Cuckoo

Director: Tilman Singer
Starring: Hunter Schafer, Jan Bluthardt, Martin Csokis, Jessica Henwick, Dan Stevens, Mila Lieu, Greta Fernández, Proschat Madani, Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, Konrad Singer, Kalin Morrow
Running Time: 103 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)  

The highest compliment that can be paid to writer/director Tilman Singer's unusually ambitious Cuckoo is how this German/U.S. co-production feels more like a foreign horror film than your typical mainstream American release. It doesn't take long to notice there's something noticeably different about Singer's semi-international feature, which injects its bizarre story with genuine suspense and scares, regardless of how seriously you choose to take it. Every shot serves a purpose, only making it easier to buy this ludicrous but clever premise that plays fairly within the rules of its own demented universe. 

Even when the wild explanations start coming, Singer weaves together a compelling psychological thriller few would assume was possible based on its wacky plot description alone. Connecting on nearly every level, it absorbs us in the isolation of a teen protagonist whose own family wants little to do with her. But the feeling's mutual, up to and including when a lunatic's dangerous supernatural experiment wrecks havoc.

Following her mother's recent death, a still grieving 17-year-old Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) moves to the Bavarian Alps in Germany to live with her father Luis (Marton Csokis), stepmother Beth (Jessica Henwick) and mute half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu). Settling in a resort town to help build a new hotel run by the mysteriously intrusive, ever present Herr König (Dan Stevens), the family sees Gretchen's arrival as a major inconvenience, even going so far as to hold her presence responsible for Alma's increasing seizures. 

Soon after König sets Gretchen up with a job working the hotel's front desk, she starts witnessing strange occurrences, such as guests inexplicably vomiting in the lobby. But when she's chased by a screeching hooded woman after hours, the frightening encounter leads a detective named Henry (Jan Bluthardt) to enlist her help in finding the creepy attacker. Little does Gretchen know that it all leads back to König and his control over Alma. 

What's happening with Alma extends far beyond a chronic medical condition, but for Gretchen, banishment to the boredom of working the front desk seems preferable to spending another minute at home. But it's really when she forms a bond with female guest named Ed (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey) that things suddenly go from bad to weird, derailing whatever plans she had to escape her nightmare of a family.  

Gretchen is put through the emotional and physical wringer almost from the moment she arrives to live with Luis and Beth, who both view her as a burden. In a sling and head bandage for most of the picture, Euphoria star Schafer gives about as engrossing and intense a performance as anyone could in their first feature lead turn, grounding what should be pure absurdity in the emotional hurt of a misunderstood, neglected teen. The real enemy isn't who Gretchen assumes, allowing her to evolve over the course of the film, eventually ending up in a far different place than where she began.

Digging into Gretchen's trauma without explicitly calling attention it, Singer lets Schafer's demeanor and body language do most of the heavy lifting. And she'll need to since everything that follows her night time altercation with the hooded woman is insane, as are its ties to König's elaborate plan involving parasites, flutes, slime, time warps, breeding, and of course, cuckoo birds. It's enough to make Charles Darwin spin in his grave, faltering only slightly in moments where Singer's script is required to explain it. But he even fares reasonably well there, powering through those details in a style that doesn't detract from the gritty atmosphere.

As the bearded, bespeckled mad scientist König, an unrecognizable Dan Stevens so deeply immerses himself into this character that viewers might instead assume they're watching an unknown German actor. Alternating between mild mannered host and aspiring Bond villain within a single scene, Stevens plays it politely subdued most of the way through, at least until König's experiment is compromised, enabling him to really unravel and cut loose. Jessica Henwick slides into a smaller, less significant role as the uncaring Beth while German actors Csokis and Bluthardt each impress in their increasingly pivotal parts.

With a story that surrounds an enigmatic scientist's hold over their young subject, Cuckoo carries echoes of Beyond The Black Rainbow and Stranger Things, making for an experience more immersive than the sum of its sillier parts. Too inventive and hypnotizing to casually dismiss, this doesn't exactly break the mold, but succeeds by wrapping its eccentric concept around smartly written characters defined by the craziness engulfing them.

