Longlegs (Dead Meat Podcast Ep. 216)

[@JackieVsWorld]

The opening shot of longlegs driving up to the house is done from the dolls perspective, you'll notice the camera is positioned in the passenger seat. Since long legs puts pieces of himself inside of each doll, I think that he can also see from their eyes. I think that when he tells young Lee that he has his "long legs on" it's because when interacting with the children he's usually in the doll's position and the doll is the height of the children.

[@julesrules7297]

Nice. 🧠🧠🧠

[@nickt4739]

Agreed, and that would also suggest that Longlegs watches all of the murders occur in real time. Seems like the deeper you dig into this movie the creepier it gets!

[@squidwad6563]

Brilliant catch

[@EE-jp5ev]

DUDE this is so good, I've been trying to figure out wtf dude meant by long legs and this has to be the answer. It makes so much sense. He calls himself long legs because when he's walking around as himself he's differentiating from his experience viewing from the dolls.

[@convicsik]

🤯

[@peach_total]

54:58 the mirroring of the agent telling Lee he’s right under her feet in the interrogation room, while he’s also been right under her feet her whole childhood gave me chills when i realized

[@sharyageorge]

From “we’re boyfriend and girlfriend” and “we’re engaged” to “we’re married and we like to get scared together.” Is so cool to see and I’m glad to be a part of the Dead Meat family.

[@megas13proto]

Are you gonna post this comment every time?

[@Obsidian_Enigma]

@@megas13protoI’ve literally never seen that comment before

[@alggsfan]

​@@Obsidian_Enigmathis is a pretty popular comment, especially in recent videos, but I've noticed it in older podcasts too. I'd say I see this comment on every other episode (but I do not watch DM pod in episodic order, so I'm not a good example.) It's overused by fans a lot, but that just means I ignore it

[@cbb3480]

@@NeonPlanesReally not that weird but 💀

[@sammyyy911]

Parasocial relationships are no joke people!

[@frankiehealey4674]

32:58 I kind of thought that her bosses’ insistence that Longlegs was working alone and that the case is closed was sort of an indication that he’s been anxious about his daughter’s birthday landing on that date. This sort of denial like “ok, he’s dead, I don’t have to worry about it any more” like he felt he just needed to close the case before that day and his family would be ok

[@rebeccawebber]

this is such a good read! in hindsight, that makes so much sense for the drive to wrap up the case THAT DAY.

[@AHORAN02]

It would’ve been better if that were the case and was hinted at a bit better in the movie, because that would make sense

[@peteartieda58]

Yeah his thinking is probably he had to hold his straight edge investigator facade and not give into all the supernatural implications Lee and Longlegs were spewing.

[@kalianievelez]

Right!! When they said why didn’t the boss mention his daughter bday I found that interesting. Because even though he didn’t say anything in his actions it is clear sign that he is fearful for his family and daughter.

[@SabrinaRina]

Very good catch. And sadly those dolls take so long, probably had him setup from the start of the film. And who knows what influence there is once the family/daughter is picked. So his shift to shut things down at Longlegs, which the doll would be done once they caught him, the doll might have already been delivered.

[@marc9675]

the thing about longlegs is that it isn’t “cry-and-scream-and-shit-and-piss-your-pants-from-fear” scary, it’s “the-devil-is-real-and-he’s-under-my-skin-and-he’s-coming-for-me” scary. i think that if they didn’t lean into pure horror for the trailers then reception would be a lot less mixed than it already is, but i’m still glad that most people seem to see it for what it is, which is a really fucking solid satanic-panic thriller piece!

[@weirdguy1495]

I’d say this, The Omen, Smile, and Hereditary are not horror movies you watch for a good time. You watch these to be creeped out.

[@MurdockKlout]

It was way more of a police procedural than I was expecting. I was expecting more hereditary and got more silence of the lambs.

[@aquariussolaris2492]

Watched it last night. Said a prayer before going to sleep

[@itsnick5082]

​@@aquariussolaris2492praying doesn't do anything. God's not real

[@fg3695]

@@NeonPlanesthey were quoting the movie

[@RosieK1323]

another cool detail was when lee is on her phone talking to her mom the first time, and she says something about how she worries because her mom takes so long to get to the phone even though the house was small…..because she was in the basement

[@Zolthux]

*sighs* *resets "it has been X days since the Psycho remake was mentioned in the podcast" sign*

[@gardaproductions]

I know 😭

[@brookesargent8249]

😂😂😂

[@suzanneclark7706]

The minute she mentioned Gus Van Sant, I was like “where have I heard that name before? oh OH WAIT CHELSEADONT!!!!

[@jackroberts4361]

I'm starting to think Chelsea is actually the #1 fan of Psycho 1998

[@tammieletroise-brown4196]

Too funny!

[@marybellefleur]

Mom wasn't always a hoarder. There's a scene in the beginning where you see the landing & I remember thinking damn, it's so *clean.* The hoarding and mental degradation starts after she makes the deal with Longlegs to save her daughter.

[@jar768jake]

Your comment made me realize too that people with a basement, will usually store things in said basement, but I suppose if Longlegs is living and doing their work down there, she can’t really store anything down there. I suppose if everybody just kept their “storaged” items in their main living area we’d all look like hoarders.

[@Minigolfwindmill]

Very disappointed that we didn't get a post credit scene of all 28 minutes of nic cage singing

[@drew2789]

Omg with the credits rolling over him like Pearl lmfao

[@Kikimikiriki]

Neon js posted a video of Nic Cage singing an original song by Longlegs

[@Rat666king]

@@Kikimikirikiit’s so good too haha that double kick on the drum tho 😩😩

[@JettaBReacting]

i wanted it so bad lol i stayed until the screen turned black i wanted to cry 😭 i want more MUMMMAYYYYY DUDDADDDYYYY

[@BullyMaguire4ever]

@@Kikimikirikithat song should have gone on the credits.

[@ninak.9247]

Blair underwood’s character read as anxious to me on second watch. He can’t bring himself to talk about the child victims in detail, he mentions that going away on a Disney trip sounds like a good idea, etc. I took it as signs that he feels his family is at risk without him outright saying so. What brought that impression home for me is that he insists that longlegs is working alone and gets mad when Harper suggests otherwise. Sometimes people go into denial when they’re dreading (or are scared of) something.

