The presuppositions in Longlegs (2024) film

Abstract

Language in films oftentimes conveys meanings beyond what is explicitly spoken, depending on pragmatic elements such as presupposition. The study examined presuppositions in Longlegs (2024), a horror-thriller film directed by Osgood Perkins, which relies on implicit communication to heighten suspense and psychological intensity. The study aimed to analyze the six types of presuppositions used by the major characters. Employing a descriptive qualitative design, the study applied Yule’s (1996) framework to analyze utterances that contain presuppositions. The study showed that existential presuppositions convey the assumed presence of people and objects. Lexical presuppositions subtly provide additional and hidden events or meaning, while structural presuppositions, often framed as wh-questions in the film, emphasize the investigation and maintain tension. Factive presuppositions verify important truths, while non-factive and counter-factual presuppositions highlight untrue and imagined scenarios that enhance psychological depth. The findings of the study demonstrated that presuppositions in the film serve not only as linguistic devices but also as narrative strategies that embed implicit meaning to strengthen communication in media, as seen in the dark and unsettling plot of Longlegs (2024).