Summary
Horror fans are no strangers to true crimes inspiring some of the genre’s most prolific killers, leaving some to wonder if Osgood Perkin’sLonglegsis inspired by any real-life serial killers. Played by Nicolas Cage, the titular killer and the mysterious surroinding him is at the center ofLonglegs.Longlegsfollows Maika Monroe as FBI Agent Lee Harker, who joins the investigation and starts actively looking into the killer and his unexpected connection to her life. Cage brings an unsettling edge to the character, giving him a frightening mixture of glee and volume that leaves audiences unsettled.
Plenty of other horror movie serial killers were either directly or partly inspired by true life stories, with infamous figures like Ted Bundy being so prolific that they ended up getting film adaptations directly exploring them on the big screen. WhileNicolas Cage’sLonglegskiller is purposefully different from those kinds of characters, there could be some influences from an infamous era of true crime and moral panic that help explain the conception of the character and how he works.
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Longlegs Is Not Inspired By A Real Life Serial Killer Case
LonglegsIs An Entirely Fictional Character, Which Makes Him Scarier
Longlegsisn’t directly inspired by any real life serial killers. In the film,Nicolas Cage’s Longlegsis a mysterious serial killer who has been targeting families for years. Cage’s Longlegs is a harrowing figure whenever he actually appears on screen, operating in the shadows and avoiding any identification by the authorities. His only contact with them is a series of letters written in a cipher, setting up a lenghty manhunt that builds to a head inLonglegs. However,Longlegsis not directly based on an any specific killer, and his murders across the Pacific Northwest don’t seem to be taking any direct inspiration from true life.
This separates Longlegs from other famous cinematic serial killers like Buffalo Bill fromThe Silence of the Lambsor Norman Bates fromPsycho, who took direct inspiration from true crime stories. While Buffalo Bill was fictional, he was influenced by the specific crimes of Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, and Gary M. Heidnik. By contrast,Longlegs is a unique creation of the film that shares his name, giving him an unpredictable edge. This notably allowed the filmmakers to deliver a wholly unique take on the concept and give Nicolas Cage a fully original character to play with.
Longlegs Has Similarities To Many True Crime Stories
The Satanic Panic Of The 1980s & 1990s Might Have Influenced Elements OfLonglegs
AlthoughLonglegsdoesn’t take direct inspiration from any real life serial killers,the film does utilize some of the traits and attributes that can often be found in that archetype. The 1990s setting ofLonglegsand extended focus on the Satanic intentions behind his actions draws comparisons to the Satanic Panic. Beginning in the 1980s and continuing throughout the subsequent decade, the Satanic Panic was a global moral panic that was particularly prevalent in the United States.
While many elements of the cultural hysteria were later disproven, there weresome real life killers from this era whose Satantic beliefs could be seen as a direct parallel to Longlegs' Satanic ideology. Killers like the Chicago Ripper Crew and Richard Ramirez (akathe Night Stalker, who actually plays into fellow 2024 horror filmMaXXXine) all professed Satanic leanings that the said helped inspire their actions. WhileLonglegsisn’t directly inspired by any of them, the titular killer seems to share a motivation with them.
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Longlegs' Director Purposefully Avoided Using Real Life Inspiration
According to writer/director Osgood Perkins, there was never any desire on his part to makeLonglegsfeel too similar to any true-crime stories. During an interview withGames Radar,Perkins revealed that he actually doesn’t like true-crime stories. He explained thatLonglegs"couldn’t be more fictionalized and totally made up. That’s part of the fun of it [for] me… It’s part of what keeps it light for me, honestly. I’m not interested in what these sickos do. To me, this is a different kind of poem, you know, and it’s totally just make believe."
The result is thatLonglegscould entirely unique from other serial killer stories, which ultimately benefits the film. Instead of remixing history or being directly influenced by any single killer,Longlegsis able to exist as its own thing. It allows the film to also retain its sharp character focus and central mystery, as it’s free of any of the natural weight that comes with directly associating the film with any specific case or killer.Longlegsbenefits from not being based on any specific true-crime story even if it embraces similar ideas.
Longlegs
Cast
Longlegs is a horror thriller film by writer-director Osgood Perkins. When FBI agent Lee Harker is assigned to a serial killer cold case, their investigation leads them down a rabbit hole riddled with disturbing discoveries and the occult at the center of it all. When the trail of evidence reveals a personal connection, it becomes a race against time to prevent another murder.
