But, is it worse than the new Mad Max? That's the question. I remember when people pretended the remake of It was good. That was funny. Seems like ever since The Ring came out, we've been getting these horrible horror films people pretend is good, yet they forget them in a week until the next thing comes out they're supposed to like.
I'll skip that one, it looks like you've given it the same respect you gave Longlegs (and I can go to a thousand other channels to hear that sort of thing mate 😉)
After I watched Longlegs I kept seeing all these great reviews pop up, I typed it into google just to see if I'd missed anything... I thought it was predictable and boring btw and google had some reviews up. I read a few all saying how great it was, So I decided to add my own. I wrote I dont understand why everyone seems to love this film, i found it predictable and boring. About an hour later I got an email from google saying they've taken down my review due to hate speech!!?
Happens to me too on multiple platforms , whether it is due to poorly trained bots or sensitive pansies reporting the comment I have no idea. It's ridiculous that we have to misspell words and use abbreviations to keep a comment from being automatically deleted. Whatever the cause / causes it is frustrating. When freedom of speech and differing opinions get censored you know something isn't right.
I didn't hate the movie, though did think it was disappointing, One thing however (SPOILERS COMING)... that i absolutely think was a plot hole was how the movie was about family annihilations where a 9 year old girl is having her birthday close to the 14th, yet Lee's boss's own daughter is ABOUT TO HAVE HER BIRTHDAY and yet this clown never even thinks about how his own family are perfect candidates for Longlegs.
@@neelyohara88 "Mmmm there is this maniac who likely has an accomplice, who has fathers kill their entire families if their daughter is 9 and her birthday is right about...oh, now. Ah so what... It'll be fine. No need to worry. There's nothing strange at all about this nun showing up with a creepy a** doll."
Everything about the way the FBI operates in this film is nonsensical. The writer applied the "scary movie protagonists have to be stupid for it to work" trope to an entire institution. It's so unbelievably unrealistic that it crosses the line into comedic.
I barely see any youtube critics talk about the revolting trend you mentioned, of using low contrast and muddy colors. They just casually mention it sometimes, and as a mild annoyance at the most. For me, it makes movies seen lifeless.
I can't stand blown out blacks either, or hell, I don't like the hard greens in a lot of contemporary films. But I really can't stand when black is just muddy gray; still obscuring what's in the dark but not actually black. LOTR has some of the best vistas and visuals of any fantasy film but the grade is absolutely garbage, especially the recent blu-rays.
Completely agree. It happens with documentaries etc. too. That crappy, murky, muddy trend. They think it looks cool. Silence of the Lambs on the other hand has a muted palette but everything looks clear and real.
Trends in color grading become super obvious after the trend has ended. They usually start with a successful film with a unique look, and then people just copy their color timing.
Please make Boring, Bad, Awful a series on your channel. The next episode can be about The Crow remake. It will inevitably make for a candidate for Boring Bad Awful.
@jonbourgoin182 As someone from Michigan, I know thee OG comic is S tier, and the OG film is one of thee few highlights of the comic book film genre, so I know deeply this new movie going ta sting worst then a Stingray
@@safiandmarcodishoutonmovie590 I was gonna make a vid about Terrifioer 2. Mindless, shameless torture porn. I'm amazed the critics and censors didn't rip into that film and get it banned. Writer / director seems be a very sick person. And i'm very familiar with some of the absolute worst serial killer cases.
Sounds like there was an issue at your specific theater. The color grading for this film was not very dark at all and I never had trouble seeing during any of the scenes
I really liked it personally. I particularly liked how it looked - I had no contrast issues in my screening and really enjoyed a lot of the Wes Anderson-esque camera work. The aspect ratio change during the opening credits was a cool touch too. I thought Nic Cage was great (that scene with him screaming in car was fantastically unsettling), and I also liked the main characters detached, almost autistic performance. The jump “scares” were the only thing that let it down for me. I always find them obnoxious and unnecessary, and this was no exception. The one with the opening eyes was particularly egregious. It’s definitely not for everyone though, as you prove. I just wish the discourse had more nuance between “best thing ever” and “boring” - it’s neither of those things, but I still think it’s well worth watching.
Idk I feel like we watched totally different movies. For one - the movie was not full of jump scares. There were maybe…2? One in the beginning which was extremely effective/earned and then maybe another later on. I found the visual style beautifully dour and intentionally muted ala kiyoshi Kurosawa films like Pulse or Cure (the latter of which shares a lot of similarity to this movie). You mention contrast like it’s principally required and are quick to dismiss this film’s visual style. The reason the not-explicitly horror scenes (like the agent’s office that you mentioned) are still shot this way is likely for atmosphere and to imbue the film with a pervasive sense of dread. It worked for me and was one of my favorite aspects of the movie. I also think you misread the tone of the film. The humor isn’t unintentional at all. Nicholas Cage’s character is uncanny and unhinged. Laughing at his absurdity while simultaneously seeing the threat he poses are not mutually exclusive responses. The main character is not downbeat and lacking in range because of writing laziness. One of the main plot points and character developments is the slow unfolding of her trauma with her mother and with longlegs. And as we find out, she’s been under a spell the whole time too. I think the movie does a great job of teasing this information out. I also think she’s coded with some autistic tendencies which may carry some interesting analysis if poked into as well. I can’t disprove your experience but for me, this was definitely NOT a movie in which people just filed out and didn’t talk about it. I saw it twice and both times, everyone I was with was in active conversation afterwards and in the two weeks that followed. I happen to think the film stands on its own merit. But it gets even richer as you dive into the meta-aspects of the film. The marketing materials including the website of all the murders carry so much additional context and subtext. There is a lot embedded into this film especially when it comes to the satanic aspects. This is one of the better horror films in a minute. I think people are going to realize that in time. And I say this as someone who is extremely disillusioned. I also did not like Romulus, for what it’s worth hehe.
Rob's review surprises me. I found the movie stylistically and thematically extremely rich. it felt like a very "on purpose" film in an almost Kubrickian way and I immediately wanted to see it again to examine the enormous density of details and foreshadows in the set design. it seems odd to me that Rob completely missed the repressed trauma aspect of the principal character... the core plot is how her ability to solve the case is because she's subliminally been at its epicenter for almost her entire life... there are almost endless nods and allusions to the nature of childhood trauma, and the accompanying inescapable dread is the very river the movie flows through. it seems Rob ticked off "I don't like the colours" and "the protag doesn't smile" and just shut off his filmmaking eye for the rest of the movie, which seems incredibly odd. he wanted what out of this movie, bright colours and happy campers? very strange.
I think this is a case of a movie that you either "get it" or you don't. If Rob was so bored with the movie that he was watching the audience instead, did he just stay in the theater just so he could hate-review it later? If people were so quiet after the movie, it's because of the rather grim ending. I know I personally wasn't quiet, and talked about the movie afterwards with my friend. Personally I don't give a rats ass what the other audience members thought anyway, most people are silly anyway.
I'm not sure what movie Rob watched, because to me, Longlegs was absolutely stunning to look at and wasn't full of jumpscares at all. I don't even remember a single jumpscare. I'm mixed on the movie, I liked certain things and others not so much, but this is a bullshit review. I'm a fan of the channel, but this review was idiotic nonsense. I definitely can't trust reviews from Rob Ager if he inherently hates all new horror movies and can't overcome his bias against them, so he lies or exaggerates to make himself right.
Yeah, that was a lame criticism. The other girl was completely catatonic. Lee was 'better' but clearly influenced. I would describe it as having a piece of her soul taken, or clouded by the "black smoke."
How did he miss this? At first I thought we were seeing a depressed and autistic girl, perhaps from an abusive family due to the weird mother, and then I thought maybe was meant to be a bit weird due to her physic abilities. But as soon as the mother explained that she was made to forget her experiences and that satanic forces were at work in her life, it all made sense that she was not a normal, healthy, well adjusted young woman. This is not the first time Rob has misidentified very obvious aspects to character motivation and behavior. Quite a blind spot at times.
@@ElderRaceofMan Rob is figuring things out more and more when he studies films. But when you hate a movie off the bat, you're not going to figure out any nuances because you will never watch the movie again. Imagine if he only watches The Shining once, how many nuances and theories he would have never got.
Yeah, the dark scenes were sometimes too dark, and unnecessarily so, and there were sets that completely unnecessarily dark brown, like the boss' office. And i can say this as someone who didn't hate the movie.
Rob I totally agree about the lack of contrast and so few films have any inky blacks these days, the lowest black values are too high today in my opinion, compared to older films with real inky blacks and true contrast, in comparison new films look quite flat
Those old inky blacks do not translate well on most consumer-grade TVs. I don't know if that's a reason for the low contrast dark photography we get in almost everything, but I definitely know it's true when I rewatch an old movie on blu ray or 4K. Technology might be coming around, but it's still really expensive to get a TV that can interpret those special high contrast, inky shadow.
It sort of reminded me of late 70s/early 80s Italian Horror, like Lucio Fulci's weird, dreamy, nonsensical stuff like House By The Cemetery, City of the Living Dead, or Manhattan Baby. I also think it was meant to be funny. The main character, i think, is supposed to come off as autistic until you find out she's being mind-controlled by Nicolas Cage through the doll thing. That's why she couldn't remember that she grew up with Cage living in her basement. The actress was good in It Follows. I thought the movie was pretty fun, it made me laugh a lot, and i like T. Rex. It wasn't amazing like Mandy was. It Follows was great for such a cheap, independently made horror movie.
Longlegs was nothing like a Fulci movie. Not in tone, aesthetic, or any other filmmaking sensibility. I'm not even saying this cause I have a gripe with Longlegs, there's just genuinely no similarity here.
@@reagangaitens7154It's a little like an Italian horror movie minus the sex, gore, or hyper-surrealism. It's a very American film, but I did notice some similarities. I happened to be watching some Italian thrillers the same week I saw Longlegs by coincidence. I think she means the mystery element is very much like Italian horror.
@keyaamabrahams7984 minus the gore, sex, and surrealism aka huge hallmarks for Fulci and Italian horror lol. I do get what you're saying tho, in terms of the plot. Vaguely psychic protagonist investigates a supernatural mystery. That's not exclusively a Giallo plot, but it is the premise for a bunch of Gialli. The movie is shot in a modern way and is trying to emulate 90s serial killer thrillers, so the Italian horror plot similarities didn't jump out at me. But I'll acknowledge that it's there.
The horror genre has a huge rift between bad movies and good movies. I can't think of many "in-between" horror movies, they are either completely boring and lacking in credulity or some of the best movies I've seen. About 97% of recent horror movies are in the former camp.
It's why I usually watch horror films when they're paired with another genre, I find usually they usually built in the foundation of something else e.g Terminator 1
I fell asleep when they went to the mental hospital to see that one girl. Woke up to the credits rolling, I turned my tv off and went back to sleep. Very boring 😒
Rob, you’re one of my biggest influences and the reason I got into film as a career choice. I gotta disagree with you on this one (though I do see some of your points).
