Nicolas Cage's performance in Osgood Perkins' Longlegs has drawn a wide range of reactions. Some found it overbearing or too comical. Others found it unnervingly memorable. And some were disappointed that there wasn't more to it. However you look at it, it is unmistakably a Nicolas Cage performance. Perhaps the one that best defines what that means.
Why Does Nicolas Cage Scare Us in Longlegs? Nouveau Shamanism EXPLAINED.
The pre-release hype surrounding the beloved actor playing a queer serial killer would bring with it certain expectations. The public perception of what constitutes a Nicolas Cage performance has morphed into a twisted caricature that often forgets that the man is just as good at the understated and dark as he is the manic and madcap. His performance as Longlegs is probably the best showcase in a long time.
Despite his reputation for exaggeration, Cage is all about performance art. He has a distinctive style that eschews the conveyor belt of brooding gruffness or quiptastic bravado that makes up a celebrated performance in modern cinema. In the idiosyncrasies, you find the subtleties. The way he shapes and manipulates his particular mannerisms and acting style in small ways is understated because he doesn’t always choose the flavor-of-the-month project to showcase it.
Longlegs gives him the space to do that. With relatively little screen time, he creates a character who makes an impact in unexpected ways. It’s a controversial film with an arthouse sensibility, which feels like the perfect place for Cage.