[@davefava256]

Excellent catch!

[@jackroberts4361]

I really liked him as a caring mentor figure for Lee, who's trying to do good. It's sad seeing him become a victim to the inevitable.

[@bee-om2ry]

I also sorta theorize that Longlegs/the Devil was going after him since the beginning, maybe by planting the ball or something in his house before the doll? I need a 2nd re-watch, but I remember he gets more and more agitated as the movie goes on and when Longlegs SluiSlides, it seemed off character how he went off on Lee. I think it also explains why the family was so quick to change…tho I’m also not sure if they ever explained how long it took for the families to snap? But to me it seemed WAY too fast how quick they switched….actually just realized he was with Lee so much and was potentially triggered by HER presence/ball….🤯 I love this movie lol

[@MooTelevision]

See, I think he was so anxious and nervous because he knew his daughter was at risk bc of her birthday. And that’s why he got someone he thought was psychic to look at the case and why he was so adamant about Harker meeting his family. And why he was pushing Harker when the other agent kept saying “she’s not ready.” When Longlegs died, he didn’t believe there was a second killer. So he assumed his daughter was safe then.

[@zakthefurryfeline8865]

I believe the director said that the entire plot is to make Lee kill her mother, just because the devil thinks it’s funny

[@toxicsugarart2103]

That’s WILD bro like ALL THAT just for THAT????? Long term 4D chess fr fr

[@zakthefurryfeline8865]

@@toxicsugarart2103 oh it’s unreal levels of hating

[@damoncarrawell2906]

Sounds like the devil doing devil shit

[@Hevvvyyy]

Mann the devil straight up sucks

[@jonsrecordcollection7172]

This means the devil would be a next-level troll, practically GOAT-level troll.

[@tricky849]

I think her boss definitely knew that his daughters bday was related to longlegs. Thats why hes so desperate to solve the case and puts a rookie agent onto the case because he ran out of leads (his partner tells him lee isnt ready). Any time lee asks about how the kids die he refuses to talk about it. When they are shown the body in the families house, Lee asks the coroner how old the daughter was. She says 9 which is the breaking point that makes Carter leave the room. Then he refuses to listen to lee when she says theres an accomplice because he wants the case to be over and his family to be safe

[@Unhingeddirtdog]

Aw thats even more heartbreaking

[@I_Like_Horror-237]

3 things: - The scene where Lee is looking at the bug in her mom’s house, the devil is briefly peering through the front door window behind her - When Longlegs is in custody, the agents make a remark about him being under Lee’s feet the whole time. He was under her feet in her mom’s house as well - Chelsea’s Longlegs intonations are spot on

[@karmensandiago7746]

Did you see the scene when Lee gets her birthday card and starts to open the card, the devil is in the doorway for a shot then it disappears afterwards

[@Deathproof73]

Nic Cage told Oz that a huge inspiration for Longlegs was his mom. He said he couldn't help thinking about her as he read the script. He stated that he remembered she would put cold cream on her face, then turn around to him and say, "Cuckoo!". 😅 the scene when longlegs goes in the store and interacts with the teen, him doing those weird hand motions and covering his eyes, you're basically watching Nic's mom. She would do all those things to him as a kid!

[@jackroberts4361]

Nic Cage has been awesome for horror and I hope he does more

[@ИванСавинов-э2д]

Actually it looks pretty creepy

[@rsfilmdiscussionchannel4168]

Well I know where he got his oddballness from in more ways than one......

[@MiyaoMeow588]

I think Longlegs was always using the dolls to kill even before recruiting Lee's mother, he would just deliver it himself. But since he's off-putting and weird, having someone more trustworthy, like a nun, to deliver them instead would be more ideal

[@jackroberts4361]

That would make sense because there wasn't an indication that he ever murdered anyone personally and he was most likely trying to give Lee her doll before her mom turned him away.

[@mauricey4477]

Yes spot on!

[@TheOverachiever7]

Harker’s time at the chief’s house after driving him home, was so relatable and honestly one of the funniest bits in the film. Her sitting in the daughter’s room in silence was great.

[@Unhingeddirtdog]

I love lee! She gives me huge autism vibes and i love it as an autistic

[@anemonesiac]

Her having to maintain the conversation was more tense than the scares

[@tombess2673]

Spoilers... - - - Went into this one virtually blind and loved it from start to finish. The atmosphere is off the charts, there were so many shots of cavernous / empty spaces that had me inspecting every dark corner for weird little clues that I still managed to mostly miss on the first viewing. I did clock Ruby's birthday as playing into the finale, but chalked the other characters not stressing over it up to them being trained FBI agents who wouldn't just welcome in some weirdo on the date in question. A detail I very much appreciated - no one in this world once suggests that Lee's psychic abilities are feigned or some sort of parlor trick. Them buying her abilities without question made it that much easier for me to accept the fact that it's thee Devil causing all this carnage as opposed to something more grounded. As for the ending, I interpreted it as there still being a bit of Satanic aura / vibe / influence on Lee, but not that she was next in line for the Longlegs job. Not sure if this is the sort of flick that's likely to produce a sequel, but I'd just be pleased as peaches to follow Agent Harker through another case. Excellent work as always!

[@Greta7]

Loved the movie, I have so many thoughts. Something I felt was an undercurrent of the movie was pedophilia and grooming. The fact that Lee doesn’t remember Longlegs at all but Longlegs watched her grow up, kept her in this kid-like state as a doll, gives her a 9th birthday card. Wanting kids to stay kids, Lee’s mom being protective and yet letting this creep have access to her for her entire childhood. We don’t even see Longlegs killing kids, so I got the vibe that he wouldn’t kill, but assault groom them (especially because Kiernan Shipka’s character talks so fondly of him). The dolls themselves I feel everyone is saying it’s the devil in them, but it seems that there’s some of the kid’s consciousness in them too (we see from their POV), which to me speaks to mentally stunting, as well as the dissociation and blacking out that can occur when being abused.

