erikarcher

If you're reading this, then you're probably trying to figure out if you wanna watch it on streaming, and here is my general, spoiler, free way of answering:

If you LOVE Silence of the Lambs, Se7ven and other broody - often detective/crime oriented - horror: you will probably be disappointed by Longlegs.

If you LIKE those movies, or perhaps have never seen them (or all of them), then you should definitely give Longlegs a watch.

The reason is that this movie obviously plays homage to the greats, and in many ways does a good job of this. The acting, atmosphere and cinematography are all fantastic.

But films like this require the audience to pay attention, and, ideally, the audience is rewarded for being able to pick up some of the clues themself, make educated guesses, or go back on rewatch and see how well thought out each point actually was by the director.

With Longlegs, however, there are several big plot holes, even arguable contradictions, that stand out even on first watch, and broke the immersion I was feeling. I still enjoyed it, it's been a while since I've seen a move like this, it I just kept thinking: this would have been so much better if it weren't for "X" "Y" and "Z".

Movie Review: Sting

They don't make movies like this anymore-and that's exactly why Sting feels like such a refreshing surprise. This film caters to two distinct audiences:

1. Old-School Horror Fans: Those who will immediately recognize and appreciate the movie's style, pacing, and abundant nods to classic horror films.

2. New Horror Fans: Viewers who might not be as familiar with the classic creature-feature formula but will find Sting an accessible and exciting entry point into the genre.

I fall squarely into the first group, and from the opening scene, I was spotting references and homages left and right. The DNA of Arachnophobia is obvious, but there are also shades of Aliens, Gremlins, and an undeniable Sam Raimi-esque directing style. In fact, I had to pause and check IMDb to see if Raimi himself directed it-he didn't, but it's clear that Kiah Roache-Turner is a devoted fan of his work.

For longtime horror fans like me, the only real drawback is that the formula isn't new-we've seen this kind of story before. But honestly, it's been a while, and it's immensely satisfying to see a creature feature brought to life with modern production values and a contemporary setting.

For newer horror fans, Sting serves as a fantastic introduction to a classic style of horror storytelling without the hurdles that often come with older movies-dated effects, clunky CGI, or aged cinematography. This film refreshes a well-loved formula in a way that feels polished, entertaining, and most importantly, believable (you know, for an evil, intelligent spider movie)

I often hesitate to recommend older horror films to newer fans because the dated elements can be distracting. Sting sidesteps that entirely, delivering a creature feature that's thrilling, well-crafted, and accessible to horror enthusiasts of all kinds.

This isn't a typical horror movie. It's more of an exploration of the paralyzing pain, loneliness and confusion that many face as they try and reconcile why they're "different," told through neon hues, nostalgic, liminal vibes and a dash of hallucinatory surrealism thrown in.

It's a minimalist movie as the plot largely revolves around two high school outcasts who bond over a TV show. The "horror" of the movie stems from the actions - and inactions - they both take from their shared time together and seeing the effect this has on each of them over the course of their lives - often told in a non-linear fashion.

Ultimately this is a movie with a message and whether or not you understand that message will likely determine if your enjoyment the movie or not.

For my part, I know I'm not the target demographic, but the movie still resonated with me deeply as a former high school outcast. I would recommend it to anyone who was (or is) a lonely kid who has experienced the terrifying and paralyzing dread of facing a choice that you know will alter your relationship with the broader world forever.

My only real issue with this movie is the ending. I won't spoil anything, but in my opinion, and from my experience, I feel like this movie sets up a false dichotomy in order to dive the horror of the choice home. I don't agree with this, but then again, it's just a movie and I think the ending makes a lot of sense Given the point the movie is trying to make.