For all intents and purposes, Osgood Perkins’ “Longlegs” is Maika Monroe’s film. She’s in nearly every frame of the movie. But when people talk about how wild the film is, they’re probably going to start with Nicolas Cage’s performance as the title character, a serial killer with a very unique appearance. And you’d probably be surprised where Cage gathered his inspiration for Longlegs from.
READ MORE: ‘Longlegs’ Review: Nicolas Cage Is Truly Terrifying In Osgood Perkins’ Instant Classic
**Spoiler Warning — We will discuss the basic information about the killer in “Longlegs.” If you want to be completely free from spoilers, you can avoid the rest of this article.**
In “Longlegs,” we discover who exactly is the serial killer from the opening moments of the movie, where we are first introduced to the character. However, for most of the film, his face is obscured. That is until the third act where we see his face in full view. For many, that will bring just as many questions as answers. Why does he look the way he does? And what’s up with the pale makeup and all-white clothing? Well, you have Nic Cage to thank for that.
“My mom put on Noxzema cold cream. I was 2 years old, and I opened the bathroom door [to see] what she was doing,” Cage explained to EW. “For no reason, she turned her face really fast and stared at me after [putting on] the cold cream. The whiteness of the cold cream just really spooked me.”
That explains the face, but what about the white clothing?
“He has a strange connection to the color white,” the actor said. “I don’t really know what it is. He says it’s just a force he’s aware of. You don’t question it too much. He knows it when he sees it.”
What really throws this whole description for a loop is the addition of the religious undertones to what Longlegs does in the film. Typically, when people discuss evil religious iconography and imagery, a weird man in white clothing doesn’t necessarily spring to mind. But it definitely works. Cage is completely lost in the character and creeps the hell out of you.
“Longlegs” is in theaters now.