[@jonsrecordcollection7172]

I think they were trying to make Longlegs look like a more fey Charles Manson figure. He's not scary because he's physically overpowering, but because he can manipulate others to do evil. The fact that Lee's mom in her nun outfit reminded me of Manson Family member, Squeaky Fromme, seals that interpretation for me. Alicia Witt (who played the Mom) and Squeaky Fromme are both redheads. So there's that too.

[@jassminereil8487]

I soo agree and hear you! I kept getting this like icky feeling that I couldnt place because nothing happens in that regard. But the fact that it is explicitly young daughters and their families and their birthdays, the memory stuff, the Carrie Anne vibes, and his like need to talk to little girls (like the one at the store), the DOLLLSSS, 'you ARE the dark", ect. It def has that weird vibe. Even the 'you got to grow up' from the mom reminded me of cycles of trauma and abuse. It truly adds to the eerie gross vibe of the movie, even if it's self imposed by us as an audience. It's incredible.

[@bewilderedbunnny]

my favorite scene in the movie is that final one at the birthday party, but the part that has really stuck in my mind was this little noise that the wife makes when i think they're talking about getting the cake. like she knows that something's wrong and she doesn't want to be saying the things that she is, but she can't do anything about it because she's being puppeteered by the devil.

[@EE-jp5ev]

YEAH it's almost like the spell hasn't fully set in yet so she knew what was coming and was just being puppeteered to it. Totally locked in to her body that was playing a part seconds before her death. The one that really stuck with me was Cage screaming in the car. Because he had a doll of the girl at the little store. I think he was screaming for Mommy and Daddy because he was watching that little girl and her family be murdered through his other vision in the doll and mocking her dying yells because she made fun of him at the store.

[@johnny-bw8jn]

@@EE-jp5ev Wait, he had a doll of the cashier?

[@EE-jp5ev]

@@johnny-bw8jn YES I didn't put it together until my second watch, but he had another doll made that looked just like the cashier girl in his workshop

[@johnny-bw8jn]

@@EE-jp5ev What scene was it shown in, approximately? Will be keeping that in mind when I rewatch it on VOD/Blu-ray. This movie rocked.

[@wendytuxworth965]

It's really funny to me that Chelsea thought that certain background scares were too obvious - my eyes were scanning the background of every scene because I was SURE there would be something there and I missed all of them 😂 my instincts were right, maybe my eyes are just too bad to see them lol

[@jackroberts4361]

I thought it was kind of fun to look for any creepy things that might be hidden in the background, especially in Lee's house. The cinematography is so good and unnerving!

[@wendytuxworth965]

@@jackroberts4361 totally! I'll give it another watch after I get some new glasses, see if I can spot them lol

[@astoldbynickgerr]

Same experience! I swear I was looking it the background for something but missed every sighting 😂

[@wendytuxworth965]

@@astoldbynickgerr lol I DID need new glasses so maybe get your eyes checked!

[@lucyskentel97]

16:30 This makes me think of death note where ryuk (the shinigami) says he only dropped the death note because he was bored, and light just so happened to pick it up. Nothing was special about light at all, he just happened to be the one to find it.

[@lindseymcdaniel3484]

What i loved about this movie is that it never lets you be comfortable. It starts with a really tense opening scene and an excellent jumpscare, and the tension never eases from there. Partly bc Lee herself never seems to be comfortable in any situation she's in. She always looks away when speaking to someone, has very tense and stilted body language; even when we see her sleeping, shes fully clothed and lying in an awkward position on a bare floor. She's never comfortable, and by extension, neither is the audience. Brilliant.

[@JamieMarzy]

My husband and I had that conversation while we were watching it. It is the most tense and physically uncomfortable movie.I've never had to sit through. Literally cannot get comfortable.You cannot relax

[@Poirotgirl]

Okay, as a Christian who has done full studies on Revelation and still doesn’t fully understand it, the fact that you casually said you reread Revelation to try and understand something in the movie… MAD respect. 😂

[@toxicsugarart2103]

Same ❤

[@madam-mint]

@@NeonPlanes Still, they could have looked up like…biblical sparknotes.

[@Captain-Sum.Ting-Wong]

Revelation is definitely my favorite Bible book. I don't think anybody truly understands it

[@ZombieInc661]

@@NeonPlanesi dont understand your “its easy to read something you dont believe in”, maybe for someone who is not about to do a 1 hour and 12 min podcast on the topic, they could fly thru it

[@lm1291]

​@@NeonPlanesbooo leaving negative comments for the sake of being negative boooo embrace whimsy & joy challenge

[@jenniferwest327]

Longlegs did have the doll for lee, he’s there and says he has a gift from the church and the beginning scene is in perspective of the doll in the car. Also he says that lees mom was the seventh person to be given the option to die or help the devil

[@nateds7326]

I decided on a wim to watch this to watch this late the other night. I invited a friend, said "hey I'm gonna go see the new nic cage horror movie" he said "what's it called?". I said Long legs, he said no cause he "can't handle spider shit". After going through 100 minutes of hell I imidiatly called him and said "dude that was not about spiders".

[@elphaba9700]

Lol c'mon did he think Nic Cage was gonna dress as an evil spider?

[@bexxycat2890]

​@@elphaba9700 i kinda did! Went in blind but knew Nicholas cage was in it and i thought he might be like a really long stretchy dude, climbing up walls an crap 😅

[@nateds7326]

@@elphaba9700 you say that as if that wouldn't be amazing

[@itsnick5082]

Wdym "hell" it was really good

[@elphaba9700]

@@nateds7326 It is Nic Cage. He'd probably make it work lol

[@happylands8712]

🎵LET ME IN NOW AND IT CAN BE NICE MAKE ME GO NOW AND I HAVE TO COME BACK NOT ONCE, NOT TWICE BUT AS MANY TIMES AS I LIKEEEEEEEEE🎵

[@jgcoverkknot5701]

Him singing gave me chills

[@jackroberts4361]

I've had this stuck in my head the last week lol

[@OMGLX]

My personal read on this is that his singing, and strange hand jive movements, are a sort of spell to invoke the devil's influence and control others. OR it's just a weird as shit guy who likes to sing and dance poorly. Either way. 😄

[@tristanmarler43]

LISTEN, we love the tangents. The poop knife tangent will forever live rent free in my head and that is okay with me

[@limarobin1]

Which podcast is the poop knife tangent? I must know!

