Longlegs became one of the most talked about horror movies of the year, leading to many fans seeking out other movies with a similar vibe. Starring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage, the movie is a gripping story of an FBI agent on the trail of a serial killer only to discover some unsettling occult clues as she digs deeper into the case. From the intrigue over Cage’s mysterious role in the movie to the talk of the shocking moments, Longlegs became a subject of fascination for audiences.
Something the movie does so effectively it combines the elements of the crime and horror genres. From Monroe’s grounded hero digging into a case to the terror and mystery surrounding Nicolas Cage’s character, these elements combine wonderfully, feeling unique but also bringing to wind other movies to pull off the approach as well. Horror-crime films are in a subgenre that isn’t talked about enough, and there are plenty of films released in the past that will surely scratch the same itch as Longlegs.
15 Taking Lives (2004)
Angelina Jolie Hunts A Killer Who Takes Victims’ Identities
Taking Lives
- Director
- D.J. Caruso
- Release Date
- March 19, 2004
- Runtime
- 100 minutes
Longlegs is a grim and violent exploration of this investigation with Lee getting dragged deeper into the case to the point that it is hard to pull herself out. It mirrors the protagonist in the thriller Taking Lives as well with Angelina Jolie playing FBI agent Illena Scott, who comes to Montreal to help track down a serial killer who is known for killing people and taking on their identities.
Jolie, like Maika Monroe in
Longlegs
, pulls off the performance of a strong female hero who can be vulnerable at the same time.
The intriguing setup for a serial killer begins the story which becomes a complex thriller about Scott becoming entangled with the lead witness in this case (Ethan Hawke). The two actors make this dangerous relationship work well as the movie builds to its intense and gripping conclusion. Jolie, like Maika Monroe in Longlegs, pulls off the performance of a strong female hero who can be vulnerable at the same time.
14 Wind River (2017)
A Chilling Thriller About A Murder On A Reservation
The atmosphere of Longlegs is part of the reason it is such an effective movie. There is a foreboding sense of danger that gives Lee an isolated feeling, as if she is left to fend for herself while surrounded by danger. That feeling of isolation is also present in the excellent crime thriller Wind River. Marking the directorial debut of Yellowstone mastermind Taylor Sheridan, Wind River stars Jeremy Renner as a hunter on a Wyoming Native American reservation who joins a young FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) in an investigation into a young woman’s murder.
Olsen’s character of Jane Banner feels similar to that of Lee Harker in Longlegs. They are both capable agents but are thrown into a situation they are not fully prepared for. While less of a horror movie than Longlegs, Wind River inspires true fear with its bleak frozen landscape and a few standout sequences.
13 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)
David Fincher’s Bleak Mystery Adaptation
Based on the award-winning novel by Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) as he searches for a woman who has been missing for 40 years. Along the way, he makes an unexpected ally in Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), who is a computer hacker and survivor of a traumatic childhood. The film is directed by David Fincher and won an Oscar in 2012 for Best Achievement in Film Editing.
- Release Date
- December 21, 2011
- Runtime
- 158 minutes
While Longlegs delights in playing with the audience’s mind as to what is real and what is otherworldly in its story, David Fincher’s adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo feels like it is supernatural in how graphic and disturbing its exploration of the evils of humanity is. The movie stars Daniel Craig as an embattled journalist who is hired by a wealthy patriarch to investigate the disappearance of his grandniece decades ago.
The character of Lisbeth Salander, played by Rooney Mara in an Oscar-nominated role, is the standout of the film and feels like the connection to Longlegs‘ heightened reality. Both movies are deep dives into truly dark worlds in which the audience is forced to confront some brutal and shocking aspects of society. They are bleak thrillers that are nonetheless gripping from beginning to end.
