Longlegs: Horror fans have one question about “terrifying” new trailer

Longlegs has released its official trailer, and it’s as “terrifying” and cryptic as usual. As horror fans get busy poring over the details, they’ve raised one question in particular.

The Neon horror movie is one of the most anticipated of 2024, not least because of its genius marketing campaign, starting with a series of creepy teasers that revealed nothing about the film other than an overwhelming sense of dread. 

The full Longlegs trailer has now arrived, and while there’s plenty of eerie images and scenes, the full plot remains elusive as ever — and we’re still yet to get a full glimpse of Nicolas Cage’s serial killer. 

One detail that has sparked a busy discussion is the different aspect ratios seen throughout the trailer. While some scenes are in a regular widescreen format, others have been shot in a smaller, square format. But the question remains: what does it mean?

“Wondering what the different aspect ratios will mean if they are actually in the movie,” said one on Reddit in response to the trailer. 

In response to their query, another theorized, “I think the POV is related to how Nicolas Cage is ‘infiltrating’ these families… I do think those aspect ratio changes are maybe giving him/possibly Maika [Monroe] (if she’s connected to him somehow) a ‘look’ at his victims.”

A third added, “Another possibility is that Longlegs is two people, one of them being Nic Cage, and the other one the 4:3 guy. 

“After all, we see Nic Cage in those 4:3 shots, as if someone else was looking at him or thinking about him. The one with the doll in front of the mirror is quite disturbing.

“Silence Of The Lambs and Red Dragon have two villains in them (Lecter/Buffalo Bill and Lecter/Dolarhyde). In fact, the 4:3 thing brings to mind the ‘do you see?’ scene in Red Dragon.”

Another shared the same horror movie reference, writing: “Yeah, I wonder about that too. The square doesn’t seem to represent Maika Monroe’s POV – the audience’s – but maybe the killer’s. The ‘do you see?’ scene from Red Dragon comes to mind.”

But others have a more simple explanation: the smaller ratio scenes are flashbacks. “The 4:3 seems to suggest it’s the past,” said one Redditor, theorizing whether these moments depict a “traumatic experience” that led to Monroe’s agent Lee Harker joining the FBI.

A second supported this idea, adding, “2.85:1 is the film’s present day – the nineties – and the scenes which are framed to look like they’ve been shot on old 16mm are flashbacks to the seventies.”

Theories aside, there’s plenty of excitement about Longlegs, and for good reason — if its creepy campaign is anything to go by, it looks set to be the scariest movie of 2024. 

“Holy hell looks terrifying,” said one about the trailer, while another added, “God I’m so excited for this movie. The fact that they’re still hiding his face makes me think he’s gonna look horrifying.”

The story itself sees FBI agent Lee Harker (Monroe), a gifted newbie, assigned to the unsolved case of an elusive serial killer (Cage). As she digs deeper, evidence of the occult emerges. 

When Harker discovers a personal connection to the ruthless killer, she must race against time to stop him before he claims the lives of another family.

Longlegs arrives in cinemas on July 12, 2024. Until then, here are more horror movies to get excited about in 2024, as well as all the new movies coming to streaming this month.