[@tristanmarler43]

@@limarobin1 Unwelcome!

[@stephenball2108]

I think we can all agree that Longlegs is destined to be a future first boot on a Horror Survivor episode

[@jackroberts4361]

As much as I'd want to watch a whole season of him, you're right. He could probably make a good fake idol though.

[@JamieMarzy]

Oh yea his singing would drive everyone nuts

[@boobootittleman7299]

Best title card of the year. Absolutely phenomenal horror film and I’m glad Oz Perkins is getting the recognition he deserves.

[@p-ruthless9005]

I loved the part where Nic cage said “my legs are getting longer” and proceeded to longleg all over the place

[@kates.1562]

When he finally used his famous catchphrase “it’s Longin’ time” I lost my mind

[@larendareyes1185]

When he went, "hey I'm long leggin it here!!"

[@miklutek]

"Maybe the real Longs were the Legs we made along the way"

[@Killerclips420]

Yes I loved when he said “it’s long leg time!” And started legging all over the place

[@robbykunkel5263]

This line alone makes me want to see it eventually

[@jackroberts4361]

Longlegs singing is the perfect mix of hilarious and terrifying. How do you even respond to that person? Truly every customer service worker's nightmare.

[@aaaustinnn]

I want a thorough investigation on why there’s an Adult Ruby Carter listed in the credits. Is that possibly part of the original ending that got changed? We need answers on the blu ray! 😮‍💨

[@madeofmeats]

So I just finished a rewatch of this film and also in the credits there’s supposedly a character named Agent Kurt Kobble?? Which is a very weirdly specific name let along spelling, it being the same last name Longlegs has. Feels like a really weird coincidence for a movie with an already small cast of named characters, so like, what does this mean???

[@meganhudgins9536]

Me every time there's a minor inconvenience in my life: DADDYYYYYYY! MOMMYYYYYYY! UNMAKE ME AND SAVE ME FROM THE HELL OF LIVINGGGGGG!

[@DurhamDoesMakeup]

When Nic Cage was screaming and screeching in the car I automatically thought of Kick ass when he was getting burnt to a crisp but encouraging Hit Girl before he died.

[@thexombie3225]

I thought of Face/Off “I’M READDDDYYYYY! READY FOR THE BIG RIDE BABYYYYYYY!”

[@Gorillafornia]

I said the exact same thing to my buddies I went with! Especially the “Mommmiiiiiiahh!” And they didnt share the same excitement I had with that haha

[@ScreamQueen217]

I personally love when you guys go on tangents and Gressel gets involved 🖤

[@tuckershuff1441]

My friend would not stop giving me crap for jumping almost three feet out of my seat during THAT part of the opening scene.

[@Guitarmachine115]

Dude same here I wasn’t expecting that lmao 😂

[@bathroomg0blin]

i would've too are you a woman?

[@bleepy013]

Which part?

[@i.wannabe.m.e]

@@bleepy013when longlegs bends down and it cuts to the title card

[@tuckershuff1441]

@@i.wannabe.m.e For me personally it was when she turns and he's just standing there in front of the camera. I just wasn't expecting him to be so dang close to her.

[@TheLongestTake]

THANK YOU FOR CONSTANTLY SHOUTING OUT NOPE! Nope is in my top 10 of all time, I absolutely adore that movie.

[@DisposedHerox]

my theory is once the doll has been brought to the house, its kind of a living host inside of the person that it was meant for, like throughout the whole movie the main character like is half braindead, she speaks slowly, and she isn't very emotional at all, then once her mom shoots the head and breaks open the silver ball, and it releases the evil, when shes driving back after the house incident at the end, shes screaming and crying in the car, which is way different than the character was the whole movie, like she was released or something like that.

[@EE-jp5ev]

I follow this theory as well, because Lee moves around her she's a puppet on strings the entire movie. If you rewatch it, watch how she moves through the world. Even when she's waking up on the bed, it's like she's having to learn how to walk and move around on her own for the first time.

[@Szanth]

The mother referred to Longlegs being dead as being "freed", following that up with "And now you are too" before shooting the doll.

[@The_SSSlopper]

I thought this was obvious

[@VampMoneyCollective]

As a victim of CSA the theme of overprotective parenting resonated with me a lot.... my parents never told me that was bad and that I could tell someone about it I had to figure out on my own after it happening for a long time. For that reason while the movie was fun it also kinda left me with a deep sadness for the day afterwards

[@thexombie3225]

I kinda had the same experience, wasn’t expecting the triggers that happened to happen. It was a great movie but still kinda hurt a little. Hope you’ve been feeling better since then *internet hug*

[@mortua_conjuga]

i was sat in the cinema like "kiernan shipka or mckenna grace?" the confusion was real

[@deepdiveradio]

On 32:35. I think Lee’s boss does know that his daughter might be the next target, but it’s not his words that show this, it’s his actions. His constant denial that Longlegs could have an accomplice seems to me like him trying to console his own worries. He constantly tells himself that Longlegs’ death means the case is over, which means that his daughter is safe. This is why he gets so angry at Lee for saying there is an accomplice. He’s in denial because he wants to believe that his daughter will be okay. He suspects that his family is next on the list, and if Longlegs has someone helping him, they aren’t safe, and he can’t handle that.