@@johngleue I think Rob makes some valid points here but I understand why those elements were included in the film and I think they compliment its tone and nature pretty well. Yes the film has a starkly dim lighting throughout- but it adds everything to the atmosphere which is intentionally depressing (also explains why people weren’t talking about the film as they walked out, it gives you a unique sense of dread that I think is a commendable accomplishment). Yes the main character is strangely distant and disconnected- but there’s a perfectly reasonable plot explanation for that due to her childhood trauma and the active curse that she’s under until the last 10-20 minutes of the movie and her disposition adds to the underlying current of dread running throughout the movie as a result of Satans total control over the events of the plot. I think the overall message of the film is a positive one however, it’s just robustly proving that fighting Satan without Jesus Christ ( who none of the characters in the film ever evoke, even saying that main character has “given up” on saying her prayers) is useless and you will lose without Him. It’s a uniquely Christian film because the core message is that there is no hope of fighting evil without Christ and the Church.
@@veronicacorningstone3888 Respectfully, I think this is just projection of your values. Longlegs is not a "Christian" film about how fighting Satan is epic and important. I don't see a shred of evidence for that in the script, production, or discussion surrounding the movie
@@crashingspectacular Respectfully, I think your presuppositions regarding the film are all out of whack. The idea of Satan didn’t just form in the cultural zeitgeist and make its way into film- the entity obviously originates from Christian scripture, tradition and theology. Therefore the mere inclusion of Satan as an entity within the film obviously invokes the entire concept of his origin within the mind of the viewer (Satan is, after all, the Anti-Christ and this is a film made in the Western world for a Western audience who’s entire moral and societal life is shaped by Christianity). To ignore Christian moral themes within this work as completely outside of the directors intention is preposterous.
I'm right there with you Rob. Thanks for continuing to not hold back. I've noticed the same trend of movie reviewers who feel like they always have to say something positive about a movie. Some of the phrases that I've come to hate recently are "slow-burn", "atmospheric", "the movie takes it's time". A more modern movie that fits those descriptions and is actually good is Bone Tomahawk. I've come to realize in the modern context thought those phrases just mean bad pacing. That and the movies are too damn long. Movies like Seven and Silence of the Lambs had zero fat on those scripts and in the editing. They kept moving and kept the viewer engaged with great scenes. That to me is the biggest problem with a lot of newer movies and why they're so boring.
I didn't think that much to Bone Tomahawk, but do like Zahler's 'Dragged Across Concrete' - one of the best crime films in a decade imo. I keep planning to give the former a second look.
They marketed the movie based on Nic Cage’s performance being “one of the scariest performances ever”. I think they did a disservice to him by putting all that makeup on his face. I guarantee he would’ve been scarier without it!
What I didn't understand why everyone is "weird" in capital letters? Even the insane asylum director ( again echoes of Silence of the Lambs) dresses like a pimp and speak like an inmate. Why? Just no point to the strangeness of the characters the do not advance the narrative one millimeter. Did you also notice that the FBI agent had a Glock handgun throughout film but in the last scene she conveniently has a revolver that can 'click' on the empty chamber?
I think the colorful, animated head of the mental house is meant to flip the serious psychiatrist cliché. The thing about the revolver makes sense, after she fainted they locked Lee in the basement, the revolver was probably in his mother's house and his mother got rid of her service weapon.
i disagree with the movie being terrible i would still say this tops the majority of horror movies that come out (whatever that's worth) but my main complaint was the last 20-30 minutes of the movie where it seemed like it fell into way too many horror cliches and ended in a way that didn't really satisfy what it had been building up to.
This movie was not terrible in my opinion. It wasn't a masterpiece by any means, but that doesn't make it a terrible film. If someone wanted me to name a terrible film, several come to mind, but this certainly would not be one of them.
@@filmmaker610 yes the perfect review to complete the trilogy 😂. Although I did have fun watching trap, there’s some parts of that movie that IMO were laughably bad. Can’t wait for him to review and then ppl call him an idiot while acting like m. Night is incapable of making a bad movie
@@taylorwashington2270 Well I enjoyed Trap, even what really feels like intentionally exaggerated moviemaking. Hence my curiosity if Rob ever watches it.
@@filmmaker610 yeah I enjoyed trap too, but I think that’s mostly me letting myself have fun with it, unlike Romulus where I had super high expectations. I really liked Josh’s character and thought everyone but the singer did a great job acting. Even the daughter, which is rare for kids
My theory is that the low contrast style is to make the movie look better when it's heavily compressed and shown on streaming services. It's a terrible movie and trend.
I have to disagree with this one, I thought Longlegs was pretty damn good and creepy. I agree that the lead can be a bit one-note and that some aspects of the movie have been done before. But to paraphrase Cormac McCarthy, movies are made out of movies. With that said, I'm not sure how I sit with the whole religion element because I suspect a lot of writers use it as a crutch to make something that comes across as taboo but is actually pretty safe, at least nowadays. The part about the villain being weirdly funny I'm not sure, I think it works. At least in the times in my life where I confronted genuinely mentally ill people I found their behavior often rode a strange line between disturbing and kinda funny, to the point where for a little while I didn't know if I was being made fun or if I was in a bit of an awkward spot. As to the realism aspect I think it works as well, I don't think stories should be hounded too much for realism. Reminds me of those UA-cam videos where they get an expert on something to evaluate movies and they give some great movies a low score because "this would never happen." Realism is for documentaries.
Same. Like, according to the director, there really is a reason things happen the way they do, but some people might not like it. The film is supposed to be very casual because that's what it is about. It's not an end of the world film. Though I get some of Rob's reasons why he didn't like it. Some of the jumpscares were lame.
Also, I believe the lead is supposed to be autistic to a degree (i know right?) That is why she acts weird at times. She's not entirely like you or me.
Longlegs was all style and no substance, unfortunately. As always, Cage was memorable but that doesnt save the film. It fails as horror, it fails as a thriller, it fails as a mystery. I think with some creative editing, they may have been able to cobble together a halfway decent music video out of it. The ending was so bad. The "mystery was solved via an exposition dump, which always sucks, and then the boss murders his wife while the main character just stands there gawking for no reason whatsoever. She could have stopped it at any time. It was obvious what was about to happen.
I enjoyed this film, but I went to watch it with my wife with very little expectation except to see Nicholas Cage play a creepy serial killer. I agree with the critique on the dark palette of the film, but I liked that part of it -- I don't recall ever having trouble seeing any details in the frames or unable to read anything presented onscreen (except one or two instances where something is flashed quickly without time to completely read the material shown). And although I liked the very dark visuals, I certainly agree that the dark colors were silly and unrealistic in some settings, such as the FBI offices you referenced, Rob. As soon as the movie finished, I told my wife (paraphrasing) "Nicholas Cage played Marilyn Manson, with some Tiny Tim mixed in" -- the gender-bendy rockstar psychopath persona was the best element of the movie, in my opinion, which Cage executed in a very entertaining manner. My biggest gripe about Longlegs is that story seemed VERY rushed: Plot elements are not explained in any great detail, the novice FBI clairvoyant in the protagonist somehow solves the case without much effort, there is very little background provided for any of the characters, and so it all seems pretty superficial. I'd be interested in seeing an extended/director's cut version that has more meat on the bone, let's say. Nonetheless, we saw it in a matinee screening, so for $12 for both tickets, Longlegs was better than most other offerings in theaters currently (which isn't saying much).
She solved the case because she was one of his first victims. You seem to be claiming that some random newbie FBI agent just accidentally found the "killer."
I think this film was harmed by people comparing it to Hereditary, similar to the excellent film Talk to Me from last year which was easily the best horror film of the year but lots of people seemed disappointed because word of mouth said it was 'as good as Hereditary'. I saw Longlegs and didn't experience the issues with it being too dark for most scenes. I wonder if that was an issue with the projector in your cinema. I agree the story was weak and predictable in many ways, but I found myself enjoying the cinematography. So much so I made a point to look up the cinematographer to see what else he had worked on. I recently watched an excellent british horror film from 2008 called Eden Lake, directed by James Watkins who has a horror film coming out either this week or next. I hope you'd consider watching Eden Lake, there are some interesting themes.
It’s telling that everyone who disagrees with Rob disagrees based on their emotional relationship to the film instead of articulating why they like the film without using emotional driven words. It’s a symptom of younger/unarticulate people who can’t form a thought for themselves and rely on other, outside mediums to tell them what they like and don’t like.
I think people expect too much tbf, It's really hard for a movie nowadays to just "hit" you; I miss the feel of the older movies these new movies just don't make me go "wow this was incredibly unsettling"
"You can't spoil an egg that's already rotten." I completely agree with you on that one! This movie was awful! The characters speak really slowly for no reason. The main character makes weird decisions that make no sense for an FBI agent to make. There are numerous plot holes, and Nicolas Cage's performance was goofy instead of scary. I especially hated how the main character let her demon possessed boss k!ll his wife after he made it clear he was about to k!ll her. I was hoping this film would be similar to The Silence of the Lambs, but it certainly wasn't. This film was very disappointing.
SPOILERS! Yup. Essentially cursed ball bearings. I found it fairly obvious that the mother had a major involvement as it seemed she had a cognitive dissonance to reality.
I have been waiting for this video. I'm so so relieved and heartened to know I'm not the only one who felt this way about the movie. I'm so sick of people praising how unique it is. It's like a magpie picked the best bits of a lot of other stories / films and through it all together like a patchwork quilt. People like it cause it's full of Easter eggs . I guess. For me the only watchable part was the maybe 20 minutes of when nicholas cage was on screen. what made it worst of all was the satanic cult theme being the root of everything once again. What a waste. It could have been cool like some x-files type story. By trying to distill and pack so many references into the film they bit off more than they could chew. Should have been trimmed way down, streamlined , no satanic cult , less silence of lambsy, different cast completely except Nicholas cage and a different score So glad some other people online actually feel the same way about this awful movie
I kind of thought the longlegs dude was absolutely ridiculous. Like how hard could he be to find? Look for the psycho with bisquick all over his face. At least in Silence of the Lambs the dude looked normal when he wasn't in drag. The scene when he gets arrested is hilarious. He looks like Bozo the clown standing on the side of the road.
Yeah, that's the only part that I'm sure was intentionally ridiculous. They wanted to make it a joke that he'd be caught so quickly. But..not sure why you'd want to make that a joke.
