Summary
Warning: Spoilers for LonglegsThe horror filmLonglegs, helmed by director Osgood Perkins, does a great job of hiding the devil in the background of many scenes, really making things eerie. An official post from the social media team onXwas uploaded saying, “The Devil is everywhere. Look closer.” In that video, they teased how the devil is hidden in 15 shots throughout the film and gave a few away to keep an eye out for in a rewatch after reaching theLonglegsending. This subtle use of horror elements keeps the viewer on edge, keeping a watchful eye out for evil lurking.
Here are 10 times the devil is hiding in the background of shots in the movie. From quick reflections to some more obvious appearances, there’s an added touch of dread in this movie. With these evil peeks and glances throughout the movie, thebox office milestoneLonglegsmaintains a constant atmosphere of tension and fear – bringing the audience closer to discovering those horrors lurking somewhere in every scene.
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10Behind Nine-Year-Old Harker
The Devil Haunts the Past
In a flashback, behind the nine-year-old Lee in her bedroom, an image is revealed that gives a chilling sense that the devil is something that has been there since she was young – a constant, dark presence in her life. The scene develops into a larger context of the pervasive evil of the film, reflecting the unsettling influence haunting Agent Harker from her childhood into her life and career.
All the while she unravels the cryptic messages and brings to light satanic elements tied to the murders, the flashback works to show that the devil’s presence isn’t that much of a coincidence.
The supernatural horror inLonglegsis so finely attached to the tension brought by psychological detective thriller elements. This early meeting with the devil foreshadows Lee’s deeper, more personal relationship with the case. The most representative aspect of the film’s new approach to the genre is the incessant fight against dark forces, real and presumed, and how itimpacts Lee Harker. The flashback works to show thatthe devil’s presence isn’t that much of a coincidence.
9Next to the American Flag
The Devil is Hidden in Plain Sight
In one of those subtle, jarring touches throughout the film, the devil stands behind Agent Harker’s right shoulder and beside the American flag. There he is, confidently hiding in plain sight, which lends a level of unease to what might have been, otherwise, a rather procedural scene of Lee flipping through the 911 call and the evidence. His placement is minimally perceived, which is really very opposite to the banality of the task at hand.
Ruth sits in a chair as the father murders his wife in the kitchen – a development meant to emphasize her eerie detachment, influenced by the devil.
The presence of the devil is all the more ominous considering that the 911 call was made in a complete hush, with the father whispering, “I have to kill her in her sleep.” Presumably, then, the call was made at night and when his daughter was in deep sleep there was no background sound to suggest otherwise. Meanwhile, Ruth sits in a chair as the father murders his wife in the kitchen – a development meant to emphasize her eerie detachment, influenced by the devil.
8Behind Longlegs Outside of Agent Harker’s Home
The Chilling Presence Behind Longlegs
Another unnerving detail popped up behind Longlegs outside the house of Agent Harker in the woods. Most importantly, his shadowy presence raises the level of suspense and dread lurking around the investigation. This subtle, chilling appearance does more to add malevolence to an otherwise tense scene that pictures this influence exerted by Longlegs.
The descriptions of the lurking figure of the devil also raise the atmosphere of evil, thus integrating with the movie exploring themes of supernatural evil.Longlegsepitomizes a type of horror wherein the real dynamism of fear lies not in blood and gore but inpsychic suffering and mind games. The uneasy presence underlines his all-pervasive, sinister presence as the devil’s influence, contributing to the haunting and suspenseful moments in the movie.
7In the Kitchen Door Window
Heightening Tension with a Fleeting Glimpse
As Agent Harker becomes transfixed by the unsettling roach crawling across the floor and emerging from under the locked basement door, another unnerving detail heightens the tension in this scene. To the right, at the window of the kitchen door leading outside,a shadowy figure of the devil ominously appears. This subtle presence of the dark figure insinuates that malevolence lurks at the edges of perception, heightening a sense of unease.
This is proven by the almost invisible figure of the devil in the window, showing his presence to indicate that evil is at work even where one might not be seeing it.
This shadowy appearance enhances the sense of horror running throughout the film by reinforcing that danger lurks everywhere. This is proven by the almost invisible figure of the devil in the window, showing his presence to indicate that evil is at work even where one might not be seeing it. This shot raises the tension for this scene, making the audience very aware of the haunting, pervasive threat hanging over Harker’s investigation and adding a haunting depth to the chilling narrative of this film.
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6In the Library Window
The Loud Impact of the Devil
The suspense inLonglegstemporarily peaks when Agent Harker suddenly hears something that startles her with its abrupt thudding at the window of the library. This is a jarring noise that instantly focuses all attention upon the window, where in the glass can be seen the evil figure of the devil. This sudden and startling appearance raises the suspense of the movie in such a way that it puts the audience on the edge of their seat.
This can be seen in the way that, as Longlegs commits his dark rites and murders, he is being followed everywhere by the devil, whose shadow acts as something of a dark reminder of the forces at work within him.
