Viral marketing is a difficult art for films to pull off, and presumably, this turns into a glut of unacknowledged attempts to harness the practice. In the case of the recent Smile, however, sports-loving seat fillers did the deed, leading the horror film to financial success via word of mouth. This approach follows long after The Blair Witch Project lured viewers into the woods, made a quarter-billion, and launched endless found-footage imitators.
Now, it might be too soon to call a successor to the viral-marketing throne, but an upcoming Nic Cage movie seems to be hitting those same elusive beats. NEON’s Longlegs also looks like a frightfully fun time at the movies, in the same way that The Strangers made people never want to look at a swing set again and Sinister made it scary to walk past an open window. In the case of Longlegs‘ marketing strategy, though, the intrigue lies in what the film’s plentiful teases are not revealing.
Let’s piece some clues together and not lose our sh*t in the process.
Plot
That’s actually a difficult question to answer, given the vagueness of NEON’s marketing campaign. The film appears to revolve around grisly sets of murders over the course of decades. The following NEON social media teases mention axes, a door-to-door visitor, an omnipotent “he,” and a 1992 scene with “No signs of forced entry.”
Mrs Camera.
Mother. Father. Priest. Axe.
1975.
It was a good day. For a good girl. To be at school. pic.twitter.com/RWcGIePBEl— NEON (@neonrated) January 30, 2024
The Horn family.
Former family of 4.
Mother got it worst. Father said she needed it most.
No signs of forced entry. November 14, 1992. pic.twitter.com/YRbovLlmEG— NEON (@neonrated) January 30, 2024
The birthday girl.
8 years old.
Police report: January 13, 1974.
So lucky to celebrate. pic.twitter.com/DHrbgv2c08— NEON (@neonrated) January 30, 2024
Door to door there she goes.
Where she stops nobody knows.
Except for him.
He knows. pic.twitter.com/UMGlTRltGo— NEON (@neonrated) January 30, 2024
Note that Nic Cage doesn’t appear anywhere in these hints, other than his name in the headlining credits. Here’s what Polygon suggests that he could portray a serial killer, but there’s also hints of the supernatural at work, given that a nun is shown in one of the teaser images, although there’s no telling why a woman appears to be stabbing herself with a knife.
As if that wasn’t mysterious enough, video teasers insist that it’s important to “[r]emember to say your prayers.” There’s a mysterious “her” as well, and a very unsettling clip that again suggests repeat violence upon families.
Clear as mud? Yes. Longlegs is directed by Osgood Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins) of Greta & Hansel, The Blackcoat’s Daughter. He sure is working the suspense hard, and this is so much more enticing than countless movies who give too much away in trailers.
Admittedly, we don’t even really know the plot despite all of the teasers, and that’s intriguing. Heck, the film has also successfully teased a Nic Cage-starring film in several ways without even showing Nic Cage in any of the preview materials.
Cast
This will be one of Cage’s final movies, according to man himself. His role, however, remains a mystery. We also know that Maika Monroe (It Follows) will portray one of the FBI investigators of the horrific crimes therein, and buckets of blood should arrive on the scene.
Release Date
Keeping with the cryptic theme, Longlegs hasn’t revealed its precise 2024 release date. Yet.
Trailer
No full-on trailer exists yet, but let’s resurrect those chills again with a replay of this trailer from 1999’s The Blair Witch Project.
Source: https://uproxx.com/movies/longlegs-release-date-trailer-info/
