LongLegs fails to live up to its hype, felt like a "black comedy," say fans

In a world full of movie expectations, LongLegs, directed by Oz Perkins, premiered with much hype. It came out on July 7, 2024, and stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Blair Underwood. A24 produced the film, which offers a mix of horror and thriller based on a true story about a serial killer.

LongLegs follows the story of an FBI agent who becomes involved in a series of supernatural events while hunting a demonic serial killer known for making lifelike dolls. The film's marketing campaign, filled with ominous trailers and mysterious teasers, set expectations high, calling it one of the scariest films in decades.

But after everything calmed down, people couldn't agree on LongLegs. In the r/movies subreddit on Reddit, many viewers thought it was more of a dark comedy than the intense thriller they were expecting.

One Reddit user commented on the r/movies subreddit:

Comment byu/glittering-lettuce from discussion inhorror

"Black comedy" refers to a genre of film that finds humor in topics typically considered serious or taboo, often through the lens of horror. This fusion of genres can be difficult to execute, and for many, it didn't live up to expectations.

Fans were surprised by how different LongLegs was from what they expected based on the marketing. The Reddit thread had lots of comments pointing out this difference.

A Reddit user mentioned, "I can’t remember the exact phrasing, but the line the one agent said about Longlegs - 'He can’t be arrested for simply being a Satanist; this is America' - had me and my theater in stitches."

This statement was echoed by another user, who added, "I think it had the extra punctuation of 'this is the United States of America'....agreed though that this movie was a lot goofier than the marketing presented."

Another person remarked, "Thought there were quite a few really funny moments, presumably intentional?"

The way the film was marketed as a straight-up horror may have added to the confusion. Also, people have been talking about how the movie switches tones and includes supernatural elements.

As another watcher noted, "Although I do not think the movie lived up to the hype...the marketing for it wasn't misleading and set the tone very, very well."

A fifth Reddit user observed, "The tone shifts quite heavily in Act 3 and it's for the worse I think. It all moves so fast once the supernatural is involved and the whole FBI thing really just falls away."

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Unintended humor and audience reactions to LongLegs

The tonal changes in LongLegs caught people off guard, leaving them confused. Fans took to Reddit to share their mixed reactions, with some calling out the heavy exposition and questioning if the movie was meant to be taken seriously or if it was all just satire. Another person agreed with this viewpoint, mentioning that the change in tone in the third act made the movie feel rushed and poorly done.

Additionally, the supernatural elements, which were supposed to make the horror more intense, ended up causing some debate. Some people thought using monologues to explain the plot was lazy storytelling like having a "YouTube ending explained" video in the film. Others found the narrative predictable and the character development lacking.

Some fans liked parts of the film despite the criticisms. They enjoyed the atmosphere and aesthetics, especially the consistent, unsettling vibe. One user even praised Alicia Witt's performance, comparing it to Julianne Moore's intense roles. But overall, the film still didn't impress everyone.

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The challenges of genre blending in LongLegs

LongLegs is a case study of the complexity of genre fusion. Balancing elements of horror and black comedy requires a finesse that is not in place here. The film tries to blend the two genres, but the result is a disjointed narrative that struggles to maintain a consistent tone.

The marketing campaign focused a lot on the horror side, but the movie didn't quite deliver on the comedy front. This caused a bit of a disconnect for viewers, with some enjoying the spooky vibes and characters while others thought the mix of tones was a bit off.

In the movie, LongLegs, played by Nicolas Cage, was supposed to be scary, but his performance ended up being a mix of creepy and funny, confusing viewers. This shows how important it is for filmmakers to match their marketing with what happens in the film. When they do that, they can ensure audiences know what to expect and avoid genre mix-ups.

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LongLegs is currently running in theaters worldwide.