Watch Maika Monroe meet Nicolas Cage’s serial killer for the first time in Longlegs

Just over halfway through the year, the award for the scariest movie of 2024 might be locked up. That distinction belongs to Longlegs, Neon’s upcoming thriller involving the pursuit of a vicious serial killer.

Maika Monroe stars as Lee Harker, an FBI agent tasked with finding serial killer Longlegs, played by Nicolas Cage. Harker’s investigation unearths supernatural evidence tied to Longlegs and his satanic killings.

None of the trailers have fully shown Cage’s full face or body to play up the suspicion and intensity of the Longlegs character. Monroe also did not see Cage in costume until their first scene together. Neon released a behind-the-scenes video of Monroe’s first interaction with Cage. It’s an interrogation scene where Monroe’s Harker walks into the room and sits across from Cage at a table. Neon monitored Monroe’s heartbeat for the scene. Her resting heart rate is 76 bpm before it explodes to 170 bpm in the scene.

“When I walked in and saw Nicolas Cage for the first time as Longlegs, that was a visceral experience I’ll never forget,” Monroe said.

Longlegs also stars Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt as Ruth Harker, Michelle Choi-Lee, Dakota Daulby, and Kiernan Shipka. Osgood Perkins writes and directs Longlegs. Perkins is the son of horror legend Anthony Perkins, who famously starred as Norman Bates in Psycho. Producers include Cage, Dan Kagan, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Dave Caplan, and Chris Ferguson.

Initial reviews for Longlegs have been overwhelmingly positive. Perkins’ horror currently boasts a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 79 on Metacritic.

Longlegs opens in theaters on July 12, 2024.