Netflix has launched a striking real-world promotion for its new horror-sci-fi film by placing a man inside a billboard overlooking one of Hollywood’s busiest junctions.
The campaign ties in with The Last House, a new release about a family who suddenly find themselves trapped inside their own home while an ominous force builds outside.
To echo the film’s premise in public, the streaming platform enlisted a performer to remain inside a custom-built living room installed within a billboard at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Selma Avenue for three days. The billboard sits approximately 30 feet above the street.
People passing underneath can look directly into the set through its windows, while the man inside has been communicating with the outside world by writing messages on a whiteboard.
One message seen by bystanders read:
‘What’s going on?’
Netflix said the structure was designed to resemble a house wrapped in ivy, complete with features including a front door, chimney and drainpipe.
Under the main living room window, a line has been added that asks:
‘How long can you survive?’
That question reflects the story at the centre of The Last House. Greta Lee and Wagner Moura play parents Ann and Jason, with Riley Chung and Noah Alexander Sosnowski appearing as their children, Ruth and Graham. As the family tries to understand their situation, they begin to suspect that other households on their street may be enduring the same nightmare.
The film explores themes of family survival and togetherness. Director Louis Leterrier has described the film as challenging the idea of a safe haven, turning a family home into a hostile environment where survival demands unity.
The first trailer for the movie arrived in June and skips ahead to a point labelled:
‘day 1,183’
At that stage of the family’s ordeal, the front door finally opens — but instead of freedom, a stranger is waiting outside asking for help.
Louis Leterrier directs the film, while Matthew Robinson wrote the script. Gabriel Barbosa and Emma Ho also appear in the cast.
According to Netflix, the performer is staying inside the sealed billboard set for three consecutive days, from August 6 until August 8. The living quarters have been furnished with typical household items and include a lounge chair, table and books.
He has reportedly been told to carry on with everyday routines as normally as he can while enclosed in the display, with the whiteboard serving as his sole way of interacting with those below. Videos shared by Netflix showed the performer eating cereal and using binoculars to survey the Sunset Strip.
The promotion has generated significant public interest, with local residents and visitors making special trips to witness the spectacle after seeing posts on social media. Some passersby initially thought the figure was an automated display or AI bot until noticing the performer wave in response.
Netflix said the idea behind the promotion is to give both drivers and pedestrians a tangible sense of the fear, confusion and isolation experienced by the characters in the film, rather than limiting that idea to standard advertising.
The Last House began streaming on Netflix on August 7.