Blink Twice

Director: Zoë Kravitz
Starring: Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Alia Shawkat, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Liz Carabel, Levon Hawke, Trew Mullen, Geena Davis, Kyle MacLachlan
Running Time: 102 min.
Rating: R

★★½ (out of ★★★★)   

If Knives Out and Jordan Peele had a baby, the result might come close to resembling Zoë Kravitz's Blink Twice, which some might remember had the original working title of Pussy Island. But once the Motion Picture Association got involved and likely told Kravitz her directorial debut would only play in theaters with three X's on the marquee, she gave in. But that's apparently where the compromise ended since its new generic title implies a blandness that couldn't be further from what unfolds onscreen, for better or worse. 

You know you're in for a wild ride when this opens with a trigger warning, but Kravitz definitely takes her time in setting up a premise with enough stylistic flourishes and debauchery to double as Saltburn's distant cousin. Attempting to explore themes of memory and misogyny, the execution is all over the map, complete with a reveal that still somehow feels off despite all the enticing groundwork laid.

When nail artist and cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) and her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) work an event thrown by billionaire tech entrepreneur Slater King (Channing Tatum), Frida strikes up a conversation with the mogul, who invites them both to his private island. Having recently stepped down as his company's CEO amidst an unspecified scandal, Slater has publicly apologized and turned over a new leaf, now dedicating his time to self-help therapy sessions and philanthropic endeavors. 

Upon their arrival, Frida and Jess meet Slater's entourage consisting of photographer Vic (Christian Slater), chef Cody (Simon Rex), personal assistant Stacy (Geena Davis), security head Stan (Chris Costa), DJ Tom (Haley Joel Osment) and hanger-on Lucas (Levon Hawke). Other women joining Frida and Jess as guests are former Survivor contestant Sarah (Adria Arjona), vapid app developer Camilla (Liz Caribel) and stoned out lawyer Heather (Trew Mullen). 

All of them are treated to a relaxing paradise where they're showered with lavish gift bags, expensive perfumes, gourmet meals and hallucinogenics. But while Slater takes a special interest in Frida, Jess  notices mysterious lapses in her memory, suspecting this beautiful getaway is more controlled and cult-like than they initially assumed, Before long, Frida will also become wary of the island's secrets and Slater's intentions, eventually realizing that leaving on her own free will won't be an option.

There are sinister clues and bread crumbs dropped throughout that hint at something darker, but for a good portion of the running time, it's just non-stop partying, eating and doing drugs. When Kravitz does pull the trigger on this plot after much build-up, it comes hard and fast, as if the film's length doesn't give her nearly enough runway to fully explore all the script's ideas.

Spending time with such an eclectic cast isn't exactly a chore, even if their characters are really just pawns in a larger game rather than multi-dimensional personalities to be invested in. Naomi Ackie's versatile performance as Frida is the major exception, as the actress sensitively portrays the insecurity and frustration of someone sick of being invisible. Just Slater acknowledging Frida's existence is a huge deal for her, as the invite and extra attention override the weirdness, obscuring any red flags and Jess's desperate pleas to leave. 

While we know this is all his dangerous power play, Tatum keeps Slater consistent, showing no noticeable changes in either his cool demeanor or oddly detached hospitality. That those outside his inner circle don't look like total idiots for getting sucked into his vortex is a plus, even if the story relies on a clumsily conceived sci-fi device to do it. 

The rest of the performances entertain to varying degrees, with Christian Slater, Simon Rex and Geena Davis leaving strong impressions as King's employees. And after early concerns Hit Man breakout Adria Arjona would be underutilized, her supporting role gains importance as this wears on, further solidifying the actress's rising status with a very different kind of turn here.

Audiences may start to wonder if Slater King stole a copy of Elon Musk's vacation itinerary when  Kravitz tries her hand at a Quentin Tarantino-style female revenge fantasy at the end. She's not half bad at it, though a plot twist involving Frida's connection to the island hardly makes a lick of sense in retrospect. 

