Osgood Perkinsmight be a new name to casual horror fans thanks to his terrifying 2024 movie,Longlegs, but Perkins' work in the horror realm goes well beyondNicolas Cagein terrifying makeup. Since his endearing and hilarious role inLegally Blonde(yes, he played one of Elle’s law school classmates), he has given the world a variety of terrifying films, from the psychological horror ofThe Blackcoat’s Daughterto his twisted take on a classic fairytale with 2020’sGretel & Hansel. Horror even runs in his veins, as he’s the son ofAnthony Perkins, the actor behind one of the greatest cinema villains of all time, Norman Bates inAlfred Hitchcock’sPsycho.
Hitchcock’s inspiration for the film was derived from Ed Gein’s farm of horrors and the crippling, psychological hold his dead mother had over him. It’s only appropriate for audiences to ask the question: just where do horror writers get their inspiration from? And is it more often than not from real-life cases? In Osgood Perkins' case, this is true.In a recent interview,Perkins shared with viewers that he was inspired bythe tragic murder of JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old who was found dead in her home in 1996 when writing the movie. The case, although littered with possibilities, remains unsolved, making its connection to one of this year’s most terrifying horror movies all the more unsettling.
How Did the JonBenét Ramsey Case Influence ‘Longlegs’?
Perkins states, “In the book, they said the parents had made for her, for Christmas, a life-size doll of herself that was dressed as her and lying in a cardboard box in the basement.” Those who have seenLonglegsknow much of the premise is based aroundlife-sized dolls which the victims receive shortly before their deaths. This allows the murderer (Longlegs) to enter the victims' home“without actually being there himself.” Longlegs, played byNicolas Cage, resembles a human being afflicted by butchered plastic surgery. His character’s features are sharp and disturbing, rendering him unrecognizable to the audience. In addition, he delivers an even more gruesome performance that is difficult to watch but impossible to turn away from, like a car accident on the highway.
‘Longlegs’ Director Brings a Haunting Stephen King Story to Life in ‘The Monkey’ Trailer
The horror film will make its way to theaters in 2025.
Why Is the Meaning Behind the Dolls in ‘Longlegs’?
The film’s eerie reference is more similar to the Ramsey case than people may think, especially because JonBenét’s body was found in the basement, the same location in which the doll version of herself was being stored for Christmas. One cannot help but reflect on the tragic irony of this small but powerful detail in the case. Children often covet their dolls because they see them as an extension of themselves,butLonglegsquite literally takes this innocent action and perverts it,as if commenting on the notion that one’s vanity can lead to a blinding ignorance so powerful that it can lead to their demise.
It is important to mention that, although Perkins created a horror film that will leave an echo and blueprint for future generations, he got his inspiration from a real-life, true crime case that deals with the death of a child. While Perkins states in the interview that the Ramsey case has been solved and it was a “vagrant” who murdered the young girl, the case is, in fact, considered unsolved to this day.The creepy presence of the dolls throughout the filmand how they directly tie to the gruesome murders of the victims makesthe connection betweenLonglegsand the murder of JonBenét Ramsey deeply unsettling,as well as immensely well-executed by Perkins.
Longlegsis available to rent on Amazon.
Rent on Amazon
