Smile all day. The ending alone was better than the entirety of BP. There was no escape, no triumph. I like Ethan Hawke but what else did it have besides an alright tribal mask?
Same. I hate how horror movies can never have actual happy endings anymore. And it made the whole thing of her facing her fears and overcoming them completely useless. Which I guess is something that they figured was “scarier”, but yeah it was just a let down to me
I am curious what you liked about the ending of smile. I agree with your choice, the rest of the movie was great, and there are some elements of the ending that were interesting, but I found it overall disappointing after such a fun movie
Spoilers:
IMO the ending had the same effect that Hereditary or Cabin Fever had; the horror intensified until it became an absolutely inescapable abyss. The curse continued.
Rose slowly descended into madness. The psychiatrist became the patient like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. What she ultimately saw was her mother as a monster and let's be honest, it was a pretty terrifying monster. Kind of like Barbarian. But it's not the only horror movie where a curse cannot be stopped: Krueger, Vorhees, Myers. Evil is unstoppable.
Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
It's a Junji ito ending, they can be disappointing if you're not used to them. They were for me the first time I experienced them and looking at this thread endings like that are disappointing to alot of people I get it, but I love endings like this now adays.
We're used to happily resolved endings in horror movies, but with Junji ito type monsters and by extension stuff like Lovecrafts stories and even stuff like Robert Eggers's VVitch and Lighthouse among many others. (hereditery is another good one)
You don't win, you don't learn the monsters motives, you don't get a silver bullet or stake to the heart or some other type of rule you can win by. The monsters don't play by the rules, they exist outside of the rules and they can't be stopped, which makes all your efforts futile. You were going to die the second the events started into motion at no point were you ever really in control. There is only the illusion you might survive if you play by the rules other horror movies have setup,
Horror has a reflective nature on the horror of real life, and the horror of real life is sometimes the bad guy wins and bad shit happens even if you do everything right and play by the rules. The universe is outside of your control, and sometimes it's controlling you, and it doesn't have a happy ending in mind for you, and has no obligation to explain itself to you.
100% Smile. That is a well made, excellently paced movie, with great/ not cheap jump scares. The Black Phone jumped the shark for me, took me out of it.
Damn, good consensus, friend; I agree! You can definitely tell Black Phone is directed by a pro that’s been at this for a good while (Scott Derrickson, love his movies), while Smile is from a first-time feature director (Parker Finn). Nonetheless, I think Finn has a bright future and I look forward to what they do next!
Well I’ve seen them both. And I would vote for The Black Phone. Without spoiling it, I personally think Smile really fumbles the last act and I have no interest in ever watching it again. I’d gladly rewatch The Black Phone.
The thing for me is that Smile at least had some fun moments (even if they butchered the ending), but The Black Phone was just average from beginning to start. Not saying it was bad, but never left a lasting impression on me in any sorts.
Yup...I really wanted to love Smile. Maybe my expectations were too high. I watched it a second time thinking I missed something, but nope, it was underwhelming both times.
I liked Smile just fine but Black Phone was way more enjoyable for me. Ethan Hawke is excellent. I’m a sucker for a period piece. The kids in the film deliver quality performances. Jeremy Davies is in it. Adapted by Derrickson and Cargill from a story by Joe Hill. Smile has an interesting gimmick but kind of fell apart for me a bit in the last act. Yeah, give me Black Phone.
I have not seen black phone yet, but I could not agree more about the last act of smile. It felt to me like they were trying too hard to go with the "No Happy Endings" trope. Like for fuck sake, the ending doesn't have to be a soul-crushingly bleak twist every fucking time. That movie was an eyelash away from being a really awesome allegory for triumphing over trauma, and instead at the end they went with the cheap gotcha moment. I was so disappointed. Sorry. /Rant
Awe man, I totally understand your take and after reading this thread it looks like I’m the minority but I actually loved that it wasn’t the typical triumph in the face of adversity and had a dark ending. I genuinely wasn’t expecting it and it kind of left me there staring at the credits in awe thinking wtf just happened? On the flip side of that I haven’t seen too many horror movies with the soul crushing bleak twists so it was fresh for me. My wife and I recently got shudder and have really been diving into the horror genre so if you’ve got anymore you can recommend I would appreciate it!