[@mattreid2463]

I personally found the scene of Longlegs screaming in the car to be absolutely terrifying. Like he's an old serial killer who can't lure his victims as well anymore, but you see his rage and insanity come out. It's like that girl has no idea how close she was to being murdered. Also, the scene of him just sitting on his mattress, bathed in red light. Something so scary about seeing someone so deranged alone with their thoughts. Both scenes he's dropped the crazy act and just looks mean. I found it so creepy ngl

[@brbaic9364]

Some little tidbits: I've seen a lot of people claim the sphere in the dolls is just a Phantasm reference, but I think it's a little bit more than that. They look like they're made out of uranium, which given the timeline of this film, I think it's a reference to the toxic materials that were foubd to have been used to make toys in the 70s/80s. I think him being a doll maker further solidifies that for me. Lee's psychic like abilities was because of her connection to her doll, and it went away when her mom shoots and destroys the doll. That's also why the other girl jumped off the roof immediately after they opened the sphere in her doll. Her line about how she wouldn't ever want to forget him is very crucial to all this. I do not believe Lee was necessarily intended to become his victim as a child. Sure he probably would've killed them had her mother refused his deal, but I think it was the plan from the start. Also the theory that he is Lee's farther is hilarious and ridiculous. The serial killer Lee catches towards to beginning may be unrelated to the Longlegs case, but he's definitely relative to her part in the Devil's story. Her boss says the man is likely armed and dangerous and won't go quietly, but as soon as Lee enters the house he calmy surrenders without a fight. I believe he's under the same control and that he was told to spare her as she had a further part to play. I definitely don't read the ending as her taking Longlegs' place, I think it was just the inevitable conclusion to this domino effect the devil designed. The absolute worst possible outcome for Lee happens when she's forced to kill her mother to save the girl. But Ruby isn't really the point, Lee doesn't really stop anything, she doesn't win. The ending is essentially the devil being like "Yeah, I did that." I hate the intense questioning of "why would the devil do that, why would it care?". The whole thing with god is that it has this divine plan, everything is according to his plan. The devil is the antithesis of that; random, sporadic, chaos, because it can. Characters like the coroner saying he thought he could hear his ex wife's voice, or Lee's mom pausing and saying she doesn't remember anything when asked about who came to visit them, is all because of the Devil's influence. Same reason why Lee can't make herself move to save her boss' wife.

[@jonsrecordcollection7172]

I always had a more mystical explanation for what the ball was. It stems from that amazing shot after Lee shoots the doll & you have that eerie glimpse at the broken doll head & the black smoke rising out of the broken ball. Maybe it's because I was raised Catholic, but dark, black smoke like that signifies the Devil to me.

[@jonsrecordcollection7172]

Also, whenever the College of Cardinals elects a new pope, white incense smoke means, "You get to be the new pope," but black smoke means "You don't get to be the new pope."

[@MooTelevision]

So I think Agent Carter (Blair Underwood) actually was concerned about his daughter’s birthday. I think that’s why he got someone he thought was psychic to look at the case, and why he was so adamant about Lee Harker meeting his family. To see if she got anything from them. And also why he kept pushing her when the other agent kept saying “she’s not ready.” He was extremely desperate to solve the case, but when Longlegs died he didn’t believe there was another killer and assumed his daughter was safe.

[@dyllanworkman3129]

One thing I heard is Nic Cage took inspiration from his own mother for the character Longlegs, who had schizophrenia which led to her putting ointment on her face very reminiscent of the look in the movie. Also I saw someone point out Lee looks over her shoulder with the "psychic aspects" are being used, and that could be a nod to the devil on the shoulder. Another fantastic movie and fantastic podcast episode !!!

[@groundchele]

this movie felt like if an Ethel Cain song was a movie

[@KimFromTheCrypt]

OMG

[@ChewTheMPKiller]

thank you for keeping me company all these years guys - make me feel like im in a conversation and i really find it comforting

[@a.a.g.h.1679]

Along with the name coming from Daddy Longlegs, I’d like to posit the nursery rhyme goosey goosey gander into the discussion: Old father Long-Legs Can't say his prayers: take him by the left leg, And throw him downstairs. Edit: Found an extended version of the rhyme: Old father Long-Legs Can't say his prayers: Take him by the left leg, And throw him down the stairs. And when he's at the bottom, Before he long has lain, Take him by the right leg, And throw him up again. Just from a cursory glance at the Wikipedia page for this rhyme; it sounds like Father Longlegs is in reference to a priest, and I mean the parallels to Lee (doesn’t say her prayers, ends up downstairs) and Longlegs himself are apparent enough

[@jonsrecordcollection7172]

That makes a lot of sense, especially when you consider that Mr. Downstairs is an unseen presence in the film.

[@erwinbarrientos2324]

I was so fucused on mystery side of the movie in the beginning that I didn't notice any of the devil imagery in background. That alone has me excited to rewatch this movie. I really enjoyed the eerie vibe it gave of the entire way through.

[@slimkt]

Might be a month late, but @46:00 the thing hanging from Longleg’s rearview mirror that Chelsea is talking about is, in fact, a bottle opener. Specifically, a brass Capricornus bottle opener. The only great significance I could draw from it is that Capricorn would be Lee’s zodiac sign since she was born on January 14. But it could’ve easily just been used because it looks cool and has some of the goat imagery that typically surrounds Satan.

[@DelphicSpinsterIndagatrix]

Thank you for sharing that! And now, as a Capricorn and someone who loved the movie, I need that bottle opener 😅

[@cpikoart]

I interpreted the ending in a kind of a bittersweet way. Lee finds herself incapable of destroying the doll, but knows that if she destroys it Ruby will become aware of what happened to her parents. Lee ends up protecting Ruby in a way despite dooming her to the fate she lived with her entire life. I appreciated the exposition dump because I have a hard time comprehending complex stories like this in the moment, but the “murdering families” line was very on the nose.

[@GonzoAppreciator]

Loved that little zoom in on Molly's yawn

[@Lethalport1515]

How smoothly yet rigidly Molly was put on the ground made me laugh, she looked like a figurine 😂😂

[@gooberpixel]

This and Cuckoo were/are my most anticipated movie of the year and it delivered and even succeeded my expectations. Watching The Blackcoats Daughter beforehand really got me into Osgood's style and I'm super excited to see what he does next!!

[@aaaustinnn]

I also watched Blackcoat’s Daughter the night before and it cannot be understated how well the movies pair together! I think watching that one before you see Longlegs really helps get you in the right satanic mood and more people should be doing that double feature.

[@joshmckfuggles5710]

So excited for Cuckoo.

[@SeattleWaffle]

Cuckoo intrigued me but I worry the trailer gave too much away (especially if you are familiar with how the bird cuckoo operates)

[@itsnick5082]

Umm how about Deadpool 3?

