Nicolas Cage is back with a new horror thriller film Longlegs which follows his satanic serial killer role that forces fathers to kill their families. The movie was deemed too horrifying that even Alicia Witt, the actress who portrayed Ruth Harker, stayed away from seeing it.
Cage has found a revival of his career in the horror genre, and he seems to excel in it as Longlegs has become one of the most hyped films of 2024.
Alicia Witt Couldn’t Bring Herself To Watch Longlegs
In a report from Variety, actress Alicia Witt admitted she could not watch Longlegs in cinemas despite the movie becoming “the most cathartic experience” of her life. She revealed tapping into the “darkest material” she has ever unearthed from herself, which ended up terrifying her so much.
When I did get the role, I had about six weeks. I journaled, I made playlists, I thought about her thought process, what she experienced as a child, and what her darkness was.
This was her preparation for the role of the maniacal mother Ruth Harker. “By the time I got to set, I could let it all go and discover what she was going to do and say,” shares Witt, who found it challenging to wrap her head around the fact that she was able to access the deepest parts of her character.
She resolved to skip the premiere of Longlegs. “It’s for that reason that I’m not watching the movie. It’s what came out of me that I don’t want to see,” she explained.
It’s surprising to hear this from Witt as the movie isn’t her first rodeo in the horror genre. She notably starred in the 1998 slasher film Urban Legend with Jared Leto and Michael Rosenbaum. Fans would also recognize her from television shows such as The Walking Dead, The Sopranos, and, Two and a Half Men, among others.
Osgood Perkins Claims Longlegs Is His Most Personal Film
As one of the most anticipated horror films of the year, Nicolas Cage’s Longlegs has earned global attention, hence the audience’s expectations are high. The film just recently hit the cinemas so it’s quite early to judge how it will fare through its entire theatrical run.
However, the reviews are already out, and based on its 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, fans and critics seem to enjoy the movie. Many complimented how it did not rely on jump scares or gore, but when they are present in the scene, they are highly disturbing.
Director Osgood Perkins told IndieWire that Longlegs is his most personal film yet, and it’s an ode to the dark past of his family. “Everything I try to do, I try to make it about myself, only so that it creates a truth for me and an honesty,” he said, explaining that the movies he creates, including Longlegs, are based on his own experiences.
Longlegs is now showing in theaters.
