Film Genre Research

Longlegs Film Opening

    Longlegs was directed by Osgood Perkins and uses vintage camera work to introduce the audience to the movie. This film follows an FBI agent as she investigates a string of murders committed by men in families. She has to uncover the connection to the suspect of Longlegs. This opening serves to establish the Longlegs killer and the atmosphere that will haunt the story. 

    The film opens with a sequence of slow agonizing shots. The camera uses a smaller ratio to create a tight square frame that feels old school. This may represent the inescapable nature of the film. We see a point of view shot from inside a car as it drives up to a winter house. There is a long static shot of the house and the lack of movement creates tension. The camera zooms into a window before cutting to a girl sitting next to the window. It ties together because we see her point of view as the camera is zooming into the car outside of her house. She goes to check on it while there are behind the shoulder and long shots. The camera switches to as if there was a still person watching her from a distance. The camera switches between a few different shots as she is pacing around confused. There are wide shots to show her being small in her environment. There is woods around her and she is isolated. The camera cuts off the tops of the antagonists head when he enters the shot. It is a low angle and makes him seem like he is towering over her. The tight framing ensures the trapped feeling stays consistent. 

    The film uses an absence of cuts during tense moments to build an inescapable doom. The purpose of this opening is to create the mystery and a suffocating dread. A single shot for an extended time makes the audience to see the girls realization that she is in danger. Suspense is created as it is drawn out and with no scene changes this feeling stays. There is no safe space for the viewer to cut away from and makes it even more uncomfortable. The mood is inescapable and discomfort. The hard cut to a red title card creates even more paranoia. 

    The sound is used to build an uncomfortable atmosphere where things feel wrong. It begins with an uncomfortable low frequency sound that vibrates through the speakers to the audience. It establishes a sense of anxiety before the film even starts. This scene is mostly quiet with the viewers being able to hear the little sounds that appear. They are exaggerated to make the environment feel dangerous. The snow under her boots and the heavy thud of the car door closing are higher than they should be to create that anxiety. There is a loud bang when Longlegs appears and when he starts his dialogue. This creates panic and shows the danger she is in. 

    The mise en scene is used to shape how the audience is feeling. The setting is a snowy remote house and represents isolation and a loss of innocence. The place is filled with white snow and grey skies. It feels cold and dark. The girls wardrobe consists of a bright red coat, which creates a high contrast that makes her a bright red target for the killer. The monsters wardrobe is pale and he has white make up that looks like a living corpse. This gives him a depictable look and a ghostly appearance. The props of the car create a retro feeling to the situation. Innocent colors are being faded away and distorted by the red that pops up.

    Longlegs was produced and distributed by NEON, a company known for high end horror movies. The director is Osgood Perkins and other production companies include C2 Motion Picture Group and Saturn Films. The film had a budget of around $10 million and grossed over $100 million worldwide. The cinematographer was Andres Arochi, who uses a lot of special vintage lenses and color grading to make it seem like it took place decades ago.

    The opening credits play at both the beginning and end of the opening scene. The screen is a saturated blood red color with small black text on it. It starts out by listing all the production companies and ends with larger text of the name of the film. The credits act as a jump scare because the red color is a shock to the viewers eyes. The positioning of the text is central and the dominant. They include a quote that is mysterious that leaves the viewers questioning a lot about what is coming up. 

    Longlegs had nominations at the Astra Film Awards for Best Horror Film and receiving praise at the Saturn Awards. Specific wins include Best Film Screenwriting at the Saturn Awards and Best Costume Design at the Leo Awards. Other notable nominations are the Best Wide Release Film at the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards and Best Actor in a Horror Movie at the Critics Choice Super Awards. 

    I picked this film to analyze because it brings in a twist to the horror genre. It dives deep into a psychological terror that is more grounded than a typical slasher film. The credits captivated me because I intend to use a similar technique to the flash to the title once something crazy happens. I felt the ratio of the camera and the perspectives unique. The film made me feel trapped and uncomfortable which is a sense of unpredictability that I like in horror films.