A 2? That was very generous of you! I couldn’t agree more, this movie was awful. I had a nice nap somewhere around the scene when the main character was sitting through the evidence showing more unreadable text that looked like maybe it was some type of occult writing, but there were very few details that you could make out, nor do I remember a full explanation of what they referred to. The film was trying so hard to be at the level of Silence of the Lambs, but there was absolutely nothing about the plot or the characters that could compare. The villain’s sidekick was silly more than scary. There was so much hype about this prerelease that I expected something truly horrifying, but what I saw was just horrifyingly bad. The lead actress starred in It Follows, another film that had been hyped and touted as one of the best horror films of the 2010’s. It was equally terrible in my opinion, and I can’t say that her acting stood out to me at all. As for Nicholas Cage, his character was just an attempt to mirror Buffalo Bill in Silence. He ended up looking like a reject from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
I wonder why Nic Cage's character was treated so comedically. The only time in SoL when Buffalo Bill is funny is when he calls one of his victims "a great big fat person". But even then it's also creepy since you know he killed her. If they're gonna copy another movie then they should at least learn the right lessons from it and apply them to theirs.
@@samleembardo6202 I think Cage’s performance was intended to be creepy. It was overplayed and became campy. He crossed a fine line that would have made a big difference in how his character was interpreted.
This makes me think of why I've never been interested in revisiting Se7en since it first came out on VHS. It's not the disturbing content (well not entirely at least), but my memory of the lighting and texture of the film visually was stifling, flat, almost claustrophobic, and incessant like an upside down dream you sort of just want to forget as soon as you wake up to daylight. Not enough spatial dimensionality. I'm sure Fincher was going for that grainy forensic/clinical tone, (although warmer palette values than what contemporary pyschological "clinical" horrors use) but he laid it on too thick imho. Not sure if you've done a video on that film.
@@brotherbootlegger1777 hasn't been a priority. It just left an off taste in my mouth after the viewing experience, for the reasons I stated. I just don't like the stifling sensation. But yeah thinking more about it, I'm sure it wouldn't affect me as much if I checked it out again. My reaction was genuine, but perhaps I was more sensitive at the time to those overly ominous tones.
@@samirawalehfilms2880 Didn't intend to compare the total films directly at all. It was just Rob's comment about being put off by the lighting/tone that reminded me of why I was put off from rewatching Se7en for a similar reason. I understand the cinematography is stylistically much better in Se7en, but it was stifling to me.
I took a friend to see this movie in the theater. Afterwards, I went home and watched a bunch of interviews with the writer / director because I couldn't understand the difference between the reviews and what I saw on the screen. We were both in agreement that there were some good moments, but that overall it was incomplete and a bit silly. Much of the FBI stuff was terrible. And then I found out that the writer / director had deliberately decided to go that route, in his opinion to ditch procedural expertise to make the story more dreamlike. I didn't hate the film, but it was a letdown to see it in the theater. It wasn't scary. Now, Rob, I agree with you on Hereditary. That's the most terrifying movie I've ever seen. And yet there are people I know who thought it was not scary at all. Who even laughed at it. It's interesting how different people have different experiences with films. In my opinion it has a lot to do with expectations. I know a lot about filmcraft, about actual procedures of things in the real world, and about I guess what you could call lore. Like, the demonology stuff in Hereditary really got to me because I know something about it. So far, my belief is that people who don't know very much are much more forgiving with films because they can't look at it and go oh that's not the way things are at all. In Longleg's case I was really confused about why they never explained that name. Just because the writer / director thought it was cool? That's not a good enough reason to hang your movie on. Also, the occult stuff, especially the gray smoke in the orbs, that made no sense to me. I just didn't get it, and there seemed like scenes missing to get to the transition of that whole idea. I really did like that the film subverted expectations and it halfway through the bottom drops out and you're thinking, wow, I went into this movie thinking it would be one thing and now I find out it's completely something else. That was cool. But overall it didn't work for me and felt like parts were rushed or missing. From the bits I saw of Nicolas Cage interviews, he had a really good time with it, though. And he was the best part of the film.
Longlegs can be an allusion to him being taller than the children he abuses. Longlegs should create an immediate association with the word "Daddy". There is also a saying that the devil stands on legs so tall that his feet are in hell while his head is on Earth
If it didn’t build up to “the dolls did it” I think it would have been great. The premise of a killer committing murders with no trace of being there is a corner I think you can’t really write yourself out of without going full on supernatural. I do think a lot of plot points were meant to be humorous on purpose. Like Longlegs getting caught two seconds after his photo is released. The opening scene in the snow with Cage and the girl was great so I was disappointed that it didn’t maintain that feel.
Most comments that disagree view criticism of Longlegs as a personal attack. Tells you what kind of hipster nerds like it. They try to come off as intellectuals yet most of their comments are "You're stupid for not liking the movie!!!!"
Yep. And the devil literally kept everyone blind to certain things. I think the director stated that it was because he (the devil) is literally just screwing with his toys!!
The light and character of the interiors are an artistic choice (the style of the film and the decision on how its world will be built - more or less realistically), and your feeling is a very subjective matter. What seemed boring to you, for me carried an atmosphere of darkness and anxiety. The plot and plot twists don't have to be realistic for a movie to be successful. Everything you say (including the elements that made you laugh) are all your subjective feelings. This doesn't mean the movie is bad, just that you don't like it. It didn't appeal to your sensitivity. In my opinion, the film was brilliantly staged. Perfectly thought out formally (great, conscious editing!). I feel that the creators put a lot of heart into it and that it is not just another commercial product. I'm also happy that the film leaves the viewer unsettled. Additionally, I really appreciate the film's underlying theme: the impact of toxic behavior by parents (the main character's mother) on children. Loving the films of Polanski and Kubrick, I recommend this film with a clear conscience!
I thought it was very on the nose how doll-like the protagonists behaviour and demeanor was supposed to be. The moment I heard the weird static/crackle through the mothers phone for a second time and her weird clairvoyant hunch in that first call that someone was in the house I guessed they were setting her up to be a bigger character later. People are really defensive about this movie for some reason, maybe it’s recency and good marketing, but I felt like it fell very flat. I love quiet horror which I’d group this under, as in, not very flashy horror, Twin Peaks style horror (despite being, as you said, very loud and flashy at times), but there wasn’t enough there for me to grip me and frighten me. Loved the shots of the devil appearing in the background, they were beautifully ominous and he’s easily my favorite character but there just wasn’t enough there. I was excited from the marketing and it let me down immensely but at least this film still triumphed over all of those blumhouse trailers that came before it.
If it didn’t build up to “the dolls did it” I think it would have been great. The premise of a killer committing murders with no trace of being there is a corner I think you can’t really write yourself out of without going full on supernatural. I do think a lot of plot points were meant to be humorous on purpose. Like Longlegs getting caught two seconds after his photo is released.
I actually really liked it and see some of the Hereditary comparisons with it having the supernatural element where the events are all predestined to happen. All the characters in this film are the devil's playthings and it's like a supernatural tragedy. Longlegs isn't perfect by any means but I did very much enjoy the filmmaking and the way things played out.
I think it looked good. i didn’t experience any problems with seeing things nor did 5 of my friends whom i went with to the movies. The story is shit though. I laughed through the whole film, couldnt take it seriously... Not after seeing al those nic cage movies (vampire miss etc)
Didn’t hate it, but certainly not something I’ll ever want to see again. I am with 100% about the shit lighting though. It’s problem with a lot of films where it’s either too dark or looks like it’s being filtered through concrete. It seems to me a lot of film makers are getting to comfy with how easier it is to film with digital cameras in low light conditions, as opposed to film where it was required to carefully light sets in order for the image to be captured. This isn’t a film > digital argument (although I do prefer film) as I’ve seen some beautiful cinematography with digital cameras.
I agree that the plot wound up in nonsense but i disagree with you panning it so hard on visuals. A positive note for me that you didnt comment on was the sound, it was really well done and it helped build the dread. Dread thats ultimate crescendo was disappointing however but I enjoyed the uneasyness of it while it lasted. Im not much of a critical thinker about the technical aspects of film making or plot analysis which would have significantly aided my enjoyment but, the above being said, thoes weaknesses are coincidentally why i subscribe to your channel and enjoy your discussions on things. Hey, you win some you lose some.
Most other reviewers just talk about how the movie "makes them feel" and "a satisfying payoff" and stuff like that. They don't talk about all the details in the film, like you said the contrast and lighting. I like your channel because you are talking about the film details that other reviewers aren't.
The villain was great. He's like a rocker from yesteryear, melted by time and drugs and evil rites. An ex-glamrock cokehead in a Canadian tuxedo, bleached head to toe, completely devoted to satan, some vison from hell in the Love's parking lot at 5am, the embodiment of the satanic panic, I loved it.
I'm noticing this actress trend where they cover their mouth with one hand in any scene where something scares or terrifies them. It's like, for some reason, they were told by their acting coach that this is scarier to the audience than if they just screamed their head off. I think it stems back to the opening scene of Quiet Place where Emily Blunt did it. But that scene was bullshit. No mother is going to watch a monster about to kill her child and still have the composure to not make a sound in order to hide from other monsters.
I Had the same experience with When Evil Lurks from last year. Was hyped to death on tik tok and it was just stupid, one had one good scene in it. I feel like this is a new trend of bad or mediocre horror films getting overly hyped online. Its disappointing because horror was the one place i still had faith in Hollywood.
I saw that movie on a first date. The date went on for six hours in total, we had fun. She ghosted me right the next day. Must have been the movie! Although I have to say, I actually enjoyed the movie. Not really because of the story or anything. I enjoyed the feelings and emotions that it made me feel. Like, the feeling-tone texture of it all. That was pretty cool.
I was all up for a deep, disturbing and realistic thriller but i was indeed very dissapointed just like you. But here's something which happens more often in movies and i don't hear people talk about it more. The dialog and directing of the actors was so unrealistic here that it took me out of the movie every moment. I didnt mind it too much from the lead in the case because she's supposed to be weird, autistic. But nobody behaves or talks this way and all the characters in this movie act this way. Nothing realistic about it whatsoever so how am i supposed to get 'ínto' this movie, the story. It's all way too artsy in a bad way. This could be really good just like Silence of the Lambs or Seven. They have believable characters where Longlegs does not. Ah well, too bad maybe better luck next time! :)
I thought it was fine but several scenes of the dialogue was clunky getting it across. That opening was incredible to the opening credits. Marketing was too good.
I couldn't agree more, thought the exact same about the movie. Worst of the year tbh, the disappointment was real. I feel like I'm on the same wavelength in terms of movie outlooks, so I'll take your word for Alien and give it a miss
Did you not see the contrast/lack of contrast as a style choice? I also thought her lack of expression was a symptom of her being soulless, which tied in pretty nicely with the flat aesthetic?
@@collativelearning I have to admit, as a long time fan of your work Rob, this review feels out of character. Not necessarily in your disliking of the film, but the lack of detail in your explanation and the blanket "this was shite" approach makes me wonder if there's anything beyond the actual film contributing to your opinion? Keep up the good work regardless mate, you've been a constant source of entertainment/education for me for ages 🖐️😊
Indeed. For whatever reason, perhaps he believes it is a trendy or hyped movie, or because of some aspect of the content, he has refused to meaningfully deconstruct and digest the many themes at play here. Such a shame
Finally I see someone saying how it is. I dont understand those idiots giving this movie like 10/10 or saying its amazing. What a sad time we live in 😂
Are movie theaters still under-lighting the projection in the digital age? I remember once the movie "2012" had a very long 8-10 minutes preview on UA-cam (something quite unprecedented in terms of lenght), and when I saw the movie in theaters I could not believe how dark they were running it, as the extra long trailer now provided a suitable reference from memory. It was litterally unbelievable how dark it was...
