Maika Monroe Was Born to Be a Final Girl

Maika Monroe and horror thrillers are a perfect pairing if I ever did see one. The two go together like a Charli XCX album and summer or a white T-shirt and denim. If you recall, Monroe delivered a stellar breakout performance in the 2014 instant cult classic It Follows. In the film, she starred as Jamie "Jay" Height, a teenage girl who is pursued by a supernatural entity that latches onto her following her first sexual encounter. (A decade later, a highly anticipated sequel is in the works.) Then there was Villains with Hollywood's resident dark prince Bill Skarsgård, the cat-and-mouse thriller The Stranger, and 2022's Significant Other. But Monroe in this month's chilling horror film Longlegs just might take the cake. It's a performance that has many calling the actress the best scream queen of our generation. I certainly can't argue that.

Following a brilliant, monthslong marketing campaign, Longlegs hits cinemas today, and with a perfect critic score, it will surely go down as one the year's best horror films. Directed by Osgood Perkins, Longlegs follows a serial killer who has been haunting families for over a decade and the rookie FBI agent assigned to his case. Monroe plays the socially awkward yet smart Agent Lee Harker with an unrecognizable and bone-chilling Nicholas Cage in the titular role. Played out over three well-paced and unnerving acts, the film deliberately gets under your skin as a mysterious case steeped in occult horror takes shape. It's quite literally the stuff of nightmares.

Just before the Fourth of July holiday, I hopped on a call with our favorite final girl to talk about the makings of a great horror film, how Monroe convinced Perkins that she was the perfect Lee Harker, and Cage's scary-good performance.

How did this project make its way to you? Did you know writer/director Osgood Perkins?

I knew Oz, but he wasn't really on my radar. I was sent this script, and it was just immediate, my love for it, which doesn't happen often. I read a lot of scripts, and there's a lot of really bad ones. This was one of those where I was like, "Oh my god, I'm absolutely obsessed. What do I need to do to get this?" I went in and met with Oz, and we had a great conversation. He explained his vision for this world he wanted to create, and I was like, "I'm in!" But afterwards, I got a call, and my team was like, "Oz loved you, but he doesn't think you're right for this." I was like, "But I have to do this. I'll do anything." I ended up sending in a tape. I picked a couple scenes from the script and sent in a tape, and that's how I got the part.

You're like, "Let me prove you wrong!"

That's my job. I'm an actor. You'll probably see from this interview [that] I'm very different from Lee. But that's my job, to tap into other types of people.

Something tells me you know a great horror film when you read or see one. What stood out to you about this story in particular and/or the world Perkins was creating?

I love crime thrillers. Silence of the Lambs was one of those movies that is unforgettable to me. Reading this script, I saw so many similarities, yet it felt brand-new at the same time and felt incredibly unique. I think it was a similar feeling when I read It Follows. There's a feeling of nostalgia and this feeling that I think is really nice to have, something that feels familiar yet completely turns itself over. Also, I love a period piece. Going back to the '90s—the fashion, no cell phones, none of that to tell a story—I was just like, "Oh my god." And then, of course, Nicholas Cage.

Okay, let's talk about Nicholas Cage because this is such a scary-good performance from him. What was your reaction to seeing him as Longlegs for the first time?

Oh, it was shocking because you don't see Nick at all. Nick is an icon. Nick is… Everyone knows Nick Cage and his voice and his mannerisms and his aura, and that no longer exists in Longlegs. Just even from an actor's standpoint, it was incredible being two feet away watching him do this. He's had some incredible performances, but I feel like this is one of a kind for him. Somehow, with all his crazy roles he's done, he still continues to amaze us all.

Did you go to set and watch him when you weren't shooting?

Actually, Oz didn't want us to meet. He didn't want any sort of conversation prior, and I didn't see any of the makeup tests or photographs. He made sure everyone on set kept it away from me until I walked into that scene. … On the day, they put him in the room. It was all set up. They had three cameras, and they just brought me to the door, and he called, "Action!" I opened the door, and the cameras were rolling, and that's when I saw him for the first time.

That's brilliant. It's funny because my next question was going to be about that scene and how the two of you prepped for it, but there was none of that. How did you personally prep for such an intense moment?

