Had to pick between two thriller movies for movie night with my friends last Friday

Everyone wanted to watch the new popular one but I pushed for the slower, older one that people keep saying is boring. We watched the older one and after 20 minutes two friends were on their phones but three of us got completely hooked. Anyone else find that the underrated movies sometimes just click better for a small group?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettywilson19d ago

The older one was "The Conversation" from 1974 wasn't it? I swear that movie has more tension in a single phone call than most modern thrillers have in their whole run time. What exactly grabbed the three of you that the other two missed? I've noticed with slower movies it's usually either the acting or the sound design that hooks people, and if they're on their phones they're probably just used to constant action and loud music. Were your friends the type that need jump scares every ten minutes or were they just not into the pacing?

benk2619d ago

Three of us were totally dialed in, and the other two just couldn't sit still. Honestly, for me it was the sound design - that opening scene where Gene Hackman is tweaking the tape in the park, every little rustle and rewind just builds this knot in your stomach. But one of my friends asked me five minutes in "is anything gonna happen?" and I could feel the vibe shift. They pulled out their phones during the silent party scene, which is like the most uncomfortable silence in cinema history. I think some people just can't handle a movie that makes you sit with the quiet and read faces instead of explosions.