I paid to see The Neverending Story, then snuck in to see Longlegs. By then, I was on my fourth Coors Light, wondering if this film is devoid of something or if I’m just too buzzed. I thought maybe I have to watch it again. Nope. Thanks for the review because I’m convinced that it wasn’t the beer.
I was looking forward to Longlegs because I really liked The Blackcoats Daughter and I am the Pretty Thing... both of which open up more and more on a second watch. This film lacked the intrigue and atmosphere of the others and maybe Oz Perkins is aiming at something I don't see but it seemed like a dull remake of Seven and Silence of the Lambs. It didn't have the small details and subtle echoes which made the other films work like paintings which reward closer inspection. I think the hype around it also contributed to the disappointment. Possibly if it went under the radar like I am the Pretty Thing that lives in the House it could have been an interesting discovery. Kiernan Shipka in the asylum is a stand out moment though and Oz Perkins does have a unique vision which is rare these days in mainstream cinema.
The tone, feeling and music seemed well done, but that is the problem with this movie. Its a movie on the outside but its like it was made by AI. It does things that are within the filmmaking process but lacks the contextual value. It is like Corey Feldman's music. He plays music, but does he? Same here with this movie. Its a movie on the outside package, but is it a movie? I gave it 5 because it kept me engaged, but only because I had no clue what was happening.
I agree that the protagonist seemed like she was sleepwalking through the film in a daze, but I also got the sense that this was intentional when it was revealed she had been mind-controlled/possessed for most of the film? I think they should have made a bigger point in there being a switchover in her personality after her mother destroyed Lee’s doll, although it was still absolutely there. Overall I tend to agree that it was mediocre. Not dreadful or unwatchable, though.
Completely agree. The trailer coupled with the great critical reception tricked me into thinking it would be like Hereditary. I got so bored that I believe I dozed off near the end. for whatever reason I just wasn't invested in what was happening and kept waiting for the moment where things "click". It never came though.
Of the actors i liked Maika Monroe on "It Follows" (a pretty "carpenterian" horror of some years ago) and i've always loved Alicia Witt, since as a child she played Paul's sister on the original Lynch's "Dune". Her best performance was in the unaired pilot episode of the David Lynch/Barry Gifford surreal series "Hotel Room", in a segment titled "Blackout" in which she starred alongside Crispin Glover.
Would love to hear your thoughts on M Night’s Trap, because I thought I was horrible. M Night is a very hit or miss director, and recently it’s been way more misses than hits. The entire movie was essentially a back door music video for his daughter, the lines in this movie are so insanely overwritten. I think you’d really hate it Rob, check it out.
I was disappointed too I wish whoever was in charge of the ad campaign write the movie. Your commentary is insane I’ve watched your hereditary video probably 4 times. I can’t wait for the witch
While I enjoyed aspects of the film, I admit I also saw the twist coming a mile away, and I saw the boss's daughter as a target being way too obvious. I did enjoy the villain and think there was a lot of thought put into it. His scenes were my favorites, as was the opening, which just perfectly captured childhood nightmare to me. Though I did find him really funny too. I also agree the plot was not interesting and it was bloated and confusing.
I like Osgood Perkins's work as he has a very distinct style, and I thought Longlegs was a gorgeous film with interesting, esoteric aesthetics, but I agree that the writing was underdeveloped and poor in quality. I don't dislike it as much as you do, but I do agree that the movie was extremely overhyped ("the Silence of the Lambs of this generation" it certainly is not). Its plot structure is basically just foreshadowing throughout (and so heavy that it practically spoils the story) and a huge exposition dump shoehorned in at the end with a very underwhelming conclusion. If you want a good recent horror movie, I highly recommend Late Night with the Devil. One of my favorite films of the year regardless of genre.
Consumer grade media, from movies to video games, has been plagued by low contrast and desaturation for almost 20 years. Have you only just noticed? I'm hypersensitive due to autism. Imagine how hellish it has been for me. I haven't been to the cinema for 17 years because of the colour grading mind virus.
@@collativelearning I've never heard you talk about it. Maybe we could have a recorded discussion about it sometime. Anyway, I was hoping you might turn your attention to a relatively unknown film called _Fallen_ with Denzel Washington and John Goodman. It's quite a dark film, but Denzel is brilliant in it. I think it's his best work.
Haven't seen Longlegs yet (and I've never cared for spoilers anyway), and I appreciate the blunt and honest approach to this video, Rob. Too many critics, as you said, prefer to pussyfoot around negative aspects of the movies they're reviewing, or they too often go for extremes (best movie, worst movie). I'll judge for myself when I eventually see it, but it is kind of a bummer that it apparently isn't as good as it seemed in the trailers.
Thank you for the honest review. I just watched this film and described it to a buddy of mine as "a weird ass movie", and he asked, "Good or bad weird?" And I said, "I haven't decided." 😅 Usually if a film leaves me that way it's a good indicator that I subconsciously didn't care for it.
I liked this movie, not a very satisfying last 1/4 of the movie but it was good enough that Iv told myself to watch it a second time. I saw someone comment the movie seemed purposeful and I agree. I doubt rob missed the parts of the movie where some depth was added so it would have been nice if he touched on some of those aspects, like for example her 6th sense and the beginning psychological assessment which foreshadowed the themes or plot points of the rest of the movie (did anyone else catch that?!).
Oh yes. There are tons of subliminals in the music, choices of dialogue, framing, and set design details throughout. Im not so bothered by Rob's opinion on the film disagreeing with mine, as I am by being "robbed" of Rob's normally thorough analysis for these kinds of psychological choices in filmmaking
@collativelearning you're completely right about Barbarian, and you nailed the issues on this one as well. Horror fans are just dying for anything to be decent, and so they give these films a pass.
I can't stand the obsessive trend of constant excessive dark lighting, bland colour grading and mumbled dialogue. When all three are present I just can't be bothered to suffer through it.
Are you slow or are you just lying to yourself? There are MANY colorful movies nowadays, also horror movies HAVE ALWAYS been darker with blander colors, that how horror works. Are you being fr?
@@SerMattzio I’m clearly saying you’re wrong by calling it a “trend”. It’s not a trend, that’s how it’s ALWAYS BEEN. Funny how you twist the words so hard to pretend like you’re right when in fact you’re a complaining little ignorant clown. Interesting.
@@SerMattzio what an insane reach and manipulation of what I just said. Lmao, me saying that horror movies have always been dark and it’s NOT A TREND. Your little mind thinks I said no color has ever existed. Mind blowing
Just uploaded the Romulus review as well folks.
I recognized the shirt 😂
But, is it worse than the new Mad Max? That's the question. I remember when people pretended the remake of It was good. That was funny. Seems like ever since The Ring came out, we've been getting these horrible horror films people pretend is good, yet they forget them in a week until the next thing comes out they're supposed to like.
I'll skip that one, it looks like you've given it the same respect you gave Longlegs (and I can go to a thousand other channels to hear that sort of thing mate 😉)
Do you stop moaning in that one?
@@JaymzZeppelin Kinda butthurt on this vid eh?
if your girlfriend hasnt dumped you for talking to her about the shining for 48 hours straight, she wont dump you for taking her to see longlegs
i don't curse her with that. Just do that on here because so many of you love it and keep asking for more ;)
48 hours? Try 48 months.
@@eclecticentertainmentwithd9414 I'm a big fan of 48 hrs actually.
@@collativelearning Me too. Love 48 hrs
@@collativelearning Rightly so, your insights are great!
Film was stinky.
Never forget they brought a narrator in in the last TEN MINUTES to explain the half-baked plot to you. A complete insult
After I watched Longlegs I kept seeing all these great reviews pop up, I typed it into google just to see if I'd missed anything... I thought it was predictable and boring btw and google had some reviews up. I read a few all saying how great it was, So I decided to add my own. I wrote I dont understand why everyone seems to love this film, i found it predictable and boring. About an hour later I got an email from google saying they've taken down my review due to hate speech!!?
Happens to me too on multiple platforms , whether it is due to poorly trained bots or sensitive pansies reporting the comment I have no idea. It's ridiculous that we have to misspell words and use abbreviations to keep a comment from being automatically deleted. Whatever the cause / causes it is frustrating. When freedom of speech and differing opinions get censored you know something isn't right.
The fix is in.
dang! orwellian
I found movies like Hereditary and Get Out to be laughably goofy but I seem to be the minority lol Sometimes you’re just not gonna like a movie.
Reviews are largely fake, the industry can't stand any criticism of the garbage it produces. It's been going on for a while.
I didn't hate the movie, though did think it was disappointing,
One thing however (SPOILERS COMING)... that i absolutely think was a plot hole was how the movie was about family annihilations where a 9 year old girl is having her birthday close to the 14th, yet Lee's boss's own daughter is ABOUT TO HAVE HER BIRTHDAY and yet this clown never even thinks about how his own family are perfect candidates for Longlegs.
that drove me insane. why is he throwing the effing party for his daughter? has he read the case file? just dreadful.
@@neelyohara88
"Mmmm there is this maniac who likely has an accomplice, who has fathers kill their entire families if their daughter is 9 and her birthday is right about...oh, now.
Ah so what... It'll be fine. No need to worry. There's nothing strange at all about this nun showing up with a creepy a** doll."
Everything about the way the FBI operates in this film is nonsensical. The writer applied the "scary movie protagonists have to be stupid for it to work" trope to an entire institution. It's so unbelievably unrealistic that it crosses the line into comedic.
Never mind. I missed an important detail.
"And I took that personally."
I barely see any youtube critics talk about the revolting trend you mentioned, of using low contrast and muddy colors. They just casually mention it sometimes, and as a mild annoyance at the most. For me, it makes movies seen lifeless.
They're trying to be a David Fincher movie so bad without being David Fincher
I can't stand blown out blacks either, or hell, I don't like the hard greens in a lot of contemporary films. But I really can't stand when black is just muddy gray; still obscuring what's in the dark but not actually black. LOTR has some of the best vistas and visuals of any fantasy film but the grade is absolutely garbage, especially the recent blu-rays.
Completely agree. It happens with documentaries etc. too. That crappy, murky, muddy trend. They think it looks cool.
Silence of the Lambs on the other hand has a muted palette but everything looks clear and real.
@@romanescalante130 this is why you’re on UA-cam and not making films
Trends in color grading become super obvious after the trend has ended. They usually start with a successful film with a unique look, and then people just copy their color timing.
"I am surprised my girlfriend hasn't dumped me" has to be the worst grade a movie could get 😂😂
Please make Boring, Bad, Awful a series on your channel. The next episode can be about The Crow remake. It will inevitably make for a candidate for Boring Bad Awful.
