Longlegs Is A Great Reminder To Watch Nicolas Cage’s Scariest Performance From 35 Years Ago

The following contains spoilers for Longlegs, now in theaters

Longlegs features a great showcase for Nicolas Cage, but his scariest performance ever is still from this underrated movie from thirty-five years ago. In Longlegs, Cage plays the titular Satanist. A deathly pale and gangly figure who is introduced sneaking up on a child at her home, Nicolas Cage’s Longlegs remains a creepy cipher for much of the film. Whenever Cage is on screen, he imbues the character with an unnerving magnetism that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat.

This is far from the actor’s only scary performance, however, as Nicolas Cage has appeared in several horror movies over the years. Just a year before Longlegs was released in theaters, he appeared as a spiteful Dracula in the horror/comedy Renfield. Before that, movies like Color Out Of Space and Arcadian highlighted his talent in the genre. However, his most memorable horror movie performance came out closer to the beginning of his career, and remains a highlight even when compared to strong performances like his work in Longlegs.

Nicolas Cage Was Terrifying In Vampire’s Kiss Decades Before Longlegs

How Nicolas Cage’s Best Horror Performances Highlight His Flexibility & Skill

Nicolas Cage’s Longlegs performance is strong, but his best horror role remains Peter Loew in Vampire’s Kiss. Released in 1989, Vampire’s Kiss focuses on Loew, a self-centered Yuppie literary agent in New York City. Amid his regular stream of one-night stands, Loew seemingly hooks up with the vampiric Rachel, who bites him. However, his “vampiric transformation” is almost entirely within his head own head, leaving him increasingly unstable and dangerous to those around him. He attacks others so he can bite their throats, rants at imaginary people on the streets, and becomes more chaotic.

It’s a wild performance from Cage that has to be simultaneously pitiful, detestable, frightening, and compelling. The fact he’s able to pull it off highlights the actor’s range, especially as Loew becomes more unhinged. Similar to American Psycho‘s later examination of the Yuppie lifestyle through the filter of a horror story, Vampire’s Kiss is so frightening because of the human elements of Cage’s performance. Cage and his visions of the vampire influencing him are so unsettling because the rest of the world is portrayed realistically, leaving the chaotic Loew to become increasingly monstrous as a result of his dwindling sanity.

How Nicolas Cage’s Vampire’s Kiss & Longlegs Performances Compare

A Level Of Complexity In Cage’s Vampire’s Kiss Performance That Longlegs Can’t Match

Longlegs and Vampire’s Kiss both feature strong performances from Cage, who’s also been good at playing for horror. However, there’s a level of depth to Vampire’s Kiss that makes it one of Cage’s single most memorable performances. Longlegs is a solid character from Cage, who he infuses with an unsettling confidence and creepily cheerful attitude. Longlegs is someone whose lanky form and little movements feel wholly unnatural. His soft-spoken proclamations and sudden outbursts fit perfectly into the film around him. However, he’s also a purposefully one-note creation.

Longlegs isn’t the focus of the film that shares his name. Rather, Longlegs is focused on Lee Harker, leaving Cage to play a straightforward and unsettling antagonist. By contrast, Vampire’s Kiss is focused on Loew, allowing Cage plenty of room to explore the different layers of the character. It’s a more impressive performance as a result, with many of the same big swings as Longlegs but contrasted by smaller character beats and tragic turns. Even though his villainous role in Longlegs is solid, his previous horror work in Vampire’s Kiss remains one of Cage’s best performances in an illustrious career.

Longlegs

Longlegs is a horror thriller film by writer-director Osgood Perkins. When FBI agent Lee Harker is assigned to a serial killer cold case, their investigation leads them down a rabbit hole riddled with disturbing discoveries and the occult at the center of it all. When the trail of evidence reveals a personal connection, it becomes a race against time to prevent another murder.

Director

Oz Perkins

Release Date

July 12, 2024

Studio(s)

C2 Motion Picture Group , Saturn Films

Distributor(s)

Neon

Writers

Oz Perkins

Cast

Maika Monroe , Nicholas Cage , Alicia Witt , Blair Underwood

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Vampire’s Kiss (1989)

Nicolas Cage stars in this dark comedy as a literary agent who believes he is turning into a vampire after an encounter with a mysterious woman, leading to increasingly bizarre behavior.

Director

Robert Bierman

Release Date

June 2, 1989

Writers

Joseph Minion

Cast

Nicolas Cage , María Conchita Alonso , Jennifer Beals , Kasi Lemmons , Bob Lujan , Elizabeth Ashley , Jessica Lundy , Marc Coppola