Messy and overindulgent, Blink Twice is hard to look away from, but difficult getting a handle on, often coming across as a dark satire that provides only a surface level examination of heavier issues involving gender dynamics, abuse and rape. Luckily, Kravitz is a more compelling director than writer, so even when the narrative gets sloppy, the visuals, editing and performances help its cause. She emerges unscathed, showing the potential to easily surpass this with whatever comes next.               

Rebel Ridge

Director: Jeremy Saulnier
Starring: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Emory Cohen, Steve Zissis, Zsané Jhé, Dana Lee, James Cromwell
Running Time: 131 min.
Rating: R

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)

Rebel Ridge gets right down to business in its tension filled opening scene, as director Jeremy Saulnier sets the tone, showing considerable restraint with his own tightly constructed screenplay. While the amount of violence is surprisingly small considering the situation, that threat still hovers over every scene, despite it remaining a last resort for those involved. With a protagonist more afraid of what he'll do when all other options run out, the other side holds all the power, at least temporarily.  

His antagonists also don't want a mess, partially to avoid calling attention to their crimes, but mostly because racism and arrogance prevents them from seeing their victim as a serious foe. Saulnier takes a methodical route, having his characters make logical moves as suspense builds with a handful of reversals and turns. That this avoids the fate of lesser, forgettable police corruption dramas can be traced to those decisions, as well as a commanding, quietly powerful performance from its lead. 

Former Marine Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) is cycling through Shelby Springs to post bail for his cousin Mike and buy a truck when he's hit by a police car and aggressively detained by officers Marston (David Denman) and Lann (Emory Cohen). They cuff and question Terry, seizing his $36,000 as drug money, preventing him from posting Mike's bail before he's transferred to a state prison. After the courthouse clerk refuses to help, his co-worker Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb) intervenes, digging deeper to pull some strings. 

Running out of time, Terry tries takes matters into his own hands by filing a report, bringing him face-to-face with police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson), who mocks and manipulates him, igniting a feud that spirals out of control. But Sandy has no idea who he's really dealing with, and as Terry and Summer inch closer to uncovering a larger conspiracy, both become targets, fighting to survive long enough to expose the truth.

The roadside stop that kicks off the film is scary for how commonplace the illegal procedures and accompanying brutality seems for Shelby Springs police. Watching the two officers nonchalantly escalate the situation, it's clear this isn't their first rodeo, as much of the suspense hinges on whether Terry will do or say anything to further set them off. But we know compliance isn't the issue here, and his polite cooperation won't make a difference, dashcam or not. The cops' minds are already made up, and when this ends, you can't help but feel relief it wasn't worse, even if Terry's problems are just starting. 

One of the best aspects to Pierre's intense work are the subtle, wordless cues he gives off that Terry would far rather settle this entire ordeal in a peaceful, diplomatic way. He knows how much worse this get if he loses control, giving the police more excuses than they already have to pin what they want on him. But because his cousin's life hangs in the balance, all bets are off as he reaches the breaking point.

The frequently underappreciated Don Johnson is effectively deplorable as Burnne, inhabiting this self-proclaimed big shot who believes himself untouchable in a small town where corruption's already poisoned the well. What starts as a verbal battle of one-upmanship between the two adversaries eventually devolves when Burnne pushes Terry too far and finds out that he messed with the wrong guy. Even while openly expressing his desire to just disappear and make a fresh start, the ex-Marine isn't about to back down or take the easy way out. 

Summer's own conscience won't allow her to stand by and watch injustice unfold, fully aware of all the risks involved. Having also been through some stuff and beaten down by the system, she shares with Terry a natural instinct to help people, whatever the cost. A nearly unrecognizable Robb is phenomenal in sketching out this aspiring lawyer who's had much of her adult life ripped away due to mistakes and circumstance. By film's end, she'll wind up in a situation almost as dire as his, which isn't something viewers would have necessarily assumed at the start.