@jonbourgoin182 As someone from Michigan, I know thee OG comic is S tier, and the OG film is one of thee few highlights of the comic book film genre, so I know deeply this new movie going ta sting worst then a Stingray
Terrifier 3 for sure as well.
Doubt Rob will ever watch that one or make a video about it since he already hates the original "The Crow".
@@safiandmarcodishoutonmovie590 I was gonna make a vid about Terrifioer 2. Mindless, shameless torture porn. I'm amazed the critics and censors didn't rip into that film and get it banned. Writer / director seems be a very sick person. And i'm very familiar with some of the absolute worst serial killer cases.
@@collativelearningWhat comes to Shameless like this is The Cavern and Megan is Missing.
Sounds like there was an issue at your specific theater. The color grading for this film was not very dark at all and I never had trouble seeing during any of the scenes
Agreed, I had no trouble discerning the visuals.
me neither, thought it was beautifully shot actually
hes confusing lighting and colorgrading with mood and atmosphere.
hes nitpicking for the sake of content lol it was a spectacularly creepy movie imo
I really liked it personally. I particularly liked how it looked - I had no contrast issues in my screening and really enjoyed a lot of the Wes Anderson-esque camera work. The aspect ratio change during the opening credits was a cool touch too.
I thought Nic Cage was great (that scene with him screaming in car was fantastically unsettling), and I also liked the main characters detached, almost autistic performance.
The jump “scares” were the only thing that let it down for me. I always find them obnoxious and unnecessary, and this was no exception. The one with the opening eyes was particularly egregious.
It’s definitely not for everyone though, as you prove. I just wish the discourse had more nuance between “best thing ever” and “boring” - it’s neither of those things, but I still think it’s well worth watching.
I really don't understand how you thought it was ugly, it was beautifully shot.
He's an idiot. The movie is objectively well shot.
Idk I feel like we watched totally different movies. For one - the movie was not full of jump scares. There were maybe…2? One in the beginning which was extremely effective/earned and then maybe another later on.
I found the visual style beautifully dour and intentionally muted ala kiyoshi Kurosawa films like Pulse or Cure (the latter of which shares a lot of similarity to this movie). You mention contrast like it’s principally required and are quick to dismiss this film’s visual style. The reason the not-explicitly horror scenes (like the agent’s office that you mentioned) are still shot this way is likely for atmosphere and to imbue the film with a pervasive sense of dread. It worked for me and was one of my favorite aspects of the movie.
I also think you misread the tone of the film. The humor isn’t unintentional at all. Nicholas Cage’s character is uncanny and unhinged. Laughing at his absurdity while simultaneously seeing the threat he poses are not mutually exclusive responses.
The main character is not downbeat and lacking in range because of writing laziness. One of the main plot points and character developments is the slow unfolding of her trauma with her mother and with longlegs. And as we find out, she’s been under a spell the whole time too. I think the movie does a great job of teasing this information out. I also think she’s coded with some autistic tendencies which may carry some interesting analysis if poked into as well.
I can’t disprove your experience but for me, this was definitely NOT a movie in which people just filed out and didn’t talk about it. I saw it twice and both times, everyone I was with was in active conversation afterwards and in the two weeks that followed.
I happen to think the film stands on its own merit. But it gets even richer as you dive into the meta-aspects of the film. The marketing materials including the website of all the murders carry so much additional context and subtext. There is a lot embedded into this film especially when it comes to the satanic aspects. This is one of the better horror films in a minute. I think people are going to realize that in time. And I say this as someone who is extremely disillusioned. I also did not like Romulus, for what it’s worth hehe.
Rob's review surprises me. I found the movie stylistically and thematically extremely rich. it felt like a very "on purpose" film in an almost Kubrickian way and I immediately wanted to see it again to examine the enormous density of details and foreshadows in the set design. it seems odd to me that Rob completely missed the repressed trauma aspect of the principal character... the core plot is how her ability to solve the case is because she's subliminally been at its epicenter for almost her entire life... there are almost endless nods and allusions to the nature of childhood trauma, and the accompanying inescapable dread is the very river the movie flows through. it seems Rob ticked off "I don't like the colours" and "the protag doesn't smile" and just shut off his filmmaking eye for the rest of the movie, which seems incredibly odd. he wanted what out of this movie, bright colours and happy campers? very strange.
I think this is a case of a movie that you either "get it" or you don't. If Rob was so bored with the movie that he was watching the audience instead, did he just stay in the theater just so he could hate-review it later? If people were so quiet after the movie, it's because of the rather grim ending. I know I personally wasn't quiet, and talked about the movie afterwards with my friend. Personally I don't give a rats ass what the other audience members thought anyway, most people are silly anyway.
I thought it was original and I will always watch a movie in cinema if it looks original
You make me genuinely curious, I think I'll give it a shoot
I'm not sure what movie Rob watched, because to me, Longlegs was absolutely stunning to look at and wasn't full of jumpscares at all. I don't even remember a single jumpscare.
I'm mixed on the movie, I liked certain things and others not so much, but this is a bullshit review. I'm a fan of the channel, but this review was idiotic nonsense. I definitely can't trust reviews from Rob Ager if he inherently hates all new horror movies and can't overcome his bias against them, so he lies or exaggerates to make himself right.
3:25 “she doesn’t smile” Jesus Rob. She was working under the information of the doll/devil. Like the other girls in the film
Yeah, that was a lame criticism. The other girl was completely catatonic. Lee was 'better' but clearly influenced. I would describe it as having a piece of her soul taken, or clouded by the "black smoke."
How did he miss this? At first I thought we were seeing a depressed and autistic girl, perhaps from an abusive family due to the weird mother, and then I thought maybe was meant to be a bit weird due to her physic abilities. But as soon as the mother explained that she was made to forget her experiences and that satanic forces were at work in her life, it all made sense that she was not a normal, healthy, well adjusted young woman. This is not the first time Rob has misidentified very obvious aspects to character motivation and behavior. Quite a blind spot at times.
@@ElderRaceofMan
Rob is figuring things out more and more when he studies films.
But when you hate a movie off the bat, you're not going to figure out any nuances because you will never watch the movie again. Imagine if he only watches The Shining once, how many nuances and theories he would have never got.
No she wasnt 😂 did you see the film?
Just because they explicitly give us a reason on screen doesn’t mean it’s good lol. Usually the opposite
There was nothing wrong with the lighting and colour. 2:09
Yeah, the dark scenes were sometimes too dark, and unnecessarily so, and there were sets that completely unnecessarily dark brown, like the boss' office.
And i can say this as someone who didn't hate the movie.
I agree. I enjoyed the muted pallet. I also had zero problem seeing anything, all the way through.
It was very drab
No, I wonder if it was a projector problem
Rob I totally agree about the lack of contrast and so few films have any inky blacks these days, the lowest black values are too high today in my opinion, compared to older films with real inky blacks and true contrast, in comparison new films look quite flat
Those old inky blacks do not translate well on most consumer-grade TVs. I don't know if that's a reason for the low contrast dark photography we get in almost everything, but I definitely know it's true when I rewatch an old movie on blu ray or 4K. Technology might be coming around, but it's still really expensive to get a TV that can interpret those special high contrast, inky shadow.
It sort of reminded me of late 70s/early 80s Italian Horror, like Lucio Fulci's weird, dreamy, nonsensical stuff like House By The Cemetery, City of the Living Dead, or Manhattan Baby. I also think it was meant to be funny. The main character, i think, is supposed to come off as autistic until you find out she's being mind-controlled by Nicolas Cage through the doll thing. That's why she couldn't remember that she grew up with Cage living in her basement. The actress was good in It Follows. I thought the movie was pretty fun, it made me laugh a lot, and i like T. Rex. It wasn't amazing like Mandy was. It Follows was great for such a cheap, independently made horror movie.
Longlegs was nothing like a Fulci movie. Not in tone, aesthetic, or any other filmmaking sensibility. I'm not even saying this cause I have a gripe with Longlegs, there's just genuinely no similarity here.
I really liked It Follows.
@@reagangaitens7154It's a little like an Italian horror movie minus the sex, gore, or hyper-surrealism. It's a very American film, but I did notice some similarities. I happened to be watching some Italian thrillers the same week I saw Longlegs by coincidence. I think she means the mystery element is very much like Italian horror.
@keyaamabrahams7984 minus the gore, sex, and surrealism aka huge hallmarks for Fulci and Italian horror lol. I do get what you're saying tho, in terms of the plot. Vaguely psychic protagonist investigates a supernatural mystery. That's not exclusively a Giallo plot, but it is the premise for a bunch of Gialli.
The movie is shot in a modern way and is trying to emulate 90s serial killer thrillers, so the Italian horror plot similarities didn't jump out at me. But I'll acknowledge that it's there.
Cheap Indy movie? This is a huge release
The horror genre has a huge rift between bad movies and good movies. I can't think of many "in-between" horror movies, they are either completely boring and lacking in credulity or some of the best movies I've seen. About 97% of recent horror movies are in the former camp.
It's why I usually watch horror films when they're paired with another genre, I find usually they usually built in the foundation of something else e.g Terminator 1
Nah there's the popcorn horror in the middle.
Wouldn’t this fall into the “in-between” you mentioned?
I fell asleep when they went to the mental hospital to see that one girl. Woke up to the credits rolling, I turned my tv off and went back to sleep. Very boring 😒
you didn't miss much smh...
Rob, you’re one of my biggest influences and the reason I got into film as a career choice. I gotta disagree with you on this one (though I do see some of your points).
Go into more detail. How exactly do you disagree? I'm interested in hearing more about the film.
@@johngleue I think Rob makes some valid points here but I understand why those elements were included in the film and I think they compliment its tone and nature pretty well. Yes the film has a starkly dim lighting throughout- but it adds everything to the atmosphere which is intentionally depressing (also explains why people weren’t talking about the film as they walked out, it gives you a unique sense of dread that I think is a commendable accomplishment). Yes the main character is strangely distant and disconnected- but there’s a perfectly reasonable plot explanation for that due to her childhood trauma and the active curse that she’s under until the last 10-20 minutes of the movie and her disposition adds to the underlying current of dread running throughout the movie as a result of Satans total control over the events of the plot. I think the overall message of the film is a positive one however, it’s just robustly proving that fighting Satan without Jesus Christ ( who none of the characters in the film ever evoke, even saying that main character has “given up” on saying her prayers) is useless and you will lose without Him. It’s a uniquely Christian film because the core message is that there is no hope of fighting evil without Christ and the Church.
@veronicacorningstone3888 Thank you for elaborating. And well said.
