What happens to Agent Lee Harker at the end of LongLegs? Explained

The horror film LongLegs was released in the U.S. and U.K. on July 12, 2024, and has already received many positive reviews from fans. The film is directed by Osgood Perkins and stars Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe in the main roles.

The film revolves around an FBI Agent, Lee Harker, who is assigned to track down a serial killer. Harker is shown to be partially psychic in the movie, and she deduces that there are horrifying supernatural elements at play behind the killings.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for LongLegs (2024).

At the end of the film, Harker discovers that it was her own mother, Ruth, who was helping a satanic serial killer named Longlegs. The spirit of the beast would possess a handmade doll that Ruth would gift to young girls on their birthdays. The spirit would then manifest as a voice, possess the family, and have them murder each other.

Harker manages to interrupt another birthday party and shoot her mother as she gifts another doll to a young girl. But when Harker tries to shoot the doll too, her gun does not release a bullet, and the film ends on that terrifying cliffhanger.

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Is Agent Lee Harker alive at the end of LongLegs?

Maika Monroe as Agent Harker in a still from the film (via Neon)

Yes, Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is alive at the end of the story, but the film has an open ending. In the final section of the film, Harker discovers that her mother Ruth has been helping LongLegs (Nicolas Cage) all along. The beast had initially visited Lee's house to kill her as a child, but Ruth had bargained with him to protect her daughter.

Ruth would deliver the dolls that LongLegs made to little girls who had birthdays on the 14th of every month. Within six days, either the beast would arrive to kill her, or his spirit in the doll would possess the family and make them murder each other.

A still from the trailer for the film (via Neon)

After getting to know this, Harker rushes to intercept her mother at another birthday. However, the doll has already possessed the family by then, so Harker is forced to shoot and kill the family's father, followed by shooting Ruth. As she turns to shoot the doll, her gun clicks blankly and no bullet is released.

The film ends on this cliffhanger. Agent Harker is likely alive at the end, but she might get possessed by the spirit of LongLegs, and become the new villain of the horrifying tale.

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What is the meaning of the last scene in LongLegs? Ending explained

The film ends when Agent Harker is unable to shoot the evil doll and stares at it helplessly. Since it is an open ending, it could have various interpretations.

It is possible that the bullets in Harker's gun simply ran out, and she might be able to reload the gun and shoot. However, this does not seem likely, given that the doll seems to still be possessed by LongLegs' spirit, even after the monster's death. The spirit might end up possessing Harker, starting a fresh cycle of violence and murder.

On the other hand, the abrupt ending could also have a metaphorical meaning. Since the film is deeply tied with religious symbolism, it could mean that evil never truly ends.

As long as there is good in the world, there will also be a certain amount of evil prevailing. And in this dystopian world, sometimes evil cannot be fought.

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Audiences can watch the film released across theatres from July 12, 2024, onwards.