A surprisingly intelligent final act features some twists and shifts in allegiances caused by Terry's decision to stand his ground and end this once and for all. It also contains the lion's share of violence, made only more impactful by Saulnier milking the story until it eventually explodes in the last thirty minutes. It's edge-of-your-seat exciting, but even here there's a sense of consistency to the proceedings that reflects the lead character's committed pursuit for justice.

This is a grade A potboiler, but you don't walk away thinking only about the shootouts, car chases or plot machinations. What looms largest are the extreme measures this man must take to topple a crooked system rotting from the inside out. He knows that when playing a rigged game there's sometimes no choice but to just toss the board and make your own rules.    

Trap

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Alison Pill, Hayley Mills, Jonathan Langdon, Mark Bacolcol, Marnie McPhail, Scott Mescudi, Russell "Russ" Vitale, Marcia Bennett, Lochlan Miller
Running Time: 105 min.

**The Following Review Contains Plot Spoilers For 'Trap' **

★★½ (out of ★★★★)

When the trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's Trap seemed to reveal key information about its plot, many started complaining that the writer/director's latest twist had already been let out of the bag.  But it turns out this big hook is unveiled within the first ten minutes and knowing it beforehand wouldn't adversely effect anyone's perception of the picture. What Shyamalan should instead be concerned about is that assumption, which indicates certain audiences still perceive him as primarily offering only shocks and jolts. 

That overall interest in seeing this waned the moment potential viewers felt they knew too much is a troubling sign, but one familiar to Shyamalan. Sometimes the stigma is earned, but often it isn't, with 2023's Knock at the Cabin recently proving he's capable of controlled restraint when necessary. On an upswing of late, his output really needs to be taken on a case-by-case basis since you're never sure which version of the director will show up. This time we get a bit of both, even if overindulgence wins out in the end. 

Armed with an incredible premise, good use is made of a unique setting and circumstances, at least until contrivances start piling up and open plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. You always accept some of this with the divisive Shyamalan and even occasionally embrace it, but the logic lapses are just too immense to ignore here. There's no denying the entertainment value, but after arriving at a finale that would send everyone home happy, he keeps going. And then goes further.

When Philadelphia firefighter Cooper Abbott (Josh Hartnett) takes his teen daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to her favorite pop star Lady Raven's (Saleka Night Shyamalan) concert, the packed arena is crawling with cops and FBI agents. They've been tipped off that a serial killer known as the "Butcher" will be in attendance that night, which means big trouble for Cooper, who's been leading a double life for the past seven years. A doting dad to Riley, he's been secretly kidnapping and chopping up victims as the Butcher while remaining a step ahead of law enforcement. 

With Lady Raven's concert serving as a front for this giant trap, veteran FBI profiler Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills) thinks she finally has the Butcher's number. The authorities' presence isn't exactly a well kept secret, but Cooper needs to continually think of ways to avoid being identified and caught. As Grant's team closes in, he'll puts his and Riley's lives in jeopardy by orchestrating a risky escape plan that sets the stage for a collision of two worlds he's been desperately trying to keep separated.

While the concert's entire purpose is to trap Cooper and elaborate stings like these do have some basis in reality, what follows becomes increasingly hard to swallow. Between all the cops, Cooper's onslaught of cringy dad jokes and suspicious behavior, it isn't long before we're clued in to what's going on, if that wasn't already obvious prior to seeing the film. So nearly all the suspense hinges on how he'll overcome this impossible predicament. 

Initially, Shyamalan does everything right, as Cooper maintains the tricky balance of ensuring Riley's distracted enough for him to evade capture. In the process he'll have to contend with angry moms, guarded exits and the fact he inevitably sticks out like a sore thumb in a venue swarming with tween and teen girls. As a concertgoer, he's a sitting duck, so he manipulates his way backstage to gain the intel necessary to outsmart the FBI and slide out. And that's when Shyamalan starts stumbling. 