@@veronicacorningstone3888 Respectfully, I think this is just projection of your values. Longlegs is not a "Christian" film about how fighting Satan is epic and important. I don't see a shred of evidence for that in the script, production, or discussion surrounding the movie
@@crashingspectacular Respectfully, I think your presuppositions regarding the film are all out of whack. The idea of Satan didn’t just form in the cultural zeitgeist and make its way into film- the entity obviously originates from Christian scripture, tradition and theology. Therefore the mere inclusion of Satan as an entity within the film obviously invokes the entire concept of his origin within the mind of the viewer (Satan is, after all, the Anti-Christ and this is a film made in the Western world for a Western audience who’s entire moral and societal life is shaped by Christianity). To ignore Christian moral themes within this work as completely outside of the directors intention is preposterous.
I'm right there with you Rob. Thanks for continuing to not hold back. I've noticed the same trend of movie reviewers who feel like they always have to say something positive about a movie. Some of the phrases that I've come to hate recently are "slow-burn", "atmospheric", "the movie takes it's time". A more modern movie that fits those descriptions and is actually good is Bone Tomahawk. I've come to realize in the modern context thought those phrases just mean bad pacing. That and the movies are too damn long. Movies like Seven and Silence of the Lambs had zero fat on those scripts and in the editing. They kept moving and kept the viewer engaged with great scenes. That to me is the biggest problem with a lot of newer movies and why they're so boring.
Yeah, and another one is "visual masterpiece" = bad script.
it almost feel that most critics have been paid off to write good reviews, same with alien romulus
I didn't think that much to Bone Tomahawk, but do like Zahler's 'Dragged Across Concrete' - one of the best crime films in a decade imo. I keep planning to give the former a second look.
3rd act was crap. In general I thought it was rad, original and creepy
They marketed the movie based on Nic Cage’s performance being “one of the scariest performances ever”. I think they did a disservice to him by putting all that makeup on his face. I guarantee he would’ve been scarier without it!
Good point.
Can't wait to watch your Alien Romulus review. I quite enjoyed that movie, it was the best comedy I've seen for some time.
Haha
I really don't understand why he thinks this movie was so terrible, at worst it was meh
I agree, it wasn't entirely terrible but it was more "meh" and "boring" to me.
It was horrible
What I didn't understand why everyone is "weird" in capital letters? Even the insane asylum director ( again echoes of Silence of the Lambs) dresses like a pimp and speak like an inmate. Why? Just no point to the strangeness of the characters the do not advance the narrative one millimeter.
Did you also notice that the FBI agent had a Glock handgun throughout film but in the last scene she conveniently has a revolver that can 'click' on the empty chamber?
I think the colorful, animated head of the mental house is meant to flip the serious psychiatrist cliché. The thing about the revolver makes sense, after she fainted they locked Lee in the basement, the revolver was probably in his mother's house and his mother got rid of her service weapon.
I think it was a SIG Sauer she had. Anyway, I also thought it strange she suddenly had a revolver.
i disagree with the movie being terrible i would still say this tops the majority of horror movies that come out (whatever that's worth) but my main complaint was the last 20-30 minutes of the movie where it seemed like it fell into way too many horror cliches and ended in a way that didn't really satisfy what it had been building up to.
Sadly i agree with you it's beeter than most modern horror movies, but those movies are so terrible it doesn't elevate this one much.
Talk to me and Smile were both way better than this movie
This movie was not terrible in my opinion. It wasn't a masterpiece by any means, but that doesn't make it a terrible film. If someone wanted me to name a terrible film, several come to mind, but this certainly would not be one of them.
Totally agree. Also disagree on this guy saying hereditary was the goat since Hellraiser 😂
Long Legs even has a decent ending although how could you miss the girls birthday being on the 14th
I’d like to see Rob do a review of Shyamalan’s Trap.
Really? "Boring, bad, awful" seems to be the trend for 'everyone else seems to like it, lemmy pull the uno with "justifications."
@@filmmaker610 yes the perfect review to complete the trilogy 😂. Although I did have fun watching trap, there’s some parts of that movie that IMO were laughably bad. Can’t wait for him to review and then ppl call him an idiot while acting like m. Night is incapable of making a bad movie
@@JustJessee As opposed to ‘Hey I’d like to see Rob’s opinion on this other movie’ but your sensitive side can’t handle all that negativity.
@@taylorwashington2270 Well I enjoyed Trap, even what really feels like intentionally exaggerated moviemaking. Hence my curiosity if Rob ever watches it.
@@filmmaker610 yeah I enjoyed trap too, but I think that’s mostly me letting myself have fun with it, unlike Romulus where I had super high expectations. I really liked Josh’s character and thought everyone but the singer did a great job acting. Even the daughter, which is rare for kids
My theory is that the low contrast style is to make the movie look better when it's heavily compressed and shown on streaming services. It's a terrible movie and trend.
I have to disagree with this one, I thought Longlegs was pretty damn good and creepy. I agree that the lead can be a bit one-note and that some aspects of the movie have been done before. But to paraphrase Cormac McCarthy, movies are made out of movies. With that said, I'm not sure how I sit with the whole religion element because I suspect a lot of writers use it as a crutch to make something that comes across as taboo but is actually pretty safe, at least nowadays.
The part about the villain being weirdly funny I'm not sure, I think it works. At least in the times in my life where I confronted genuinely mentally ill people I found their behavior often rode a strange line between disturbing and kinda funny, to the point where for a little while I didn't know if I was being made fun or if I was in a bit of an awkward spot.
As to the realism aspect I think it works as well, I don't think stories should be hounded too much for realism. Reminds me of those UA-cam videos where they get an expert on something to evaluate movies and they give some great movies a low score because "this would never happen." Realism is for documentaries.
She was supposed to be "one note." Her character lives in a state of hypnosis.
@@dereksbooks her father is the literal devil (its easy to figure out) idk why he expects her to be chipper at all.
Same. Like, according to the director, there really is a reason things happen the way they do, but some people might not like it.
The film is supposed to be very casual because that's what it is about. It's not an end of the world film.
Though I get some of Rob's reasons why he didn't like it. Some of the jumpscares were lame.
Also, I believe the lead is supposed to be autistic to a degree (i know right?)
That is why she acts weird at times. She's not entirely like you or me.
Longlegs was all style and no substance, unfortunately. As always, Cage was memorable but that doesnt save the film. It fails as horror, it fails as a thriller, it fails as a mystery. I think with some creative editing, they may have been able to cobble together a halfway decent music video out of it. The ending was so bad. The "mystery was solved via an exposition dump, which always sucks, and then the boss murders his wife while the main character just stands there gawking for no reason whatsoever. She could have stopped it at any time. It was obvious what was about to happen.
your negative reviews are so good bro
very honest and straightforward, thank you 🥇
Please cover NEON GENESIS EVANGELION. I wrote an email like 2 years ago. I think youll love the series. I want your big brain to dissect it
I enjoyed this film, but I went to watch it with my wife with very little expectation except to see Nicholas Cage play a creepy serial killer.
I agree with the critique on the dark palette of the film, but I liked that part of it -- I don't recall ever having trouble seeing any details in the frames or unable to read anything presented onscreen (except one or two instances where something is flashed quickly without time to completely read the material shown). And although I liked the very dark visuals, I certainly agree that the dark colors were silly and unrealistic in some settings, such as the FBI offices you referenced, Rob.
As soon as the movie finished, I told my wife (paraphrasing) "Nicholas Cage played Marilyn Manson, with some Tiny Tim mixed in" -- the gender-bendy rockstar psychopath persona was the best element of the movie, in my opinion, which Cage executed in a very entertaining manner.
My biggest gripe about Longlegs is that story seemed VERY rushed: Plot elements are not explained in any great detail, the novice FBI clairvoyant in the protagonist somehow solves the case without much effort, there is very little background provided for any of the characters, and so it all seems pretty superficial. I'd be interested in seeing an extended/director's cut version that has more meat on the bone, let's say.
Nonetheless, we saw it in a matinee screening, so for $12 for both tickets, Longlegs was better than most other offerings in theaters currently (which isn't saying much).
She solved the case because she was one of his first victims. You seem to be claiming that some random newbie FBI agent just accidentally found the "killer."
I think this film was harmed by people comparing it to Hereditary, similar to the excellent film Talk to Me from last year which was easily the best horror film of the year but lots of people seemed disappointed because word of mouth said it was 'as good as Hereditary'.
I saw Longlegs and didn't experience the issues with it being too dark for most scenes. I wonder if that was an issue with the projector in your cinema.
I agree the story was weak and predictable in many ways, but I found myself enjoying the cinematography. So much so I made a point to look up the cinematographer to see what else he had worked on.
I recently watched an excellent british horror film from 2008 called Eden Lake, directed by James Watkins who has a horror film coming out either this week or next. I hope you'd consider watching Eden Lake, there are some interesting themes.
Saw it. Hated it too. Lead actress was like Clarice Starling on ketamine.
It’s telling that everyone who disagrees with Rob disagrees based on their emotional relationship to the film instead of articulating why they like the film without using emotional driven words. It’s a symptom of younger/unarticulate people who can’t form a thought for themselves and rely on other, outside mediums to tell them what they like and don’t like.
I think people are so starved of good movies that they'll hold this one up without thinking twice.
I think people expect too much tbf, It's really hard for a movie nowadays to just "hit" you; I miss the feel of the older movies these new movies just don't make me go "wow this was incredibly unsettling"
"You can't spoil an egg that's already rotten." I completely agree with you on that one! This movie was awful! The characters speak really slowly for no reason. The main character makes weird decisions that make no sense for an FBI agent to make. There are numerous plot holes, and Nicolas Cage's performance was goofy instead of scary. I especially hated how the main character let her demon possessed boss k!ll his wife after he made it clear he was about to k!ll her. I was hoping this film would be similar to The Silence of the Lambs, but it certainly wasn't. This film was very disappointing.
I could never buy into the idea that they were FBI agents. It just wasn't believable.
I thought the movie was good up until the payoff. Wasn’t worth the build up.
SPOILERS! Yup. Essentially cursed ball bearings. I found it fairly obvious that the mother had a major involvement as it seemed she had a cognitive dissonance to reality.
I have been waiting for this video. I'm so so relieved and heartened to know I'm not the only one who felt this way about the movie. I'm so sick of people praising how unique it is. It's like a magpie picked the best bits of a lot of other stories / films and through it all together like a patchwork quilt. People like it cause it's full of Easter eggs . I guess. For me the only watchable part was the maybe 20 minutes of when nicholas cage was on screen. what made it worst of all was the satanic cult theme being the root of everything once again. What a waste. It could have been cool like some x-files type story. By trying to distill and pack so many references into the film they bit off more than they could chew. Should have been trimmed way down, streamlined , no satanic cult , less silence of lambsy, different cast completely except Nicholas cage and a different score
So glad some other people online actually feel the same way about this awful movie
I kind of thought the longlegs dude was absolutely ridiculous. Like how hard could he be to find? Look for the psycho with bisquick all over his face. At least in Silence of the Lambs the dude looked normal when he wasn't in drag. The scene when he gets arrested is hilarious. He looks like Bozo the clown standing on the side of the road.