12 The Wicker Man (1973)
A Surreal Mystery With An Unforgettable Ending
The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man is a horror film released in 1973 and follows Police Sergeant Neil Howie, who heads to an island on the coast of Scottland in search of a missing girl. Howie discovers that the disappearance is related to a pagan society that conflicts with his Christian values – but his continued search leads him to the heart of something sinister.
- Director
- Robin Hardy
- Release Date
- December 6, 1973
- Cast
- Diane Cilento , Britt Ekland , Edward Woodward , Ingrid Pitt , Christopher Lee
- Runtime
- 88 minutes
Longlegs is one of those crime thrillers that sets up a typical serial story with the gradual hint that there is something more going on. The occult elements of the movie are mixed with the elements that show the dark sides of human nature. That is also explored in the wonderful cult horror flick The Wicker Man. While Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage appeared in a rather infamous remake, the original version is the one worth seeking out.
The movie follows a Scotland Yard investigator who travels to a secluded island that is home to a community of people living as an eccentric cult in order to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. While a few suspects emerge, the investigator gradually comes to suspect the entire community might be complicit in the disappearance linked to their own religious beliefs. Like Longlegs, The Wicker Man is a dark descent into a nightmarish world with one of the best twist endings in horror history.
11 Frailty (2002)
A Gothic Tale Of Terrifying Calling
Frailty
Frailty is a psychological horror film directed by and starring Bill Paxton. Released in 2002, the film follows FBI agent Wesley Doyle as he investigates a man who claims his brother is a serial killer driven by visions from God. The narrative unfolds through flashbacks, revealing the family’s dark history and the chilling grip of fanaticism. Matthew McConaughey co-stars in this unsettling tale of faith and murder.
- Director
- Bill Paxton
- Release Date
- April 12, 2002
The foreboding and gripping tone of Longlegs is largely thanks to the unshakable question about what the truth behind the movie is. With a mix of occult and grounded crime elements, the audience is unaware if they are seeing human evil or something deeper. This is also achieved in the excellent horror movie Frailty, directed by the late Bill Paxton. Matthew McConaughey stars as a man who comes to visit an FBI agent on the trail of a serial killer, claiming that the killer is his brother who is carrying on the deadly legacy of their father.
The majority of the movie is told in flashbacks, detailing the lives of these brothers as their father becomes convinced that he is on a mission from God to kill demons who are hiding among them in human form. The movie poses the question of whether their father is truly seeing through these human forms or if he is just a cold-blooded killer.
10 Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
The Greatest All-Time Blend Of Crime & Horror
The Silence of the Lambs follows FBI trainee Clarice Sterling (Jodie Foster) as she hunts a serial killer known as Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). To find the killer, she must place her trust in the notoriously dangerous but brilliant cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). With Buffalo Bill’s latest victim the daughter of a U.S. Senator, the pressure is on Sterling to catch the criminal before he can bring his twisted scheme to fruition.
- Director
- jonathan demme
- Release Date
- February 14, 1991
- Writers
- Ted Tally
- Runtime
- 118 minutes
Silence of the Lambs is compared to Longlegs more than any other film, and there are many reasons why. The iconic ’90s horror film, directed by Jonathan Demme, features an FBI Agent named Clarice Starling (played by Jodie Foster) and a cannibalistic killer named Dr. Hannibal Lecter (played by Anthony Hopkins). Clarice has an assignment to try and get information from Hannibal, who attempts to manipulate her. This is a pretty clear similarity to Longlegs, which also follows an FBI Agent who has a connection to a killer she is after or up against.
Although some may criticize Longlegs for being so similar to this, it’s fine for a director to be inspired by another film. And it is also fine for two directors, or even more, to have the same idea. There is such an interesting dichotomy when testing an FBI agent’s morals. Longlegs is also truly unique in its storytelling and visual style, which makes it stand out against other modern horror films.
9 Zodiac (2007)
A Horrific True Story From David Fincher
Zodiac is a compelling crime-thriller directed by David Fincher and stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. This one stands out as being based on a true story. It follows the investigation of the Zodiac Killer from the San Francisco Bay Area, who toys with the minds of police with letters, as they attempt to decipher what seems like an endless amount of clues that take over their lives and careers.