Cooper manages to attain what can best be described as impossible access, even for the craftiest criminal. And that doesn't even account for inexplicable details like paper concert receipts or the notion this major pop star would have no visible security detail with a manhunt underway. Sandwiched in between those holes (including a literal one Cooper contemplates escaping through) are some inspired sequences that involve him leveraging Riley as part of his escape and convincing staff to incorporate her into the show. 

For all its flaws, the father-daughter dynamic is handled well, rarely letting us forget Cooper's worst nightmare isn't getting caught, but the crack that would cause in the carefully choreographed facade he's put on for his family. In his twisted mind, the ramifications of these two lives merging doesn't occur to him until being found out becomes a real possibility. 

As Cooper navigates each new obstacle, Shyamalan stretches the rubber band of credibility until it eventually snaps. Cooper's three quarters of the way out of this mess and nearly home free until the script has him make a mind boggling decision, especially for a supposedly meticulous criminal obsessed with covering his tracks. Even worse, there's no reason for it other than to get them out of the arena and extend the plot. And that means whatever rumors we heard about the action taking place in real time or unfolding exclusively at the concert can be now put to bed. 

Once the setting shifts, what plays out is a bizarre cross between Dexter and Saw, complete with a time sensitive basement trap. There's also a crucial development involving Cooper's devoted wife Rachel (Alison Pill), as the final act flies off the rails in excitingly awful ways. There are about five endings, including one last element so over-the-top it flirts with the supernatural, making you wonder if this story was originally intended to join Unbreakable, Split and Glass in Shyamalan's self-contained universe. 

The reason to see this is Hartnett, who gives a wickedly charismatic performance in his big leading role return, elevating even the most ridiculous developments and remaining entirely believable amidst a situation that isn't. And for all the criticism directed at Shyamalan for casting his own daughter Saleka, she's actually very good, with her real life experience as a singer and entertainer successfully translating into this portrayal of a fictitious pop superstar. 

Saleka's role is surprisingly large and crucial, calling upon the acting novice to do some heavy dramatic lifting. Unfortunately, her brave character's actions would seem implausible for anyone other than Taylor Swift on her most heroic day, but that's a writing issue. The Parent Trap's Hayley Mills playing an FBI profiler is a clever in-joke, while as Riley, young Ariel Donoghue perfectly captures the exuberance of a teen whose whole universe revolves around attending her idol's concert.  

It's almost exhausting how many wrenches are thrown into this narrative, before it delivers a final blow that ensures audiences are spent by the time the credits roll. Trap hinges on such a specific, elaborate set-up that after an early attempt at covering his bases, Shyamalan just sort of throws his hands in the air, deciding it's easier to take shortcuts instead. The result is definitely an experience, albeit the kind of fascinatingly messy one we've come to expect from one of our most polarizing filmmakers.    

Twisters

Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sasha Lane, Daryl McCormack, Kiernan Shipka, Nik Dodani, David Corenswet, Tunde Adebimpe, Katy O' Brian
Running Time: 122 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)  

As a follow-up to 1996's hit disaster film Twister, Lee Isaac Chung's Twisters far exceeds reasonable expectations, proving sometimes it's worth waiting for legacy sequels we didn't know we needed. A skilled director, the right cast and a tightly woven, surprisingly intelligent script results in the kind of summer blockbuster experience that's recently fallen by the wayside. Beyond just sharing a writer and star, it compares favorably to Top Gun: Maverick by taking everything that worked in the original and building on it.  

The question going in would be how they'd approach a second installment nearly thirty years after cows flying across our screens seemed like a huge deal. Considering the lengths we've come, you can't help but wonder whether disaster films like this even carry the same cultural currency they did decades ago. Storms that felt like once in a lifetime occurrences are now commonplace as the media inundates us with images of weather-related destruction on a daily basis. 

You may also wonder why fictitious scientists and meteorologists would waste their time physically chasing storms when modern tracking technology has advanced so far beyond anything depicted in the original. But the best thing about Twisters is how it accounts for this, crafting an entirely new plot around that very idea.

