What is the “that’s not my daughter” trailer? Untitled horror movie explained
NeonHorror likes to mess with audiences expectations, and this new Neon horror movie is doing that in its own marketing.
The horror genre loves to unsettle its viewers. Take last year’s Skinamarink for instance – a horror film that relied on little to no jump scares, and yet left a lasting impact on its viewers through sheer atmosphere.
Now, a new horror flick – or at least, what appears to be a flick – is attempting to create a similar atmosphere purely through its marketing – and it’s working.
This upcoming horror movie from Neon – which doesn’t even have a title at this point, by the way – has begun giving frights through a certain trailer, but what happens in it?
Neon promotes a new nameless horror movie
Neon, the independent film company responsible for unsettling movies such as 2019’s Oscar winner Parasite, 2023’s Infinity Pool and the most recent It Lives Inside, is upping the ante for one of their next horror releases.
A trailer has been shared by Bloody Disgusting Horror, except it’s not your classic trailer. Instead, over an increasingly loud score, the camera zooms in on a flickering family photo. We hear panicked whispers come from a man on a 9-1-1 call, as he claims “That’s not my daughter.”
Check it out below:
The ending of the trailer gives the biggest clue, as we cut to an image of slightly too long legs, with the body’s torso someone out of frame. There’s also an extra hand in the image, and we don’t know who it belongs to. And then the trailer ends, with no title or other important information given.
Of course, this isn’t an entirely new trick, The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield also promoted themselves without revealing a title or classic Hollywood advertising techniques. But those films were found footage and thus relied on creating a sense of realism, and it’s currently unclear if this unnamed flick will follow that style.
What movie could the “That’s not my daughter” trailer be for?
There are currently a number of horror movies coming from Neon this year, meaning it’s up for debate what the trailer could be for.
There’s They Follow, the upcoming sequel to 2014’s horror hit It Follows. Considering the above trailer’s material, and how the monster in this franchise can make themself appear like anyone, including a family member.
However, there are currently two top contenders: The first is Cuckoo, written and directed by Tilman Singer and starring Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, and Jessica Henwick. There’s limited details surrounding the plot, except for that it follows a teenage girl moving to a mysterious resort with her family. But the title, Cuckoo, could give some context, as Cuckoo birds are a parasitic type of bird, meaning they lay eggs in other birds’ nests, leading to the newly hatched imposters attacking the host bird’s actual offspring. “That is not my daughter” indeed.
Secondly, there’s Longlegs, a Nicolas Cage serial killer thriller directed by Oz Perkins, which follows this plot: “FBI Agent Lee Harker is a gifted new recruit assigned to the unsolved case of an elusive serial killer. As the case takes complex turns, unearthing evidence of the occult, Harker discovers a personal connection to the merciless killer and must race against time to stop him before he claims the lives of another innocent family.”
Considering a second trailer has been unearthed, with some very overt religious/cultish themes – and still no title – it’s made the latter film look like the stronger choice. Though what’s interesting is that there seems to be less of a found footage vibe with this promotional piece.
The comments on the initial trailer have also begun speculating what this movie could be for. One commenter states, “I’m going with Cuckoo, another NEON release that has very little info at the moment.” Another argued “Boy those sure are some LONG LEGS amiright like Longlegs like the title of the movie Longlegs.”
Some commenters were very excited at the prospect of the trailer, saying “Teasers like this are always so much more effective than the actual movie. Really hope this one lives up to how damn eerie this teaser is.”
While others weren’t so keen: “Please don’t let this be like Skinamarink where it’s great as a 30 minute short film but sucks as a full length movie.”
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