Nicolas Cage’s serial killer thriller Longlegs isn’t just a deeply disturbing horror movie; it also has a great soundtrack featuring artists like T. Rex, Eugenio Battaglia, and even Cage himself. Often compared to The Silence of the Lambs, Longlegs stars Cage as a notorious Satanic murderer and Maika Monroe as the inquisitive FBI agent on his tail. Director Osgood Perkins brings some interesting stylistic flourishes to the movie, like a changing aspect ratio, extensive sH๏τs with the looming sense that something is lurking in the background, and some awesome needle-drops on the soundtrack.
Longlegs was hailed as one of the scariest horror movies of 2024. It has a creepy atmosphere, a handful of genuinely effective jump scares, a terrifying performance by an unrecognizable Cage, and an unsettling musical score by Perkins’ brother Elvis Perkins, credited as Zilgi. But on top of the foreboding original music on the soundtrack, Longlegs also features a bunch of licensed songs from established artists. A lot of those artists’ styles, from glam rock to new-age, are juxtaposed with the haunting style of the film in interesting ways.
Song |
Artist |
---|---|
“Ding Dong” |
Nicolas Cage |
“Jewel” |
T. Rex |
“Basie Parade” |
Brad Hatfield |
“Water” |
Spectral Tilt |
“Planet Queen” |
T. Rex |
“Our Healing Flowers” |
Llewellyn |
“Observatory” |
Eugenio Battaglia |
“Resonance” |
Eugenio Battaglia |
“Longlegs’ Offer” |
Nicolas Cage |
“The Price is Right” |
R.A. Israel |
“The Happy Song” |
Up with People |
“Bang a Gong (Get It On)” |
T. Rex |
When Every Song On The Longlegs Soundtrack Plays In The Movie
There Are 12 Songs In Longlegs
“Ding Dong” by Nicolas Cage: In the opening scene of Longlegs, as the тιтular killer ominously approaches a young Lee in her snowy backyard, one of Longlegs’ own songs — “Ding Dong,” performed by Cage himself — can be heard faintly playing in the background.
“Jewel” by T. Rex: The song “Jewel,” by the iconic glam rock band T. Rex, plays over the opening credits of Longlegs. T. Rex is integral to Longlegs; the movie’s opening quote is taken from the lyrics of the band’s signature track, “Bang a Gong (Get It On).”
“Basie Parade” by Brad Hatfield: Early on in Longlegs, after Agent Harker has been working a long day, obsessively reviewing evidence, her boss Agent Carter offers to take her out to a bar for a drink. At the bar, as they talk about the Longlegs case, Brad Hatfield’s “Basie Parade” is playing on the soundtrack.
“Water” by Spectral Tilt: Lee listens to the Spectral Tilt song “Water” in her car while she’s driving home after stopping in to meet Carter’s family.
“Planet Queen” by T. Rex: Another lesser-known T. Rex song, “Planet Queen,” is playing while Longlegs is driving in his car, listening to music.
“Our Healing Flowers” by Llewellyn: Llewellyn’s song “Our Healing Flowers” can be heard on the soundtrack when Agents Harker and Carter go to the mental insтιтution where Longlegs’ only known survivor, Carrie Anne Camera, is a patient. The song is playing while the agents ask the clinical doctor about the mysterious visitor that came to see Carrie Anne.
“Observatory” by Eugenio Battaglia: The Eugenio Battaglia song “Observatory” can be heard playing in the background when Lee goes to visit her mother. It plays as Lee’s mom asks if she still says the prayers from her childhood.
“Resonance” by Eugenio Battaglia: During the same scene, a second Battaglia song, “Resonance,” starts to play. “Resonance” plays as Harker talks to her mother about her ninth birthday and has an unexpected breakthrough in the Longlegs case.
“Longlegs’ Offer” by Nicolas Cage: In one of Longlegs’ most unnerving scenes, a flashback shows the Longlegs killer singing an original composition тιтled “Longlegs’ Offer” to a young Carrie Anne and her mother.
“The Price is Right” by R.A. Israel: When Harker is looking around for her mother after figuring out Longlegs’ M.O., R.A. Israel’s theme tune from The Price is Right can be heard playing on the television.
“The Happy Song” by Up with People: Up with People’s “The Happy Song” plays on the soundtrack when Harker arrives at Carter’s house for his daughter’s birthday party.
“Bang a Gong (Get It On)” by T. Rex: The song that’s quoted in the epigraph at the beginning of Longlegs, “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” by T. Rex, finally plays in the movie itself over the closing credits. At the end of Longlegs, the appearance of “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” brings the film and its obsession with T. Rex full circle.
Where To Listen To Longlegs’ Soundtrack
The Longlegs Soundtrack Is Available On Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Amazon Music, & Deezer
The official soundtrack album of Longlegs, enтιтled Longlegs (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), is currently available to stream on Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Deezer. The album was released by Milan Records and its track listing also includes the original score by Zilgi. With its eclectic mix of artists, the Longlegs soundtrack is a great listen.