It's been five years since Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) led her crew into an EF5 tornado, attempting to use the Dorothy V doppler to reduce the storm's intensity and secure future research funding. Instead, the tornado took the lives of friends and team members Addy (Kiernan Shipka), Praveen (Nik Dodani) and her boyfriend Jeb (Daryl McCormack). Still wracked with guilt, Kate works in New York's NOAA office, where she's contacted by her team's other remaining survivor, Javi (Anthony Ramos). After some initial resistance, she accepts her former friend's single week offer to join his mobile Storm Par team as they test a revolutionary new tornado scanning radar. 

Kate returns home to tornado alley in Oklahoma where she and Javi's team encounter popular YouTube storm chaser and self-professed "Tornado Wrangler" Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) and his crew consisting of videographer Boone (Brandon Perea), drone operator Lily (Sasha Lane), scientist Dexter (Tunde Adebimpe) and mechanic Dani (Katy O'Brien). Also tagging along is petrified British journalist Ben (Harry Haden-Paton), who's doing a profile on Tyler. As the two squads clash for access during a dangerous tornado outbreak, Kate and Tyler feud, allegiances get tested and they all risk their lives battling the unpredictable force of these natural disasters.

Those certain this would open with a childhood flashback echoing the original will be relieved to discover Mark L. Smith's script takes a more immediately impactful route for the prologue. It isn't often characters you assume will carry the rest of the movie are killed off within the first fifteen minutes, but the tactic does create a sense of urgency that propels the plot forward, its ramifications not lost on either the viewers or protagonist. 

Out of that comes a solid setup, wherein Kate must overcome her trauma to finish the job she started five years earlier but has given up finishing. Javi's pitch for her to join him is a good one since his new technology seems focused on preventing future catastrophes, offering Kate another chance to make the positive difference she originally intended. But while they clearly need her expertise, a stark contrast is drawn between the corporate funded Storm Par and Tyler's ragtag gang of misfits seeking social media views. Neither side represents what Kate initially assumes, leading to some compelling developments that test everyone's character.

British actress Daisy Edgar-Jones has been popping up everywhere of late, but she's an unexpected natural as Kate, entertainingly trading dry, sarcastic jabs with Powell while still fulfilling every other requirement asked of her in the action scenes and beyond. When the narrative undergoes a major shift midway through, it turns into the Glen Powell show, as he flexes his considerable charisma as the type of rogue, cocky cowboy that would have been played by Matthew McConaughey in the 90's. And he pulls it off just as smoothly, especially when Tyler's personality and motivations evolve, taking the story where it needs to go. 

Of Powell's recent breakthroughs, Hit Man may still be his best, but this one stands as the biggest example of why his movie star presence has earned all those Tom Cruise comparisons. As for the rest of the crowded cast, they more than hold up their ends, including Maura Tierney as Kate's estranged mom and future Superman David Corenswet as Javi's less than accommodating business partner. 

It wouldn't even be accurate to say this has a romantic sub-plot since it's so restrained and subtly handled you may not notice it's there. Chung knows what really needs emphasis in the final stretch, which of course features the tornado to end all tornadoes. The teams scramble to save lives while Kate struggles to implement her updated innovation, leading to a really impressive last act.

If the original was all about spectacle, this definitely doesn't lack that with much improved visual effects, along with an acknowledgement of the permanent mark these tornadoes leave on rural residents who survive them. It won't be mistaken for a Weather Channel documentary anytime soon, but considering how this issue was barely addressed in the first film, there's just enough of it here to raise the stakes. 

It's clear everyone involved with Twisters worked to avoid the traps that typically plague event sequels, and despite the usual groans from skeptics when an acclaimed indie filmmaker supposedly "sells out," it doesn't apply to Minari director Chung, who's made a worthy successor. Remaining true to the original's spirit, the whole concept gets a refresh that feels comfortably familiar, earning its place under the Amblin Entertainment banner by invoking Spielberg's 80's and 90's adventure output.      

