Longlegs director Osgood Perkins says the success of his recent horror movies has come as a surprise to him. His 2024 hit starring Nicolas Cage as a serial killer pursuing Maika Monroe's FBI agent grossed $125 million off a $9 million budget.

Easily one of the most talked-about horror movies of 2024 was Longlegs, a movie which earned that reputation before it was even unleashed on audiences. Its cryptic and compelling marketing campaign avoided offering any glimpses at Nicolas Cage as the titular serial killer,

Filmmakers tinker with the question of tone from project to project, many not as much as they should. But writer-director Osgood Perkins has no problem with tonal adjustment.