Osgood Perkins Discusses How 'Se7en' Inspired The Villain in 'Longlegs'

'Longlegs' director Osgood Perkins has shared further insights into the film following its worldwide release last week and in an interview with Variety, Perkins, son of Anthony Perkins (the iconic Norman Bates in 'Psycho'), delved into the film's inspirations, its enigmatic ending and the eerie dolls that linger in viewers' minds.

In 'Longlegs,' Nicolas Cage's character meets a grim fate, ending his own life after an intense interrogation by Lee Harker (played by Maika Monroe), well before the movie's bleak climax. This sudden departure draws clear inspiration from the 1995 thriller 'Se7en,' where Kevin Spacey's John Doe turns himself in, appearing in only a handful of scenes.

Also Read: ‘Longlegs’ Cast on Working With Nicolas Cage: “Visceral Experience”

Perkins and his team consciously referenced 'Se7en' to emulate its impactful minimalism. "We wanted to sort of — ‘rip off’ is not the right word — ‘borrow’ is more close to what we were doing," Perkins explains.

Regarding the film's sombre conclusion, where Harker attempts to halt 'Longlegs'' Satanic rampage within the Carter household, Perkins always intended for it to end tragically. "The ending was meant to be tragic," he notes. "The devil wins again on a small scale. One of the fun things about using the devil as your villain is that the devil never really goes for world domination. It’s always personal, like wrecking a family or tormenting a priest."

The film’s mysterious dolls, which play a pivotal role, are imbued with Satanic magic by Longlegs. These dolls, when given to a family, put them into a trance, leading the father to commit murders. However, Perkins prefers to keep some mystery around these dolls, describing it as “part of the playfulness of the devil.”

Perkins adds, "Wouldn’t it be kind of amazing if you brought a doll into someone’s house and it made everybody crazy? It’s almost like, ‘You fucked up and let him in. You didn’t have to sign for that!’" The name 'Longlegs' was chosen for its vintage feel, reminiscent of the '70s and the character itself emerged from various ideas Perkins had over the years.