[@gooberpixel]

@@itsnick5082 what’s Deadpool?

[@OMGLX]

I was fascinated by the scene where they're watching Longlegs' interrogation, post-capture, and they pause it to discuss what to do next. The framing of that discussion, where Agent Carter is seated, head positioned right beneath Longlegs' contorted visage mid-scream, made it look like Longlegs was already screaming the devil into Carter, well before the doll arrived at the house. Terrifically shot. There were a couple of bits that clued me into what the ending would likely be, but I was still enrapt the whole time. Loved this movie.

[@amandafrazier9724]

I LOVED that. It looked to ke like he was about to devour him. I think that still shot is the most frightening-looking shor of Longlegs.

[@LOWBORN-the-LOATHSOME]

Yeah, I wasn't paying attention to ANYTHING those characters were saying, I was just waiting for the camera to pan back to Agent Carter and for Longlegs' face to move on the paused video screen in the background...

[@AidenChristmass-j1j]

1:04:23 in this scene, I took it as being from the perspective of Lee’s mother. That’s why the woman being killed by her husband reaches out to us, because she’s reaching out for the safety of the Church. Also why the priest that comes in looks oddly towards the camera, as he’s seeing a nun but one he does not recognise

[@amandafrazier9724]

I feel like the exchange with Ruby about her headless trophy is a bit of foreshadowing about memory loss/the dolls/Lee's doll and its sphere being destroyed. "What happened to this one?" "I don’t know. Her head came off and i don’t know where it is."

[@bondfall0072]

I was born and raised a Christian, and while i struggle with faith, i still try to attend church and hold true to my beliefs. Alot of this films symbolism and mood really affected me in subtle, subliminal ways. I didn't realize how badly this film disturbed me until i got home two hours later and realized my shoulders were still tense. The biggest take away i had from this movie was the theme of good vs evil. I know that sounds very basic and cookie cutter, but hear me out. The film does a really good job exploring what exactly evil is through Longlegs and Ruth (Lee's mother). Longlegs is Evil for the sake of it, The pure sadistic joy of hurting someone, while Ruth is both Evil by corruption and coercion. She doesn't start the story Evil, but the acts she perpetrates in the name of what she perceives as good warp her into something horrible. Despite all of this darkness, i still think this film has a bittersweet ending, (with emphasis on the bitter) and i think alot of that has to do with Lee Harker. I really related to her struggles at home. I think her weird behavior is part undiagnosed autism, part deeply repressed trauma. I think Lee represents Goodness in spite of Evil. She is a candle in a dark dark place. While it comes at a high cost, she is able to stop the killing. I think the gun jamming could be supernatural, but it could also be mundane. i also think its a metaphor for how she can't erase her or Ruby's trauma. Evil things were done to them. They have to find ways to cope with that. Complete tangent: Nick Cage was great in this movie. Almost every scene had this perfect balance of comedy and horror. Like, he is so ridiculous that it loops around to being scary. No normal person acts like Longlegs. It makes you wonder if Longlegs is even human, or rather some demon puppeting a gollum of flesh and bone to cause misery on earth before he slams himself back into hell where he belongs. It would explain why he can't do the killings himself, imo.

[@lauradelvasto3196]

That's a great interpretation! I also completely agree with Cage's acting being so ridiculous and out of place that it becomes unnerving. It was perfect for this movie!

[@jonsrecordcollection7172]

As part of the good vs. evil, it seems like the movie is saying that the Devil's greatest pleasure is forcing or tricking good people to do evil.

[@lucasorlando99]

I think the reason lee’s mothers house is so cluttered is bc since Longlegs lives in the basement so now everything that would be in the basement is all over the house

[@amandafrazier9724]

Oh, good thought!

[@bitt3rblu3]

I will say that people on social media have only been calling Lee Harker a Clarice Starling variant bc she’s a girl, she clearly favors Will Graham way more!

[@marshallmyers8455]

“I’m any-percenting family murder suicide” -Chelsea

[@TigerBeatSTL]

South Park Al Gore said it best: "Why does the devil do anything? He's the freakin' devil. He's a dick."

[@worstfortniteplayerever]

idk about y’all, but i feel like this is a GOOD winter/christmas watch. being from the mitten, the winter vibe just felt.. comfortable, if that makes sense

[@sherylsmallwood-valdivia5375]

Speaking of Bill Clinton, he is a father to only a daughter. That freaked me out once I put two and two together.

[@xaliven4365]

I love watching your podcasts after I watch the movie and the comments are always talking about details I've possibly missed. It's just such a nice community in here!

[@lucasrosendal3420]

Story time. The night I saw Longlegs for the first time - I've seen it twice now - I woke up in the middle of that night because I had a nightmare about Nicolas Cage as Longlegs. Dude was terrifying and deserves all the praise for this role

[@andrewconway8377]

Nic Cage's last line of the movie, "hail satan" and just the way he delivers that line gives me chills and has haunted me ever since I saw this movie! Best horror movie of the year so far!

[@nickbagley1115]

After watching a second time, I realized that during the shape recognition part in the beginning, when she's shown an inverted triangle, the first word that came to mind was father. idk what it means, but I thought it was fascinating.

[@jenniferwest327]

Also cuckoo is a type of bird that puts their eggs in another birds nest so that other bird feeds it, and long legs is literally being fed victim by lees mom and live in her house. I saw this theory from spooky astronauts on yt

[@guiltlessprogram8331]

My boyfriend and i saw Longlegs day 1 at a theater after seeing your recommendation! The way the movie was shot had me constantly looking around the screen, expecting something to pop up in the background at any point. I love a movie that doesn't explain everything to the viewer, letting them fill in the blanks like a detective trying to solve a case. And Nicholas Cage came in swinging again! No one plays a disturbed/crazy man like the Cage! Loved that in interviews he discussed more of his characters background, saying he used to be in a band and looks the way he does due to multiple surgeries, and is so pale because he wheres powder to try to cover the scars and discoloration.