I really wanted to be completely open because I genuinely had no idea what he was going to bring. And there's only so much prep you can do. Obviously, I wanted to know my lines like the back of my hand and just be as present as possible, which was not hard because all of it was brand-new. Obviously, a lot is revealed in that scene. Lee goes through a lot of stuff slowly being brought to the surface, so it was a lot. But working across from that was incredible.

I want to talk about the choices you made in building Lee's mannerisms. She's very closed off, and the audience instantly gets her awkwardness from your physicality.

I love roles where a lot isn't said. I think that … can be more powerful in moments, but I guess it all started with going back to the beginning of Lee and her childhood. Obviously, there's a lot of trauma and a very specific situation that happens when she's around 9. It's said when a child goes through a severe trauma it sort of stunts their growth. It leaves them at that age, so maturity is lacking, which I find fascinating. I think they say that about kids who get into film at a young age. It stunts their mental growth because it's a trauma in a sense. It's a shock to the system.

I just thought that was super interesting and trying to bring in this, I don't know, awkwardness and immaturity into the role. It started there, and then the first couple of days on set, we filmed the scene with the other young FBI agent where we go door to door. A lot was found on that day because you see the whole spectrum of her. It's this awkwardness with this other young kid. He's trying to talk, and she's clearly uncomfortable. Then it's that intuitiveness that taps in, and she's feeling something and senses something pulling her toward something. And then you see this strength in her. We covered the grounds, and it was just the perfect first day, and a lot was found that day.

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You have been called one of the best scream queens of our generation. What do you think about that?

It's an honor! I grew up loving horror and thriller movies, and they've been so important to me throughout my life, and I feel very lucky to be where I am in my career. Some of the movies I'm most proud of are in the genre, so for people to connect with these movies, it means the world to me. I am so insanely grateful. It's like, "How am I here?"

Who are some of the scream queens who have come before you that you consider to be inspirations or icons?

Our girl Jamie [Lee Curtis]—come on! She's the best. I think she just has the perfect spectrum of vulnerability yet this incredible toughness and strength, and I think that that's the ideal. Yeah, I'm obsessed.

What about the horror genre keeps you coming back for more?

There's such freedom in it. You can go so many places. There's no boundaries, which I think is so cool and unique. Really, anything is possible. I read a lot, and I think some of the most interesting stories and some of the most interesting roles are in the horror genre. So that's probably why.

You are getting ready to reprise your role as Jay Height in They Follow. What can you tell me about the sequel, and what excites you about revisiting this character 10 years later?

David [Robert Mitchell] is one of my favorite directors I've ever worked with. He's just an absolute genius. That film changed my life in many ways. Still to do this, it's so cool to see how important that film was to so many people. To be able to work with David again, to step back into this role, it is… I'm pinching myself. Also, I've never done that before. I've never played a role again. It will be really interesting. It will be challenging. I think that there is a lot of pressure with making a sequel to this movie because there's such a massive fan base, but I've read the script. I've talked to David, and I think it's going to be fucking amazing and special, and I think people will be really happy with what David will do with the sequel. I have faith.

I'd be remiss if I didn't ask about your press looks for Longlegs and working with stylists Chloe and Chenelle Delgadillo. I'm loving what you all are doing.

I've been a fan for a while now, and … finally with Longlegs, there has been a lot of time to be like, "We can do a lot of looks." We've hung out a couple times just so they can get my vibe, and I've never had a person understand my style so well without me being like, "Well, this is [what I like]." The things that they bring me are so interesting and unique, and I think that's what I said to them initially. I just want to be pushing boundaries, and I think they did that so perfectly. We're having some fun with it because why not?

Do you have a favorite look that you've done so far?

Oh god. Well, there's one you haven't seen yet that I'm really excited about, but of the ones that are out right now, I would say the black dress with the points. It's on my Instagram now. There's photos of me by the pool. I really loved that look.

Longlegs is now in theaters.

Photographer: Myles Hendrik

Stylists: Chloe and Chenelle Delgadillo

Hairstylist: Jake Gallagher

Makeup Artist: Shelby Smith