WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Longlegs.Director Osgood Perkins and NEON’s horror film Longlegs is one of the most surprising success stories of 2024, and it is now available to stream on Hulu. Paying homage to ’90s horror movies like Seven and The Silence of the Lambs, this independent hit follows a psychic FBI agent ᴀssigned to solve the murders of multiple families orchestrated by a Satanic serial killer over several years.
Despite it being an indie film made by a relatively unknown director, 2024’s Longlegs defied the odds and became a pop culture sensation once it came to theaters, breaking many box office records and garnering incredible reviews. The film was particularly popular due to acting icon Nicolas Cage’s portrayal of the character Longlegs. The movie’s presence on Hulu should ensure that Osgood Perkins’s Longlegs will continue its terrifying success story on streaming.
Longlegs Is Now Streaming On Hulu After Releasing In Theaters In July 2024
People Can Now Experience The Terror Of Longlegs On Streaming
Fans of Longlegs, along with viewers unfamiliar with the film, can freely stream it from home on Hulu as of February 14, 2025. The movie’s debut on the streaming platform comes around seven months after its theatrical premiere in July 2024. Longlegs‘s Valentine’s Day debut on Hulu may seem ironic, given the more loving nature of the holiday. However, the date is actually a clever reference to the killer’s modus operandi in Longlegs.
In the film, Longlegs chooses to kill families who have a nine-year-old daughter born on the 14th day of a month. He also chooses to use his power to make the fathers in the chosen families murder them all before killing themselves within six days before or after the daughter’s birthday. The fact that the film was added to Hulu on February 14th references when Nicolas Cage’s character slaughters families, showing how Longlegs‘ viral marketing campaign continues long after its premiere.
Every Notable Box Office Record Broken By Longlegs
Longlegs Made Cinema History In Several Ways In 2024
Thanks to its critical acclaim and clever marketing, Longlegs shattered several records once it hit theaters in July 2024. The movie, which was reportedly made with a budget under $10 million, grossed roughly $126 million in theaters worldwide. This has made Longlegs second only to 2019’s Parasite as the most profitable NEON movie ever made. Nevertheless, Longlegs surpᴀssed Parasite with its domestic gross, having made over $74 million against the latter’s near $53 million.
Likewise, Longlegs has also become director Osgood Perkins’s highest-grossing film to date, though it is possible that this record will already be broken by his next horror film with NEON: 2025’s The Monkey. On top of that, Longlegs rose to the top of the charts as the highest-grossing independent film of 2024, overcoming such acclaimed compeтιтors as The Substance, MaXXXine, and Terrifier 3.
Why Longlegs’ Rotten Tomatoes Score Is So Good
Longlegs Wowed Critics With Its Major Creep Factor
As Longlegs blew critics away in 2024, the indie horror film was deemed Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an 86% rating from critics. The critical consensus on the site is as follows:
“Saturated in disquieting mood while leveraging a nightmarishly gonzo performance by Nicolas Cage, Longlegs is a Satanic horror that effectively instills panic.”
All in all, Longlegs succeeded in unnerving its audiences with its creepy atmosphere and slow-burn scares, deviating from the traditional, jump-scare heavy horror films seen in modern cinema. Nevertheless, the movie manages to inject terror into the story with plenty of surprises, starting with its hooking introduction. This is all courtesy of Nicolas Cage’s chilling performance as the killer Longlegs and the brutal, complex murder mystery surrounding the character.
Also, like most serial killer stories, Longlegs takes a frightening look at the dark underbelly of American suburbia. As protagonist Lee Harker investigates how seemingly normal families were destroyed from the inside by Longlegs, she digs through the suppressed memories of her childhood. Behind its story of Satanic killers, creepy dolls, and psychic detectives, Longlegs presents an unsettling tale about the evil that some children unfortunately face in the real world, making it more relatable and horrifying.
Longlegs is a meticulously crafted and heart-pounding horror film that stood out from the compeтιтion even before its premiere.
In the end, Longlegs is on its way to becoming a modern horror classic, and its debut on Hulu only guarantees its ongoing popularity. This movie is more than just another Nicolas Cage vehicle. Longlegs is a meticulously crafted and heart-pounding picture that stood out from the compeтιтion even before its premiere. Though there are multiple horror films that compare to Osgood Perkins’s indie hit, Longlegs is a beast all its own.
Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, The Numbers, Rotten Tomatoes