Osgood Perkins leaves empty space in the frame and gives us too long to study it. His horror is worth the discomfort, though his habit of explaining the threat can spoil what he has so carefully made frightening.
Fi1m perspective
There is too much ceiling above the people in Longlegs (2024). Perkins and cinematographer Andres Arochi make that imbalance disturbing: our attention wanders away from the figures towards the space around them. We were frightened by the long-held shots, because they gave us time to imagine something arriving where nothing should be. For much of the film, Perkins needs remarkably little to keep us uneasy.
After supporting acting work including Legally Blonde (2001) and a move into screenwriting in the early 2010s, he made his directing debut with The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015). That film established the patient supernatural horror he continued in I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016). Gretel & Hansel (2020) took him into fairy-tale horror, with a more sympathetic treatment of the witch. These films give him scope to make waiting uncomfortable, although the deliberate pacing can leave a scene standing still.
The FBI investigation in Longlegs gives that patience a useful structure: a young agent, a cipher and a boss who does not believe her. Editors Graham Fortin and Greg Ng let shots run past comfort before cutting to black and a line from the killer's letter. Perkins and Elvis Perkins supply a low musical churn that seldom offers the relief of a tune. Nicolas Cage is kept scarce, and the decision matters; Perkins understands how quickly prolonged exposure can make a frightening figure familiar.
What he does not always trust is our willingness to leave a film without every question answered. The last half hour of Longlegs explains its workings so thoroughly that we stop looking into the corners. The fear fades because the film is busy resolving details that were more disturbing when left alone. We still recommend it, but a weaker final stretch is a considerable fault in a film that depends on keeping us afraid.
The Monkey (2025), adapted from a Stephen King story, makes room for gory absurdity alongside its concern with death. We would welcome more of that willingness to let horror be ridiculous, particularly from a director who can make waiting such a solemn business. Start with Longlegs, and do not expect its explanations to improve the evening.
Biography
Osgood Perkins is an American filmmaker and actor. Born in New York City on 2 February 1974, he is the son of actor Anthony Perkins. He began his career as a child actor, appearing as the young Norman Bates in Psycho II (1983) and later in films including Legally Blonde (2001) and Star Trek (2009).
Perkins made his directorial debut with the horror film The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015). He has since written and directed several horror features, including I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016), Gretel & Hansel (2020) and Longlegs (2024), on which he is also credited with music. He co-founded the production company Phobos with producer Chris Ferguson.