[@rivera724]

Calling it now, Long Legs wins the 2025 Horror Royal Rumble

[@shumlina]

Dead Meat Podcast comments section with the great additional theories and analysis as usual, i love y'all! 💖

[@tommym7321]

I really liked it, but I'm in agreeance with the people that think they exposition dumped too much in the end and was also kinda disappointed that it was Satan. Like I'm sure there's some demon that's linked with dolls, I don't get why they'd just blanketly be like "nah, it's the devil". And it would have been so much better if we hadn't gotten the mothers VO after she shot the doll. I get that point of it being Lee regaining her memories, but I think just showing it in flashbacks without VO or really any dialogue would have kept it kind of a mystery but given us enough to piece together what happened.

[@harmonlanager2670]

I wish they kinda left it vague and ambiguous on if the supernatural was real or not. In such a dreamlike, uneasy movie, it’s weird to get an answer as straightforward and, dare I say, contrived as “The Devil did it”

[@jackroberts4361]

I think the dolls could still work without there being a direct connection to the devil. It might be too complicated, but I could see the dolls having hidden speakers or something that Longlegs speaks through to influence the fathers. I like most of the elements, it's the execution (no pun intended) that could use work.

[@jackroberts4361]

​@NeonPlanes That's your opinion, and you're entitled to it. Saying it sucks is kind of harsh. The trailers do set up certain expectations though.

[@peteartieda58]

​@@NeonPlanes there's a difference between completely not delivering vs adding something a little up top. They still delivered on that serial killer investigation thriller up until Longlegs killed himself. They just insert a supernatural/demonic aspect to the serial killer. Modern audiences have been so coddled by teasers/trailers that giveaway everything about their movies. Some audiences just want to know exactly what to expect out of a movie, to not be challenged. That when movies like this one who don't dump the whole plot in their promos or have a twist it's suddenly a bad thing.

[@jackroberts4361]

@NeonPlanes You didn't have to be a dick about it, but point taken I guess

[@brookesargent8249]

There is truly nothing like getting a Dead Meat Podcast after watching an awesome movie 😊

[@carmenvanderhoof7606]

There is such as thing as a "Longlegs" patron- a stranger who sponsors someone from afar without being actively involved in their life. Its seen now as a form of grooming now but used to be a pretty common thing. When I first heard the title that's what is reminded me of. There's so many layers to this movie and I always catch different pieces with each watch. Such as the 7 people helping longlegs being the 7 heads, the 10 crowns being the 10 murdered families, and I 100% believe that the guy that was caught at the beginning was part of the longlegs plot-maybe one of the heads. Why else would he give himself up to easily to Lee? Just my theory.

[@willhargreaveshf]

46:33 the crash zoom on Molly and James' subsequent horror is day-making

[@darrinstevens7063]

"Press that devil smoke out!" should've been a Dad's Grass promotion.

[@BTT16]

That ending with Blair Underwood and his family was so good...and I could have sworn that before Lee shot her Mom in the head, she stood up and lunged at her saying "Don't call me that!!!" and had Longleg's face kind of superimposed on her own, and her voice sounded lower and demonic as she screamed.

[@notoriouskib]

Literally just saw this last night and so happy to see that I’m right on time for the discussion. I really did ignore the hype for the movie, but I think I hyped it in my brain as being comparable to Silence of the Lambs-which I think it does pretty well until the supernatural elements are revealed. I didn’t love that it was just, “Satan has horcruxes.” Ok. But I think overall it looks great and the vibes are sufficiently unnerving.

[@AMonitorDarkly]

I saw someone make a convincing argument that Longlegs is a human who’s been possessed by the demon Baal for many years. I kind of assumed that he was a doll maker before being possessed and that’s why it’s dolls. Additionally, I think his screaming in the car was the real Dale Cobble breaking through for a moment to cry for help.

[@amandafrazier9724]

Oh, I like this. It's like a devil pun: Ba'al/ball.

[@Rowan7131]

I wonder if that’s why his face looks weird and bubbly, his body slowly breaking down… idk, I haven’t seen a good explanation for why his face looks like that, so that’s where my mind went when I read your comment 🤪

[@jaceestapp]

A set thing I liked is most if not all the windows had something in them. I mean especially in her house. Clear, big windows had a view to something, typically trees which could hide something. Foggy windows had shadows in them. It was making me squint to try and make out a figure in any of it.

[@king_gee1991]

At like 50 minutes you guys talked about how it was confusing whether or not Longlegs used the dolls before meeting Lee's mom. In the opening scene(the 4 mm one i think) we see in his passenger seat that he does indeed have a doll prepared for Lee, making me think that he had been using dolls all along, and that the inly thing keeping him from actually using it and killing Lee in the lack of a father figure. Idk what the importance of the father figure is in this context and why there must be one present for the murder to take place.

[@harveyburton7]

After watching the first 5-10 minutes of longlegs, I was just like, "Wow," great film in all aspects. It's my favourite horror film of the year for me so far.

[@adam-l74]

Longlegs was a trippy, unsettling film. I loved it.

[@EricN-d2n]

Here is a perspective regarding the boss not addressing the fact that his daughter's birthday is on the day longlegs targets. He actually is fully aware of the connection and he's willing to do whatever it takes to get the killer. Everything he does is his desperate attempt to find longlegs before his daughters birthday: He's personally involved with the investigation. He gets irrationally upset whenever there's a roadblock. He brings in a newbie agent who potentially has psychic cognition even though she only got 50% of her predictions right. After they got longlegs, he lets his guard down, which results in the him being another victim to the devil.

[@Sharpe1502]

I will say, this movie was fun to see with a full audience, because people at my theater freaked out. I heard a man tell people he was with that he was gonna go home and watch a Disney movie. I also didn’t find Nic Cage’s performance funny. I was genuinely unsettled by him. 😂 I thought that when he screamed in the car he was mimicking his victims as like a self soothing thing and it freaked me out.

[@freudianslipp]

Even more than silence of the lambs, longlegs reminds me a LOT of true detective season 1

[@jonsrecordcollection7172]

What I like about the atmosphere/tone/vibe of this movie is how Nicolas Cage is dialed to 11, but Maika Monroe is dialed down to 2. So when somebody playing a "normal" character like Blair Underwood is interacting with Maika Monroe, even that can feel off-putting. It's very skilled how Osgood Perkins maintains a consistent tone, by juxtaposing actors playing at very different levels of intensity.

