gretchen is "the final Girl" ?
Why would they arrest Lee when she can easily explain that it was her mother who was behind everything. Given that Longlegs himself pointed at the mother during an interrogation that was documented by law enforcement itself, this doesn't seem like a stretch. Meanwhile, there would be evidence that her superior stabbed his wife in the kitchen (literally blood splatter DNA would show he was the aggressor), which would explain why she shot him. Not to mention, the pattern of murders was FATHER kills family. If she somehow said her superior tried to kill his family as part of a cult, which her mother and others were a part of, this wouldn't seem farfetched, especially that in this world the FBI apparently believes in clairvoyancy and gives out tests to their agents. I can't see them believing in psychic abilities but not cults. lol Lastly, she clearly saves the little girl. I don't see how you interpret that ending - logically - as Lee is on her way to being arrested.
First off, I love the level of time and thought you put into these comments, thank you so much for engaging with the episode so rigorously. I think you make good points here, that serve the (gloriously) miserable ambiguity at the end of the story. I think Lee could try to explain it all away as being her boss' fault / the work of a cult, but I'm not sure how successful that would with the higher ups, and even then, I think you could make the case that by having to be part of that horrific finale and do what she did, Lee is thrust into her own personal hell that she might never escape from.
@@secondbreakfastpod The personal hell she will now live in is exactly what Satan had planned the whole time. Longlegs is the story of Satan making a whole bunch of people suffer greatly and in terrible ways (like the "hero" at the end killing the mom that tried to save her).
He makes good sandals
i love literary analysis but the Faust comparison seems like a stretch. you spent this whole video basically explaining how it’s different from Faust. i don’t think it’s Faust framing or Dracula framing. it’s Longlegs framing.
To each their own! Our other video about Longlegs plays with some other interesting lenses that the film can be viewed through. Thanks for watching!
Isn’t that the guy from Infinite Warfare Zombies😮😮😮
If I had a nickel for every Faustus I’ve heard…
I don't see why Lee would get arrested. She killed the boss in self defense after he murdered his wife. She killed her mom in self defense, too, who is a serial killer. Without anything supernatural (for the sake of the FBI), the mom verbally convinced the dads to kill the families. Lee won't go to jail. She'll just be traumatized for life lol
She wouldn't be put in jail because there is evidence that her boss killed his wife. For the rest of the crimes, she was a kid, or she was at school. Regarding her career, that is another story.
I think these kinds of readings (which is very well thought out, tyvm for posting this) only works when writer/directors make some effort to keep their intentions to themselves, which I encourage (Peele for example, as much as I dislike the blatant symbolism in every little thing, I admire his approach towards press by mostly not outright saying "here's what this means, here's what that means"). Oz unfortunately has been spilling left and right, and I feel like the framework, or lock, he's written here just happens to fit the key you've crafted. I'm keen to rewatch though, as the aesthetics and cinematography is undeniable, but this film was really betrayed by its marketing imo, at least on initial viewing.
I really appreciate this perspective, as far as artist's not over-explaining their work -- and I'm glad to hear that someone else was thrown during their first viewing. Thanks for the comment!
He's a witch or warlock, whichever you prefer, and supposedly both serve Satan ultimately even if they try to twist the narrative to confuse the tale.
i really enjoyed this movie and want to watch it again. after watching it last night i gotta kinda agree that the reveal from the mother reminded me of saw and i don’t know how i feel about it. maybe because it is recent to me and i haven’t had much time to process everything but i feel like they could’ve stretched the last act a little more. i both feel like they revealed too much and too little with how the demonic “magic” works. after nic cage is gone, the horror and suspense of the movie didn’t quite land as it did at the start. i just wish the mother explaining everything was done without the narration and went into more in depth of her going through with it. i still definitely enjoyed the movie and i think this video offers some very interesting points i will keep in mind for my next viewing.
Umm, I read and love Christopher Marlowe too. You found a new follower/ subscriber/ friend in me.
Wow. I aspire to view the world in the way that you are able to
Wow this is deep. I saw this movie twice and I like it alot better a 2nd viewing
Hey me too! I've found myself feeling that way a lot this year, particularly with Dune: Part Two and Furiosa.
Love the analysis! I have to disagree with your assessment of the ending or the aftermath of the ending. I don’t think she gets arrested. There would be no physical evidence that she killed the wife, the evidence would at the very least support her story that the wife was murdered by the husband and that Lee killed him in self defense.
Id say Lees mother is more Faust she makes a pact with Longless/devil to save Lee and allow her to grow up and live and in return she must do the devil's work
Longlegs got nothing out of a deal with the devil, no fame, fortune or long life?
He may have believed (or been told by Satan) that he would be rewarded in the afterlife. He turned himself in willingly as if it were part of the whole plan. Nothing in the movie was NOT part of Satan's plan/doing.
Her career wouldn’t be over because her boss killed his wife ,she could say she was there on a hunch and her mom was long legs partner so I don’t think her career would be over
Okay sooo glad I found your channel, amazing analysis! Saw this last night and was slightly underwhelmed leaving the cinema but since then it’s really grown on me! Are you excited for Nosferatu this winter? 😃
People should watch "The Blackcoat's Daughter" before they see this. They're connected.
Her mom made the deal. Wouldn’t she be Faustus?
It’s a lot like The Shining in terms of types of shots it uses.
Only one serious issue with Long Legs- Not nearly enough Nicolas Cage
“It’s pronounced Memphis, Tennessee.”
She’s definitely not getting arrested at the end. She’s on an arc to be a possible leader politically. The daughter survived to continue the curse
i disagree with the assessment the Lee would be arrested. the fbi gives her a psychic test at the start of the film and never approach any aspect with skepticism; in the universe of the film I don't think the paranormal are unknown factors.
11:02
I don’t know if I agree here. Ultimately she’s a cop so there’s a level of immunity at play. Plus her boss murdered his wife in the kitchen before coming at her. She can absolutely argue he was trying to kill her and she acted in self defense. Mom had a knife too so there’s grounds there as well. Even if she brought up they were “possessed” I’m sure it would be taken as hyperbole. She’s and that daughter are gonna need a fk ton of therapy lol but I don’t think she’s going to jail for this.
360 pixels. You spoil us 😂
I disagree with Lee being arrested in the end! I think she will be a hero and boost her career which is part of Longlegs plan and the devil’s overall strategy to gain political power.
If i remember correctly, i saw meds and inyections at her morher home, what's the deal with that?
This is exactly the comparison I made to my friend as we were exiting the theater. Love the video, thank you.
Faustus Fanatics Unite!
One point I disagree on is that Harker’s life is over in the end. Even if no one will believe the doll possession angle, the boss did in the wife and has a bloody knife in his hand. Shots fired in his chest. The mom has a knife in her hand as well, forensics would show the same self defense.
And I didn’t see the ending as fitting, you made the connection of it all coming full circle and she completes the ritual killing a family. But that isn’t right either as the boss’ daughter lives.
Someone help me make sense of why it ended the way it did!
Can someone knows where can i see it , on wich website has been leacked ??????
Longlegs is still in theaters, and it looks fantastic up on the big screen. If you ask me, there's nothing better than great horror and a packed audience.
Enjoyed the movie. Was more of a Thriller movie than a Horror movie though.