Yeah, that's the only part that I'm sure was intentionally ridiculous. They wanted to make it a joke that he'd be caught so quickly. But..not sure why you'd want to make that a joke.
A 2? That was very generous of you! I couldn’t agree more, this movie was awful. I had a nice nap somewhere around the scene when the main character was sitting through the evidence showing more unreadable text that looked like maybe it was some type of occult writing, but there were very few details that you could make out, nor do I remember a full explanation of what they referred to. The film was trying so hard to be at the level of Silence of the Lambs, but there was absolutely nothing about the plot or the characters that could compare. The villain’s sidekick was silly more than scary. There was so much hype about this prerelease that I expected something truly horrifying, but what I saw was just horrifyingly bad.
The lead actress starred in It Follows, another film that had been hyped and touted as one of the best horror films of the 2010’s. It was equally terrible in my opinion, and I can’t say that her acting stood out to me at all. As for Nicholas Cage, his character was just an attempt to mirror Buffalo Bill in Silence. He ended up looking like a reject from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
I wonder why Nic Cage's character was treated so comedically. The only time in SoL when Buffalo Bill is funny is when he calls one of his victims "a great big fat person". But even then it's also creepy since you know he killed her. If they're gonna copy another movie then they should at least learn the right lessons from it and apply them to theirs.
@@samleembardo6202 I think Cage’s performance was intended to be creepy. It was overplayed and became campy. He crossed a fine line that would have made a big difference in how his character was interpreted.
This makes me think of why I've never been interested in revisiting Se7en since it first came out on VHS. It's not the disturbing content (well not entirely at least), but my memory of the lighting and texture of the film visually was stifling, flat, almost claustrophobic, and incessant like an upside down dream you sort of just want to forget as soon as you wake up to daylight. Not enough spatial dimensionality. I'm sure Fincher was going for that grainy forensic/clinical tone, (although warmer palette values than what contemporary pyschological "clinical" horrors use) but he laid it on too thick imho. Not sure if you've done a video on that film.
So you refuse to watch a movie you haven't seen in over 2 decades because of a memory you had of it being a certain way? That's kind of dumb man.
I love about Se7en. It's bleak and hopeless. The graininess and lightning suits it.
@@brotherbootlegger1777 hasn't been a priority. It just left an off taste in my mouth after the viewing experience, for the reasons I stated. I just don't like the stifling sensation.
But yeah thinking more about it, I'm sure it wouldn't affect me as much if I checked it out again. My reaction was genuine, but perhaps I was more sensitive at the time to those overly ominous tones.
Se7en is a masterpiece even everything. Specially the cinematography. Longlegs is a bad film. No compariosn here.
@@samirawalehfilms2880 Didn't intend to compare the total films directly at all. It was just Rob's comment about being put off by the lighting/tone that reminded me of why I was put off from rewatching Se7en for a similar reason. I understand the cinematography is stylistically much better in Se7en, but it was stifling to me.
I took a friend to see this movie in the theater. Afterwards, I went home and watched a bunch of interviews with the writer / director because I couldn't understand the difference between the reviews and what I saw on the screen. We were both in agreement that there were some good moments, but that overall it was incomplete and a bit silly. Much of the FBI stuff was terrible. And then I found out that the writer / director had deliberately decided to go that route, in his opinion to ditch procedural expertise to make the story more dreamlike. I didn't hate the film, but it was a letdown to see it in the theater. It wasn't scary.
Now, Rob, I agree with you on Hereditary. That's the most terrifying movie I've ever seen. And yet there are people I know who thought it was not scary at all. Who even laughed at it. It's interesting how different people have different experiences with films. In my opinion it has a lot to do with expectations. I know a lot about filmcraft, about actual procedures of things in the real world, and about I guess what you could call lore. Like, the demonology stuff in Hereditary really got to me because I know something about it. So far, my belief is that people who don't know very much are much more forgiving with films because they can't look at it and go oh that's not the way things are at all.
In Longleg's case I was really confused about why they never explained that name. Just because the writer / director thought it was cool? That's not a good enough reason to hang your movie on. Also, the occult stuff, especially the gray smoke in the orbs, that made no sense to me. I just didn't get it, and there seemed like scenes missing to get to the transition of that whole idea. I really did like that the film subverted expectations and it halfway through the bottom drops out and you're thinking, wow, I went into this movie thinking it would be one thing and now I find out it's completely something else. That was cool. But overall it didn't work for me and felt like parts were rushed or missing. From the bits I saw of Nicolas Cage interviews, he had a really good time with it, though. And he was the best part of the film.
Yeah Cage was the best thing in it
@collativelearning oh, and guess who has bought Hereditary analysis videos from you 😆 and those on other films
Professional film critic reviews are completely worthless now. Studios are literally buying positive reviews.
@AutoDFensa yes, you're right, he did say that. However, 2:28 ua-cam.com/video/dQIBYwfr2Ks/v-deo.htmlsi=908lhn2SOgineQPH
Longlegs can be an allusion to him being taller than the children he abuses.
Longlegs should create an immediate association with the word "Daddy".
There is also a saying that the devil stands on legs so tall that his feet are in hell while his head is on Earth
I really liked it! lol. Not on the level of hereditary or anything, but not bad at all really
Didn't like the lead character. She was so absurdly awakward that she did not make a believable FBI field agent.
She was that way because the doll Longlegs made possessed her mind. You see it happen to her superior's daughter. It changes their persinality.
Lol righto
If it didn’t build up to “the dolls did it” I think it would have been great. The premise of a killer committing murders with no trace of being there is a corner I think you can’t really write yourself out of without going full on supernatural. I do think a lot of plot points were meant to be humorous on purpose. Like Longlegs getting caught two seconds after his photo is released. The opening scene in the snow with Cage and the girl was great so I was disappointed that it didn’t maintain that feel.
Most comments that disagree view criticism of Longlegs as a personal attack. Tells you what kind of hipster nerds like it. They try to come off as intellectuals yet most of their comments are "You're stupid for not liking the movie!!!!"
Lee Harker, the main character was under the influence of the devil via her doll.
Yep. And the devil literally kept everyone blind to certain things.
I think the director stated that it was because he (the devil) is literally just screwing with his toys!!
The light and character of the interiors are an artistic choice (the style of the film and the decision on how its world will be built - more or less realistically), and your feeling is a very subjective matter. What seemed boring to you, for me carried an atmosphere of darkness and anxiety.
The plot and plot twists don't have to be realistic for a movie to be successful. Everything you say (including the elements that made you laugh) are all your subjective feelings. This doesn't mean the movie is bad, just that you don't like it. It didn't appeal to your sensitivity.
In my opinion, the film was brilliantly staged. Perfectly thought out formally (great, conscious editing!). I feel that the creators put a lot of heart into it and that it is not just another commercial product.
I'm also happy that the film leaves the viewer unsettled. Additionally, I really appreciate the film's underlying theme: the impact of toxic behavior by parents (the main character's mother) on children. Loving the films of Polanski and Kubrick, I recommend this film with a clear conscience!
I thought it was very on the nose how doll-like the protagonists behaviour and demeanor was supposed to be. The moment I heard the weird static/crackle through the mothers phone for a second time and her weird clairvoyant hunch in that first call that someone was in the house I guessed they were setting her up to be a bigger character later. People are really defensive about this movie for some reason, maybe it’s recency and good marketing, but I felt like it fell very flat. I love quiet horror which I’d group this under, as in, not very flashy horror, Twin Peaks style horror (despite being, as you said, very loud and flashy at times), but there wasn’t enough there for me to grip me and frighten me. Loved the shots of the devil appearing in the background, they were beautifully ominous and he’s easily my favorite character but there just wasn’t enough there. I was excited from the marketing and it let me down immensely but at least this film still triumphed over all of those blumhouse trailers that came before it.
I really want to hear your thoughts on “Talk To Me” please watch!
If it didn’t build up to “the dolls did it” I think it would have been great. The premise of a killer committing murders with no trace of being there is a corner I think you can’t really write yourself out of without going full on supernatural. I do think a lot of plot points were meant to be humorous on purpose. Like Longlegs getting caught two seconds after his photo is released.
I actually really liked it and see some of the Hereditary comparisons with it having the supernatural element where the events are all predestined to happen. All the characters in this film are the devil's playthings and it's like a supernatural tragedy. Longlegs isn't perfect by any means but I did very much enjoy the filmmaking and the way things played out.
I think it looked good. i didn’t experience any problems with seeing things nor did 5 of my friends whom i went with to the movies. The story is shit though. I laughed through the whole film, couldnt take it seriously... Not after seeing al those nic cage movies (vampire miss etc)
The First Omen is my favorite movie of the year so far, though I imagine there's probably tons of people that hate it. Was also a big fan of Abigail.
Didn’t hate it, but certainly not something I’ll ever want to see again.
I am with 100% about the shit lighting though. It’s problem with a lot of films where it’s either too dark or looks like it’s being filtered through concrete. It seems to me a lot of film makers are getting to comfy with how easier it is to film with digital cameras in low light conditions, as opposed to film where it was required to carefully light sets in order for the image to be captured. This isn’t a film > digital argument (although I do prefer film) as I’ve seen some beautiful cinematography with digital cameras.
I have cramps in my legs so I am in a negative mood so this fits well. 😂Random comment.
I agree that the plot wound up in nonsense but i disagree with you panning it so hard on visuals. A positive note for me that you didnt comment on was the sound, it was really well done and it helped build the dread. Dread thats ultimate crescendo was disappointing however but I enjoyed the uneasyness of it while it lasted. Im not much of a critical thinker about the technical aspects of film making or plot analysis which would have significantly aided my enjoyment but, the above being said, thoes weaknesses are coincidentally why i subscribe to your channel and enjoy your discussions on things. Hey, you win some you lose some.
glad I did as usual and didn't buy into the hype, modern cinema is seldom worth watching.
Disagree on this one but I enjoy the review.
Most other reviewers just talk about how the movie "makes them feel" and "a satisfying payoff" and stuff like that. They don't talk about all the details in the film, like you said the contrast and lighting.
I like your channel because you are talking about the film details that other reviewers aren't.
The villain was great. He's like a rocker from yesteryear, melted by time and drugs and evil rites. An ex-glamrock cokehead in a Canadian tuxedo, bleached head to toe, completely devoted to satan, some vison from hell in the Love's parking lot at 5am, the embodiment of the satanic panic, I loved it.
I'm noticing this actress trend where they cover their mouth with one hand in any scene where something scares or terrifies them. It's like, for some reason, they were told by their acting coach that this is scarier to the audience than if they just screamed their head off. I think it stems back to the opening scene of Quiet Place where Emily Blunt did it. But that scene was bullshit. No mother is going to watch a monster about to kill her child and still have the composure to not make a sound in order to hide from other monsters.
It’s to hide their limited acting range
I Had the same experience with When Evil Lurks from last year. Was hyped to death on tik tok and it was just stupid, one had one good scene in it. I feel like this is a new trend of bad or mediocre horror films getting overly hyped online. Its disappointing because horror was the one place i still had faith in Hollywood.