[@DevinSmithAwesomeThanks]

Been so eager to hear your guys thoughts since I stepped foot out of that theater!

[@melissavelasco3694]

I absolutely love DeadMeat and the podcasts because I'm fairly new to the horror genre but because of DeadMeat and the podcasts, it's broadened my view on horror movies and the genre as a whole. I always go to the podcasts and watch the kill counts so that I know what to expect and the podcasts explains so much and I'm so glad for you guys! Especially since I personally have autism and I'm not a very social person but because of being a horror fan, it's expanded my social behaviors and socializing a lot! Thank you James and Chelsea as well as the DeadMeat crew for continuing to do what you guys do with horror! This podcast alone makes me want to go see the movie with my boyfriend so both of us can experience and talk about it the whole way home ❤

[@pusheenqueen519]

I think I felt a bit conflicted by the third act because (SPOILERS): Edit: I don't think the use of supernatural elements was lazy or even not fitting for the movie. I liked it a lot but I was expecting something different going in. 1. The mom kinda exposition dumped the big reveal of her working with Longlegs and how it all worked. The whole third chapter actually felt a bit rushed. 2. I wasn't expecting this movie to have a supernatural conclusion. Like I spent a good chunk of the movie very engaged in the mystery of who Longlegs is and how he was involved in the killing and assumed the reveal was a more mundane reason. Then it was like "oh wait he did it all through devil magic? Oh okay." I just assumed this movie would be something else from the trailer but I don't dislike it. I actually really want to rewatch this movie, I liked it okay the first time but I think I'll enjoy it more this time around.

[@jordyngalvan8558]

For your second point, I really didn't expect that supernatural conclusion and I really didn't like it. I was also really interested in the mystery of how the killings were being done, but when it came to the point where it was just Satan, it made the score go down for me by a lot. It turned into a 4/10. I don't think I would watch it again.

[@kevincrediblee6745]

I agree with you so much, I wouldve loved if there wasnt a supernatural element at all, and the mom part really felt rushed in my opinion

[@bolognasanwichpleasmrman]

Completely agree

[@xXAcidBathXx]

How did you not catch that it was supernatural? It was so obvious! (Genuine question, not trying to be mean)

[@pusheenqueen519]

​@@xXAcidBathXx From the trailer I assumed it would be either a mundane reason or it would be ambiguous whether there were actually supernatural causes. Like we would see Lee struggling with what may or may not be delusions and such

[@Harleyhorror24]

YESS! SO EXCITED 🎉🎉 Saw longlegs 4 times in the theater, it’s real fun.

[@OtherSideLLC]

I would love to see the directors cut of this movie, I imagine the 3rd act drops the monologue and is probably better paced.

[@jacobhinman6210]

Another aspect of the movie I love is the score and music in general. Some of the pieces of score truly are amazing. Great table setters for the tone and feeling of the movie.

[@LuxuryPossum]

I was afraid when the movie began, they would use a T. Rex song in a particularly scary scene, and make one of their songs a spooky song, like Insidious did with "Tip Toe through the Tulips", but I was happy that the songs were mostly used in the credits and in the background. It's funny to me that this guy didn't become a Satan worshiper because of dark, heavy music (T. Rex's songs are mostly rock songs about girls, cars, and Marvel Comics characters), he just seemed like a weird guy that was into Satan, making dolls, and listening to Glam rock. The jumpscare with the Polaroid was one of the best I have seen in a long time. I don't think I've ever seen such a psychedelic jumpscare! My Fiancee and I were joking after the movie that Oz Perkins took inspiration from season 5 of Riverdale, where the show goes through a 7 year time jump, and Betty is now an FBI agent, haunted by a time early in her FBI career when she was captured by a masked serial killer. The plotline extends to the 6th season, where the Archie gang all get super powers to defeat a dark magician (Riverdale is a trip!). Betty gets extra sensory abilities that allow her to see people's auras, so she can tell when people have bad intentions. Of course, we don't really think that Perkins really did take inspiration from a CW show, they're clearly both pull inspiration from Silence of the Lambs, but Kiernan Shipka does appear as Sabrina in the 6th season, so I suppose anything is possible.

[@jonsrecordcollection7172]

I think Nic Cage as Longlegs demonstrated that, if you're an aging glam rock guy, you're eventually going to look like somebody's mom.

[@cleverpsyche115]

Will mention this movie is super Alan Wake-esque, specifically the second one. It's got plot connections like the FBI agent solving a cultish murder case, but the tone, the shots, and a lot of the performances feel specifically inspired by Alan Wake 2 and Remedy in general.

[@smead7]

49:30 longlegs made a doll for Lee. It was in the car. So longlegs was making dolls before.

[@jamesross7660]

My read on the end of the movie was Lee Sparing Ruby the pain of remembering those events to keep her safe. But that's just the interpretation I liked the most.

[@nancyboucher4014]

I say this as someone who has been ad advocate for the cinematic stylings of Nick Coppola, star of Con Air, for 25 years and who has her biggest section of her VHS collection dedicated to his filmography - Alicia Witt is the best performance in this film.

[@MilkyWayGrump]

I'll add that if she got more than a three minute scene, Kiernan Shipka is also up there. Underrated "creepy kid" performance, which is weird to say because she's my age.

[@nancyboucher4014]

@@MilkyWayGrump Funny you say that, I was thinking *when* is she going to start getting adult roles? I just watched her in Twisters and she played a college aged student. I know she is 24 and that's relatively young, but she is a powerhouse actor and I cannot wait for her to be treated like the adult she is cinematically. I especially love her in The Blackcoat's Daughter.

[@jackroberts4361]

She wasn't my favorite, but I think she plays the most complex character. You think she's not all there, but has been dealing with something this whole time. She's great at eye acting.

[@gravejello2331]

Oh man would love to see them play through Alan Wake. The PNW dreamy vibe horror trifecta of Twin Peaks, Alan Wake, and Longlegs is awesome.