Because of its horrific scenes, added suspense and mystery surrounding the killer, and the focus on the detectives, fans of Longlegs would absolutely love David Fincher’s Zodiac. The persona of Zodiac created a serial killer who seemed beyond human and elevated him to a new level of terror, like something out of a movie like Longlegs. While the movie doesn’t give answers to the unsolved case, it provides a brilliant account of the investigation.
8 The Bone Collector (1999)
A Solid Duo Of Denzel Washington & Angelina Jolie
The Bone Collector, directed by Phillip Noyce, will compel audiences who enjoyed Longlegs with its similar story and characters. It stars Angelina Jolie as Amelia Donaghy, a rookie cop who teams up with Lincoln Rhyme, played by Denzel Washington, who is a much more experienced detective who becomes paralyzed. Amelia goes to him for help, as she has to try and catch a serial killer called The Bone Collector, who leaves behind clues to his murders.
Much like the films previously mentioned, the lead woman is a detective early in her career and has to face a huge and terrifying case of an odd and twisted killer. Indeed, the star power of Jolie and Washington brings The Bone Collector to another level as it is a thrill to see their characters’ working relationship grow over the course of the story.
7 Se7en (1995)
Another David Fincher Crime Masterpiece
Se7en is another film directed by David Fincher. It stars Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey. Se7en tells the story of a serial killer who bases their crimes on the seven deadly sins, while homicide detectives are working to solve this case and attempt to get into the mind of the killer to find them.
Any horror and film fan would enjoy films directed by the talented David Fincher as he does not hesitate to throw the audience into the darkest and most brutal scenarios in his stories. This being the second mention of one of his crime-thrillers, it further proves his understanding of the genre and ability to even shape and define the genre itself. Se7en‘s killer, John Doe, feels like a precursor to Longlegs as they are both killers whose reach beyond their crimes, and the influence they have, is truly chilling.
6 Copycat (1995)
A ’90s Thriller Starring Sigourney Weaver & Holly Hunter
Directed by Jon Amiel, Copycat is a chilling ’90s mystery-thriller that perfectly belongs on a watchlist with Longlegs. The murderer in this film has a pattern of copying the crimes of the biggest killers in history. The people who work to stop him are two women, a psychologist and a detective, played by Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter. As the duo hunt the killer, he seeks to make himself even more infamous by directly threatening those who are on his trail.
The horror and thriller genre has some great depictions of women being the leading characters in films like this one. The same is true with Maika Monroe’s character of Lee Harker in Longlegs, as her character relates well to the detectives in this one. There is also the theme of the legacy of these murders. While Longlegs depicts the endless string of crimes carried out in the name of Longlegs, Copycat draws from killers of the past.
5 Mandy (2018)
Nicolas Cage Shows His Unhinged Side
Mandy is a horror film that also stars Nicolas Cage, released in 2018, that helped to serve the story of Cage’s winning comeback in the business. Directed by Panos Cosmatos, Mandy is a bizarre story that takes place in The Shadow Mountains in 1983. Red and Mandy (played by Andrea Riseborough) live together in the once-peaceful mountains until it is destroyed by a cult, sending Red on a journey for bloody revenge.
Mandy is not nearly as grounded in reality as Longlegs, and in fact, it embraces the surrealism of its story, becoming like a gothic fairy tale filled with blood and mayhem. However, while Cage is the hero this time around, he does take on a villain that shares the cultist similarities to Longlegs. Moreover, the two movies showcase just how versatile Cage can be within one genre.