The dark figure of the devil in the library window amplifies the overall atmosphere of fear evoked by the film, visually representing the constant lurking threat just out of reach. This can be seen in the way that, as Longlegs commits his dark rites and murders, he is being followed everywhere by the devil,whose shadow acts as something of a dark reminder of the forces at work within him. The presence of the devil at the window serves to indicate that danger is never too far away and is usually silent, patiently waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
5In the Left Corner with the Photo Box
Subtle Horror in a Moment of Discovery
The unease inLonglegsreaches new heights when Agent Harker opens a box containing a photo of Longlegs. During this scene, the devil subtly hides in the left corner.This scene leaves Lee disturbed further by memories of her traumatic childhoodexperiences with Longlegs himself. A common thread that can be seen is the devil appearing with regard to her past, which links together with that of the serial killer intrinsically.
This scene smoothlylays down the foundation for a supernatural twistas it goes on. Not only is the protagonist gifted with psychic powers, but the serial killer is supposedly doing the Devil’s bidding and is not just murdering for thrills. This could easily be a metaphor, but with these new Easter eggs now in the mix, it would seem like Osgood Perkins wasn’t kidding around. While some of these appearances are extremely conspicuous, this sighting is blink-and-miss.
4Towards the Back of Longlegs' Workshop
Eerie Shadows Amidst the Clutter
It is in Longlegs' workshop that the subtle and shadowy presence of the devil towards the back adds a sinister aspect to the scene. This workshop, full of all sorts of eerie and unsettling elements – for example,grotesque, handcrafted dolls and ominous-looking tools– comes to be even more menacing with the presence of this hidden figure. Thus, his presence, hidden by the clutter and the darkness, adds to the tension and makes the scene even more dreadful.
Longlegs uses scalpels and needles, laid out almost ritualistically on every available space in the workshop.The dolls inLonglegshave been dressed in clothes from another time, which makes them all the more uncanny in appearance. The hidden appearance of the devil adds further to the unsettled atmosphere already rife in the workshop scene. Here, the audiences are reminded of the pervasive evil that proves influential in the narrative through the constant lurking presence of the devil in this grotesque, eerie-filled workshop.
3In the Reflection of the Front Door
Subtle Reflections of the Inescapable Evil
When Agent Carter closes his door, the devil is reflected in the front door outside the house. Maybe it is a subtle reflection, but something that gives the feeling that evil cannot be avoided and will haunt everywhere. Early in the events ofLonglegs, Lee makes some shocking discoveries about Longlegs' method of killing. She discovers thatall the murders occur in families whose daughter’s birthday falls on the 14th of any month, and Agent Carter’s daughter is just about to have her birthday.
That twist also serves to reveal a major plot hole: it should have been known that the family of Agent Carter was a potential target, given the established pattern of Longlegs' killings.
Ruby Carter’s birthdayis subtly set up earlier in the novel to make the twist powerful for the reader. What creates the coincidence with the date of Harker’s discovery of the pattern in every murder – a family with a daughter born on the 14th – makes the Carters, and especially Agent Carter’s daughter, the final target for Longlegs. It is these clues, coupled with Carter’s failure to realize the danger they are in, which heighten the sense of dread and underscore the ominousness of the devil’s presence.
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2In the Window During the First Shotgun Blast
The Devil in the Window When the Gun Goes Off
One of the creepy background glimpses of the devil is in the window to the left, over the right shoulder of Agent Harker, as she walks out of a room in her mother’s house after having heard the first shotgun blast that kills Agent Browning. The haunting presence underscores the danger and chaos of the moment, ratcheting up tension as the scene unfolds.
The beginning of the end ofLonglegscan be pinned to when Lee drives with Agent Browning back to Lee’s childhood home, convinced that Longlegs could not have worked alone. While Lee searches for her mother,Ruth sneaks around to the car to kill Browning with two blasts from a shotgun. Adding a level of chill to this important scene is the subtle appearance of the devil in the window, constantly showing the forces at work.
1Behind Lee While Deciphering the Birthday Card
The Devil Looms as Agent Harker Unravels a Sinister Cipher
In one ofLonglegs' most chilling scenes,the devil stands behind Agent Harker while she deciphers the birthday card left on her desk. What raises the tension and fear at that very moment, due to the closeness of the devil in this very intense moment of concentration and revelation, is the emphasis on his ever-presence. Lee cracks Longlegs' cipher with a Bible verse on the card, unraveling a dark and complex message.
Osgood Perkins dabbles a lot with Satanism and occult rituals in his serial killer horror flickLonglegs, and it’s one particular verse of the Bible that pops up a few times: Revelation 13:1.
What’s more, the urgency and terror increase with Lee’s realization that the dates of the killings form a satanic pattern on a calendar grid. It’s a race against time since the 13th would complete the pattern, a nod toRevelations 1:13. As Lee pieces together this horrifying puzzle, she is putting a face to the sinister influence of the devil that has been driving this killer.
Longlegs
Cast
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.
