'Longlegs' Has The Best Horror Marketing Campaign Of The Last Decade
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Unless you have been living under a rock then you have probably heard about the upcoming horror film Longlegs. The film’s marketing team has been working overtime to make sure that everyone knows about and is dying to see this film when it releases. Summer horror movies that are not based around the season itself don’t typically get much excitement from crowds who would typically prefer to watch this genre during the spooky season. This film’s marketing team has guaranteed that their film will not fall prey to this mindset. Let’s take a look at Longlegs’ phenomenal marketing campaign thus far and discuss what might be coming next!
Longlegs is the newest film from director Osgood Perkins and NEON studio. The official synopsis says that the film follows new FBI recruit Agent Lee Harker as she takes on a serial killer case that has been stumping local and federal law enforcement for more than three decades. What were originally believed to be murder-suicides are soon connected to a sinister being known only as Longlegs that Agent Harker learns has a personal connection to her past. The film stars Nicolas Cage as the titular character and Maika Monroe as the young agent.
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The film’s marketing team began their campaign with horrifying posters that gave nothing away about the film other than that it was guaranteed to terrify audiences. Next came short teaser trailers that were hauntingly creepy. Each of the teasers was roughly 30-40 seconds in length and featured titles such as “Every year there is another”, “We’ve been waiting for her”, and “Remember to say your prayers.” Social media was abuzz talking about the teasers and trying to decipher the seemingly random codes that were featured in each. You can check out one of these trailers below. Once the full-length trailer dropped, it was all any horror fan could talk about. The trailer was terrifying, and thought-provoking, and unlike most modern horror trailers, it left us wondering what the film was about.
Fans were surprised to learn that there was a new billboard in Los Angeles for the film that featured a mysterious phone number. When you called the number, you were treated to a pre-recorded message from Longlegs that sent shivers down my spine! If you want to call the number yourself it is 458-666-4355. Now, the newest addition to the marketing campaign was an ad in The Seattle Times that when deciphered sent fans to a horrifying website. The site featured the case files and crime scene photos of every murder-suicide the authorities knew about that also had a letter from Longlegs left at the scene.
The site sets fans up to be as involved as the FBI agents when they finally go into the film later this week. The most mysterious aspect though is that the site tells fans to check back on Monday, July 8, and then includes three lines of coded messages. Fans have been trying to decipher these codes since the site went live, but so far none have been able to fully crack it. If you would like to see the site yourself, you can do so at thebirthdaymurders.net. Please note that there is a major trigger warning for this website! It features crime scene photos and graphic descriptions of the crimes. Although these are fictional crimes, the content can be triggering.
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We are now left wondering what could be happening on Monday, and if the marketing team can create anything better than what they have already given us. You can check out the trailer for the film below and make sure that you get tickets to see Longlegs hitting theaters on Friday, July 12.
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5 Of The Most Overhyped Horror Movies
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If you have spent any time on BookTok then you have probably seen the trend where creators list the books that they feel are the most overhyped, underhyped, and deserving of the hype. I thought it would be fun to do this trend but with horror content. With so many new and classic horror films, some of them are inevitably going to be way overhyped, so let’s take a look at 5 of them!
5. 'The Cabin in the Woods' (2011)
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I was really excited to watch this film when it first came out because it has a great cast led by Chris Hemsworth. The entire idea behind the film is to add a twist to the use of horror film stereotypes. Unfortunately, the entire film fell flat, and while the final scene has an air of dark humor, it ultimately leaves you wishing you could get those two hours back. Although the gore in this film is great and the idea interesting, it was nothing to rave about, so it really surprises me that this film is constantly raved about on social media.
If you want to check the film out for yourself, it is available to stream on Peacock.
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4. 'Sleepaway Camp' (1983)
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The only reason that I can see this movie getting any hype is the twist at the end and the nostalgia for people who grew up with this movie. It’s a horribly written and directed film, but that isn’t even the worst thing about this movie. The disgusting use of predatory behavior by the adults in the film is a line that is hard to cross in horror, but this film does it. I only made it about halfway through this film before I had to turn it off because the sexually tense scenes with the young main character were too much.
If you want to check the film out for yourself, it is available to stream on Peacock.
3. 'The Exorcist' (1973)
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I wish I could say that I understand the hype around The Exorcist, but I can’t. I am a huge fan of classic horror films, and with many of my favorites being from the golden decades of film like the 40s, I had really high expectations for this film. Not only was this movie poorly written and directed, but it was so boring which wasn’t the experience I was expecting for the “scariest film ever made”. My husband and I paused the movie more than once to check on how long it had left because a two-hour film genuinely felt like it had been on for close to three or four hours by the time the credits finally rolled. I guess nostalgia could play a role in the hype, but there are so many other horror films that came out around the same time that were significantly better.
If you want to check the film out for yourself, it is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
2. 'Halloween Ends' (2022)
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I do not understand the hype around this film at all. I did a full review of the film when it first came out and most Halloween fans agreed that this film was atrocious. Now that it has been almost two years since the film’s release it has gained a cult following and taken HorrorTok by storm. The film was poorly written and spit in the face of John Carpenter and everything that Michael Myers had become.
If you want to check the film out for yourself, it is available to stream on Hulu.
1. 'Terrifier' (2016)
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I am not including the second film in this because I have not seen it, and I want to be fair. Terrifier has the biggest following of any new horror film and is known for causing people to pass out, throw up, and even have to leave the screenings due to the amount of gore. I typically love gore, so I was really excited to check this one out. Unfortunately, this film was terrible! I only made it through roughly half of the film before I turned it off. The gore was laughable, the writing was terrible, and the acting was even worse. I will never understand the obsession with this film.
If you want to check the film out for yourself, it is available to stream on Peacock.
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