4 The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015)
Oz Perkins’ First Feature Film
Girls Kat (Kiernan Shipka) and Rose (Lucy Boynton) are left alone in a Bramford prep boarding school during the winter holidays when their parents mysteriously fail to pick them up. While they experience increasingly strange events at the isolated school, the film shows another story – that of Joan (Emma Roberts), a troubled young woman on the road who, for reasons unknown, needs to get to Bramford as quickly as possible. As Joan gets closer to the school, Kat is tormented by increasingly horrifying visions.
- Director
- Osgood Perkins
- Release Date
- September 30, 2016
- Runtime
- 93 minutes
The Blackcoat’s Daughter is a film that was also directed by the same director of Longlegs, Osgood Perkins. It follows the story of two girls named Kat (played by Longlegs cast member Kiernan Shipka) and Rose (played by Lucy Boynton) who have to spend winter break at their religious school. Joan (played by Emma Roberts) finds herself stranded and finds these girls, only to learn that Kat is being stalked by something evil.
The ties to Satanic evil and the mystery that surrounds it, along with Perkins’ general tone and directing style make The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Longlegs a great pair to watch together. It is possible to see the filmmaker building on certain ideas in the previous movie that would be revisited in Longlegs. However, they also both serve as distinct horror movies that show Perkins as a talent to watch.
3 Gretel & Hansel (2020)
A Dark & Gritty Fairytale
Gretel & Hansel
Gretel & Hansel is a dark fantasy horror film directed by Oz Perkins. It retells the classic Grimm Brothers’ fairytale, focusing on teenage Gretel and her younger brother Hansel, who embark on a perilous journey into a haunted forest. Sophia Lillis stars as Gretel, while Alice Krige plays Holda, a witch who lures the siblings into her sinister home. The film delves into themes of survival and dark magic in a visually eerie setting.
- Release Date
- January 30, 2020
- Writers
- Rob Hayes
- Runtime
- 87 minutes
Gretel & Hansel is another horror film by Oz Perkins, and is a more recent release in 2020. This terrifying fantasy film tells the classic story of Hansel and Gretel in a dark and twisted way. Often, this is a common theme in horror: taking something not so scary, like a classic children’s tale with dark beginnings, and telling the horrific version of the story. However, it’s really impressive to pull it off and make it truly horrifying and less corny. Gretel & Hansel does it well.
This 2020 film proved that Perkins was able to blend genres well; something he does to perfection in Longlegs. Gretal & Hansel is a great watch for viewers wanting to familiarize themselves with Perkins’ style of horror. Despite the very different settings, Longlegs can sometimes feel like a grounded gothic fairy tale with Perkins perhaps drawing that vibe from this early effort.
2 The Empty Man (2020)
An Underrated Crime-Horror Flick
The Empty Man is another gripping horror-crime story that is set in the real world, but features a villain that seems larger than life in the most unsettling way. The movie follows an ex-cop named James Lasombra (played by James Badge Dale,) who investigates the disappearance of teenagers. The locals of the small town believe the one responsible is the urban legend called The Empty Man.
Being that this film follows an investigation of an unknown killer, fans of Longlegs would enjoy this similar tale. The two movies also share absolutely terrifying opening scenes that hook the audience from the get-go. The mystery of what is behind this fearful and dangerous killer provides for a gripping narrative, even if The Empty Man lacks a performance like Nicolas Cage’s to truly elevate the villain.
1 Watcher (2022)
Another Great Maika Monroe Performance
Watcher is a 2022 mystery-thriller starring Maika Monroe, helping to build her title as one of the biggest names in horror, which was solidified with Longlegs. It tells the story of a young actress who begins to notice someone stalking her. She has just moved into a new city with her boyfriend, as she notices this stranger watching her across the street from where she lives. Coincidentally, a serial killer has been stalking the city, and she believes her stalker may be the same person.
With its similar serial killer storyline, characters, and the same main cast member, it’s hard to imagine fans of Longlegs not enjoying this one. Monroe showcases a much different performance, but one that is no less effective. She brings similar vulnerability to the character who is another protagonist who seems to be haunted by this killer at every turn.