WARNING: Major spoilers for Longlegs ahead!

Osgood Perkins’ serial killer horror movie Longlegs deals heavily with Satanism and occult rituals, and one Bible verse in particular, Revelations 13:1, resurfaces multiple times throughout the movie. Longlegs stars Maika Monroe as newly-minted FBI agent Lee Harker, and chronicles her journey to discover and catch Nicolas Cage’s Longlegs, a serial killer that has been murdering families for more than 30 years. As Longlegs’ actions are driven by his Satanic worship and beliefs, there are dozens of religious references, both obvious and subtle, in the movie.

In addition to typical Satanic iconography like the inverted triangle, the number 666, and writhing coils of snakes, Longlegs makes repeated use of one Bible verse in particular: Revelations 13:1. The iconic Bible verse includes the description of the beast known as the Antichrist, with special mention of the kind of power that Satan gave him. It’s this verse that seems to be at the core of Longlegs’ motivation, and its use at the ending of Longlegs provides some insight into his perspective.

Why Longlegs Quotes Revelations 13:1

It relates to Longlegs’ mission

Longlegs himself invoked Revelations 13:1 right before his death, and it appears in his cryptic letters, underscoring how important the verse was to his core motivation. The King James Bible version of Revelations 13:1 reads:

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

The “beast” out of the sea that the verse mentions is in fact the Antichrist, and the rest of that chapter of Revelations provides insight into what his role will be in the ending of the world. The Antichrist is given authority over all people, and they follow and worship him with a sense of wonder. ​​​​​​The Book of Revelations is seen by many as highly metaphorical; therefore, the beast with seven heads and ten horns may not be an actual monstrous creature, but rather a single person or group of people who exercise similar power.

As a Satanist, Longlegs worships the Devil, or as he calls him, “the man downstairs.” Revelations chapter 13 is one of the most significant sections of the Bible when it comes to what the future holds for Satan, and therefore it makes sense that someone who worships Satan would focus on how he might return and take over the world. Revelations 13:1 may be the oft-repeated verse in Longlegs, but the ultimate message of the entire chapter is what ties it to Longlegs.

The Real Meaning Of Revelations 13:1 In Longlegs

It may be an indication of Longlegs’ real power

It’s clear that Longlegs believes that he himself might be the beast, or, in another interpretation, be the infamous “dragon” that releases the beast. He is responsible for Ruth being the person who drops off the dolls at the families’ houses, so in that sense, she is the beast, and he is the dragon who empowers her. Revelations chapter 13 also mentions a second beast “out of the Earth” to accompany the beast out of the sea; together with the dragon, they represent the inverse of the Holy Trinity.

The inverted triangle is an important symbol in Longlegs, as it drives the timing of Longlegs’ killing spree and acts as the entry point that helps Lee decode his messages and patterns. Interestingly, the movie’s ending implies that Lee may still be under Longlegs’ control despite both him and her mother being dead. In that regard, she could be the new iteration of the beast out of the sea mentioned in Revelations 13:1.