How Neon's 'Longlegs' became the surprise indie horror hit of the summer

Neon horror 'Longlegs' just scored the studio's biggest opening weekend ever, boosted by a buzzy marketing campaign that effectively lured people into theaters.

The greatest plot twists lie at the end of a long trail of clues, dramatically revealing an answer hidden in plain sight all along. The marketing campaign for independent distributor Neon's surprise horror smash, 'Longlegs,' took that concept a step further. Breadcrumbs — in the form of enigmatic trailers, chilling phone messages, encrypted newspaper ads, fake blog posts and other stunts — littered the promotional path to 'Longlegs.

'It increases the intrigue,' said Monica Koyama, an entertainment marketing expert and communication management professor at USC. 'I mean, he's definitely frightening in the film. But ... sometimes what's in your head is scarier than what shows up onscreen.' In an added effort to sell audiences on the fear factor, Neon released a recording of Monroe's heartbeat spiking from 76 bpm to 170 while filming her first scene with Cage as Longlegs.

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