Longlegs

Director: Osgood Perkins
Starring: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-Lee, Dakota Daulby, Kiernan Shipka, Jason Day
Running Time: 101 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★) 

Summoning the cinematic spirit of David Fincher circa Se7en, writer/director Oz Perkins' Longlegs is a cold, methodical descent into criminal hell that's most easily classified as horror. But for a decent portion of its run time, it isn't, unmistakably invoking psychological thrillers and nail biting procedurals like The Silence of the Lambs or Zodiac. And that doesn't even get into the ME3GAN similarities. Of course, this is of little surprise to anyone who saw Perkins' densely atmospheric 2015 film The Blackcoat's Daughter, assuming it was only a matter of time before he'd make a picture that breaks through in a major way.

This is that project, but not just for featuring one of Nicolas Cage's craziest, off-the-wall performances, even by his standards. The terrifyingly bizarre turn isn't even the top headline here, telling you all there is to know about how insane the rest must be. Aside from an abundance of clues, Perkins throws a lot at the wall, but the real shock is that it mostly sticks, as this hunt for a Satan-worshiping serial killer coldly conjures up its own form of existential dread. 

It's the 1990's and agent Lee Harker (Monroe) is still reeling from the murder of her FBI partner when she's assigned by her supervisor Carter (Blair Underwood) a string of murder-suicides in Oregon orchestrated by an occult serial killer who leaves behind Satanically coded letters signed "Longlegs." Possessing intuitive abilities that border on clairvoyance, Lee's all business, deciphers patterns and symbols in these notes that could lead to the killer.

With Lee's devoutly religious mother Ruth (Alicia Witt) frequently checking in to make sure she's saying her prayers, she soon receives a cryptic Longlegs note, as the mounds of evidence start pointing to a creepy, pale-faced man named Dale Kobble (Cage) as their prime suspect. Mentally unraveling at the thought she may have a connection to him that extends beyond the parameters of this case, traumatic pieces of Lee's childhood return haunt her. While it appears the FBI have their perpetrator, the impending threat of another murder looms unless she can somehow crack his code. 

Broken into three chapters, the film boasts a 1970's flashback opening that's impressively presented in boxy home movie style, giving us our first partial glimpses of the creepy title character. Luckily, Carter immediately recognizes what he has in Lee, frequently willing to entertain and investigate any of her leads within reason. But the problem is that while all signs point to a disturbed Kobble, evidence shows he's not physically present for the murders, begging the question of whether someone or something else is. 

Giving her most withdrawn, muted performance to date, Monroe channels Jodie Foster in Lee's battle to maintain a steely composure in the presence of pure evil. She also conveys a social awkwardness and anxiety that makes her ability to carry a meaningful conversation difficult. When talking to Carter or his young daughter, it's obvious Lee would rather be examining gruesome crime scene photos. But the tensest moments come when she's alone, gun drawn, heart racing and breathing heavily in panicked anticipation of what's next. The film isn't traditionally scary so much as profoundly unsettling, with Andrés Arochi's moody cinematography only enhancing that discomfort.

Unrecognizable behind powdered white makeup and prosthetics, Cage does goes off the deep end as androgynous killer and classic rock superfan Kobble, Everything about the performance should border on parody, but he subverts those expectations by completely freaking us out instead. Every minute he's on screen feels like the riskiest of tightrope walks, but he brilliantly pulls it off, reminding us what what happens when his quirky talents are purposefully utilized in an ideal role. Essentially the co-lead, Blair Underwood makes a more subtle impact as the skeptical but trusting FBI boss while a movie-stealing Alicia Witt will bowl you over as Lee's eccentric mother. A disturbing Kiernan Shipka also has a brief, but memorable scene as the only remaining Longlegs survivor.

There's a big info dump in the final act, and while it's always tempting to criticize those, at least the reveal doesn't disappoint, nor does its gut punch of a conclusion. It's easy to see why the film's viral marketing shrouded the plot and Cage's appearance in secrecy, as Perkins definitely knows how to pick his spots. Once all the cards are laid out, this mystery transforms into something more recognizable, but its calling card remains a cat-and-mouse game between this emotionally rattled agent and the monster haunting her.