Turns out serial killers don’t call to breathe uncomfortably into the receiver anymore. You have to call them now. This is what NEON is inspiring people to do after taking out a whole billboard for the movie that features a phone number in red and a sneak peek at “The Man Downstairs,” the killer (played by Nicholas Cage in what looks like a bit of prosthetics work) from the highly anticipated horror movie Longlegs. It’s directed by Osgood Perkins (The Blackcoat’s Daughter, Gretel & Hansel), the son of Psycho actor Anthony Perkins.
The call is barely a minute long, but it’s damn creepy. If you dial 458.666.4355 you’ll get a pre-recorded message from the man peeking out of the corner of the billboard. Nicholas Cage is set to give audiences one of the most unsettling and unhinged performances of his career here, and it looks like it will take a hold over horror for quite some time.
Slated for a July 12th release, Longlegs follows FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) as she hunts down the aforementioned serial killer. Harker is exceptionally gifted, but it’s the reveal of a personal connection with the titular murderer that takes things in a different direction.
The movie’s promotional campaign has kept things refreshingly obscure and well-guarded, with teasers that only show bits of disturbing imagery indicative of an intention to go deep into the occult for the killer’s motivations. It’s already being hailed as the scariest movie of the year, and it’s fair to say it’s the most hyped horror movie of 2024 thus far (right there with Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu). Maika Monroe’s presence is another thing that adds to the excitement as she can easily be considered this generation’s scream queen thanks to her roles in It Follows, Watcher, and The Guest.
Nothing creates more anticipation for a film than being able to call a fictional serial killer. So pick up the phone, spend a lovely few seconds with “The Man Downstairs,” scream internally, and then tell all your friends about it. Maybe they’ll call too.
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