I saw that movie on a first date. The date went on for six hours in total, we had fun. She ghosted me right the next day.
Must have been the movie!
Although I have to say, I actually enjoyed the movie. Not really because of the story or anything. I enjoyed the feelings and emotions that it made me feel. Like, the feeling-tone texture of it all. That was pretty cool.
I agree. It was very well made from technical angle but terrible terrible story.
I was all up for a deep, disturbing and realistic thriller but i was indeed very dissapointed just like you. But here's something which happens more often in movies and i don't hear people talk about it more. The dialog and directing of the actors was so unrealistic here that it took me out of the movie every moment. I didnt mind it too much from the lead in the case because she's supposed to be weird, autistic. But nobody behaves or talks this way and all the characters in this movie act this way. Nothing realistic about it whatsoever so how am i supposed to get 'ínto' this movie, the story. It's all way too artsy in a bad way. This could be really good just like Silence of the Lambs or Seven. They have believable characters where Longlegs does not. Ah well, too bad maybe better luck next time! :)
I thought it was fine but several scenes of the dialogue was clunky getting it across. That opening was incredible to the opening credits. Marketing was too good.
I wasn't going to go see Longlegs now, but now I'm tempted just to compare my opinion to yours.
I couldn't agree more, thought the exact same about the movie. Worst of the year tbh, the disappointment was real. I feel like I'm on the same wavelength in terms of movie outlooks, so I'll take your word for Alien and give it a miss
Did you not see the contrast/lack of contrast as a style choice? I also thought her lack of expression was a symptom of her being soulless, which tied in pretty nicely with the flat aesthetic?
Yes they were aesthetic choices, bad ones.
exactly that
@@collativelearning I have to admit, as a long time fan of your work Rob, this review feels out of character. Not necessarily in your disliking of the film, but the lack of detail in your explanation and the blanket "this was shite" approach makes me wonder if there's anything beyond the actual film contributing to your opinion?
Keep up the good work regardless mate, you've been a constant source of entertainment/education for me for ages 🖐️😊
Indeed. For whatever reason, perhaps he believes it is a trendy or hyped movie, or because of some aspect of the content, he has refused to meaningfully deconstruct and digest the many themes at play here. Such a shame
@BehindThePringles You've put more work into reviewing the review than he did the movie :)
Finally I see someone saying how it is. I dont understand those idiots giving this movie like 10/10 or saying its amazing. What a sad time we live in 😂
Is it full of jump-scares? Is the cinematography trash? Is it ruined because it's not distinctively a horror film? Or because it's a bad date movie?
Are movie theaters still under-lighting the projection in the digital age? I remember once the movie "2012" had a very long 8-10 minutes preview on UA-cam (something quite unprecedented in terms of lenght), and when I saw the movie in theaters I could not believe how dark they were running it, as the extra long trailer now provided a suitable reference from memory. It was litterally unbelievable how dark it was...
I paid to see The Neverending Story, then snuck in to see Longlegs. By then, I was on my fourth Coors Light, wondering if this film is devoid of something or if I’m just too buzzed. I thought maybe I have to watch it again. Nope. Thanks for the review because I’m convinced that it wasn’t the beer.
Expectations are the thieves of joy. I'm glad I watched this movie without knowing anything about the massive hype.
Same. I hadnt seen a single trailer. Just saw it was a nic cage horror and now this movie is stuck in my head
I was looking forward to Longlegs because I really liked The Blackcoats Daughter and I am the Pretty Thing... both of which open up more and more on a second watch. This film lacked the intrigue and atmosphere of the others and maybe Oz Perkins is aiming at something I don't see but it seemed like a dull remake of Seven and Silence of the Lambs. It didn't have the small details and subtle echoes which made the other films work like paintings which reward closer inspection. I think the hype around it also contributed to the disappointment. Possibly if it went under the radar like I am the Pretty Thing that lives in the House it could have been an interesting discovery. Kiernan Shipka in the asylum is a stand out moment though and Oz Perkins does have a unique vision which is rare these days in mainstream cinema.
The tone, feeling and music seemed well done, but that is the problem with this movie. Its a movie on the outside but its like it was made by AI. It does things that are within the filmmaking process but lacks the contextual value. It is like Corey Feldman's music. He plays music, but does he? Same here with this movie. Its a movie on the outside package, but is it a movie? I gave it 5 because it kept me engaged, but only because I had no clue what was happening.
I agree that the protagonist seemed like she was sleepwalking through the film in a daze, but I also got the sense that this was intentional when it was revealed she had been mind-controlled/possessed for most of the film? I think they should have made a bigger point in there being a switchover in her personality after her mother destroyed Lee’s doll, although it was still absolutely there.
Overall I tend to agree that it was mediocre. Not dreadful or unwatchable, though.
Why did you unlist this? Glad I was able to find it on your Facebook. Was waiting until I saw the movie because I love your videos.
Completely agree. The trailer coupled with the great critical reception tricked me into thinking it would be like Hereditary. I got so bored that I believe I dozed off near the end. for whatever reason I just wasn't invested in what was happening and kept waiting for the moment where things "click". It never came though.
Of the actors i liked Maika Monroe on "It Follows" (a pretty "carpenterian" horror of some years ago) and i've always loved Alicia Witt, since as a child she played Paul's sister on the original Lynch's "Dune". Her best performance was in the unaired pilot episode of the David Lynch/Barry Gifford surreal series "Hotel Room", in a segment titled "Blackout" in which she starred alongside Crispin Glover.
Would love to hear your thoughts on M Night’s Trap, because I thought I was horrible. M Night is a very hit or miss director, and recently it’s been way more misses than hits. The entire movie was essentially a back door music video for his daughter, the lines in this movie are so insanely overwritten. I think you’d really hate it Rob, check it out.
Didnt see Longlegs but dune 2 was disappointing for me this year.
I was disappointed too I wish whoever was in charge of the ad campaign write the movie. Your commentary is insane I’ve watched your hereditary video probably 4 times. I can’t wait for the witch
While I enjoyed aspects of the film, I admit I also saw the twist coming a mile away, and I saw the boss's daughter as a target being way too obvious.
I did enjoy the villain and think there was a lot of thought put into it. His scenes were my favorites, as was the opening, which just perfectly captured childhood nightmare to me. Though I did find him really funny too. I also agree the plot was not interesting and it was bloated and confusing.
I was deeply dissapointed in it. I like the set-up/"homage", but the execution (as well as Nic Cage's cringey performance) really put me off.
The Indian lady right next to me reacting to the movie horrified me more than the movie ever did
Was she hot ?
Dot or feather?
I have an Indian lady expert next to me right now. She’s saying there’s no way an Indian lady’s reactions were more horrifying.
I like Osgood Perkins's work as he has a very distinct style, and I thought Longlegs was a gorgeous film with interesting, esoteric aesthetics, but I agree that the writing was underdeveloped and poor in quality. I don't dislike it as much as you do, but I do agree that the movie was extremely overhyped ("the Silence of the Lambs of this generation" it certainly is not). Its plot structure is basically just foreshadowing throughout (and so heavy that it practically spoils the story) and a huge exposition dump shoehorned in at the end with a very underwhelming conclusion.
If you want a good recent horror movie, I highly recommend Late Night with the Devil. One of my favorite films of the year regardless of genre.
Consumer grade media, from movies to video games, has been plagued by low contrast and desaturation for almost 20 years. Have you only just noticed? I'm hypersensitive due to autism. Imagine how hellish it has been for me. I haven't been to the cinema for 17 years because of the colour grading mind virus.
I was talking about it years back too.
@@collativelearning I've never heard you talk about it. Maybe we could have a recorded discussion about it sometime. Anyway, I was hoping you might turn your attention to a relatively unknown film called _Fallen_ with Denzel Washington and John Goodman. It's quite a dark film, but Denzel is brilliant in it. I think it's his best work.
Ah a fellow color grading hater. Glad I'm not alone.
Haven't seen Longlegs yet (and I've never cared for spoilers anyway), and I appreciate the blunt and honest approach to this video, Rob.
Too many critics, as you said, prefer to pussyfoot around negative aspects of the movies they're reviewing, or they too often go for extremes (best movie, worst movie).
I'll judge for myself when I eventually see it, but it is kind of a bummer that it apparently isn't as good as it seemed in the trailers.
Thank you for the honest review. I just watched this film and described it to a buddy of mine as "a weird ass movie", and he asked, "Good or bad weird?" And I said, "I haven't decided." 😅 Usually if a film leaves me that way it's a good indicator that I subconsciously didn't care for it.
I’d like to hear your opinion on Skinnamarink. I think it’s gold but it has been so polarizing and so many people hate it
I liked this movie, not a very satisfying last 1/4 of the movie but it was good enough that Iv told myself to watch it a second time.
I saw someone comment the movie seemed purposeful and I agree.
I doubt rob missed the parts of the movie where some depth was added so it would have been nice if he touched on some of those aspects, like for example her 6th sense and the beginning psychological assessment which foreshadowed the themes or plot points of the rest of the movie (did anyone else catch that?!).
Oh yes. There are tons of subliminals in the music, choices of dialogue, framing, and set design details throughout. Im not so bothered by Rob's opinion on the film disagreeing with mine, as I am by being "robbed" of Rob's normally thorough analysis for these kinds of psychological choices in filmmaking
Absolutely!! this movie was very embarrassing.
I do disagree about Barbarian, i think that really did feel fresh and needed. But id love to hear more of your thoughts on it
I quite liked the first half. Second half it took a full onnose dive.
@collativelearning you're completely right about Barbarian, and you nailed the issues on this one as well. Horror fans are just dying for anything to be decent, and so they give these films a pass.
"Jump edit." Yep, stealing that one outright.
“I fell asleep a couple times and can’t remember the plot, but when I awoke my gf said it was bad.” That’s some generous film criticism, Rob.
I can't stand the obsessive trend of constant excessive dark lighting, bland colour grading and mumbled dialogue. When all three are present I just can't be bothered to suffer through it.
Are you slow or are you just lying to yourself? There are MANY colorful movies nowadays, also horror movies HAVE ALWAYS been darker with blander colors, that how horror works. Are you being fr?
@@PLaStiiCMoNtAGE In your mind me saying "I don't like a trend" means "I think there are no colourful movies in existence"?? interesting.
@@SerMattzio I’m clearly saying you’re wrong by calling it a “trend”. It’s not a trend, that’s how it’s ALWAYS BEEN. Funny how you twist the words so hard to pretend like you’re right when in fact you’re a complaining little ignorant clown. Interesting.
@@SerMattzio what an insane reach and manipulation of what I just said. Lmao, me saying that horror movies have always been dark and it’s NOT A TREND. Your little mind thinks I said no color has ever existed. Mind blowing
@@PLaStiiCMoNtAGE Cool story bruh