One of the best thriller movies of the decade is on TV tonight

We'd argue it's one of the best films Hollywood has put out in years.

Over three decades, a number of families unknown to each other have been killed. While the forensics seem to imply that the members of these families inflicted this violence upon each other, a cryptic note signed with the name 'Longlegs' was found at the scene of each crime.

It's up to Harker to help bring the elusive Longlegs killer (played by an electric, unrecognisable Nicolas Cage, The Surfer) to justice.

The horror thriller shares DNA with a handful of other legendary movies about the hunt for a serial killer. The most clear-cut comparison is The Silence of the Lambs with Lee Harker being very much a Clarice Starling-type and Cage's Longlegs figure comparable to that of Buffalo Bill.

On top of this though, Longlegs' coded calling cards recall the Zodiac Killer's taunting letters. Plus, in the same way the Zodiac film made Donovan's tune 'Hurdy Gurdy Man' sound like the most evil song ever, Perkins' movie does similar to T-Rex's 'Bang a Gong (Get It On)'.

What sets Longlegs apart from these classics is the supernatural twist it puts on these types of tales, as well as Perkins' complete command of atmosphere.

Watch the trailer for Longlegs right here:

He and his cinematographer Andrés Arochi constantly frame Monroe's protagonist Harker in striking, eerie environments that first appear out of focus or obscured to the viewer. This is before they are slowly unveiled through the use of disorienting camera moves or off-kilter cutting to both the audience and the hero.

Thanks to its hypnotic gloomy pacing, its investigatory scenes filled with creepy codes and densely enigmatic conversations, and its plot, which grows increasingly dreamlike and nightmarish, Longlegs conjures a true sense of evil, a feeling which lingers long after its closing moments.

While the structure of Longlegs is more akin to a thriller, the raw power of Perkins' direction elevates it to a full-on horror, one of the scariest Hollywood has put out in years.

Audiences seemed to agree. Made on a moderately low budget of $10 million, the film far exceeded expectations, grossing over $125 million at the worldwide box office.

Longlegs is airing on TV tonight on BBC Two at 10pm. It's also available to rent on Apple TV, Google Play, Rakuten TV, and the Sky Store.

Here are the other movies airing on TV tonight (Friday, 9 October):