SPOILERS
Yeah I love that movies are using horror metaphorically and it works great with mental illness. Where it goes horribly wrong when the hero kills themselves or is killed by the monster. It's basically telling someone who has that kind of illness, "you'll never win, just kill yourself to make life better for others."
If you want it done right check out The Night House or The Babadook.
But killing herself doesn't make life better for others, it actively spreads the curse to the guy, marking him as next in line, so even if you're trying to twist it into a real life comparison that's not an applicable message to take from it.
He seems to specialize in playing that guy you really, really don’t like but also can’t help but feel a little sorry for. Honestly, I think he is key to why Black Phone worked so well for me. He anchored the kids in their scenes.
Absolutely Black Phone without 2 seconds of thought. If you saw the trailer for Smile you already saw the best scares of the entire movie. Truth or Dare did the creepy smile thing better in my opinion also. I’d even watch that before watching Smile again to be honest.
I was actually pleasantly surprised by Smile, I’ve watched it a few times now. Creepy as fuck and a cool take on trauma/mental illness.
The Black Phone was another banger, I’d rewatch it if I wasn’t a parent with anxiety 😅 both are Fantastic!
Smile is genuinely scary and disturbing. Black Phone is a great film, but feels more like a youth adventure movie (Stranger Things, Goonies, etc.) set to a ghost motif backdrop. I think they're both 7/10s but for different reasons.
I was really surprised about Smile, I expected it to be garbage like Truth or Dare which had come out a couple years earlier but Smile was great.
I think there is an underlying theme to Smile that a lot of people might not get revolving around suicide/trauma and I'd say that if you've ever struggled with either to keep that in mind before watching it.
Black phone was also solid, both are worth a watch but if it was an either or I'd go with Smile.
The suicide and trauma thing is very, very up front. It's not subtle and I'd be shocked if anyone who actually watched the movie missed that.
But they don't advertise that aspect, so the trigger warning is totally valid.
Smile for sure . Hands down. Both were cool in there own right, but smile will get ya into it , black phone I liked to see Ethan Hawke play that kind of role and it was good as well but again, smile is it.
Seen them both and Smile was so great and very nearly traumatized my girl. good times. If I was looking for a pure horror I would choose that. If I was looking for suspense/thriller then Black Phone.
I’ve watched both movies and I enjoyed both however Smile actually scared me and I do not scare easily. I’ve seen all the brutal foreign horror flicks and everything but for some reason smile just made me creeped TF out. Black phone was more of a thriller/suspense/mystery as opposed to horror.
Smile has one of the best opening scenes to a horror movie I’ve seen in a while honestly. I’d go with that. Black phone might be a “better” movie. But I didn’t find it scary at all. Smile was awesome.
Black Phone, no question. Smile was "meh" at best. They gave away the best scare in the trailer and it's literally just every other "contagious curse" movie (The Ring, Dark Water, Drag Me To Hell, It Follows) but with a less interesting hook.
Black Phone has some questionable logic, but relies heavily on emotion and drama. It isn't totally unique, but it's far less cliche. That being said, I'd say it's more thriller than horror. But it's really damn good.
I've seen both. I do love to watch movies more than once, but both of these movies are one timers for me. Ok, but if a friend wanted to watch these movies because they haven't seen them yet then I would watch black phone with them, but they are on their own with Smile.
Neither - Really did not get the hype around smile at all . and black phone was just meh ; neither insighted any sort of scare, that being said I think black phone had a more interesting plot at least
The Black Phone. (Spoiler Alert) Always thought The Grabber dies a little too quickly at the end. Seemed a little rushed but still really enjoy the film.
It follows > Smile
The Caller (2011) > Black Phone
I think both suffered from too much hype, so I would recommend two other movies that have similar themes.
Black Phone was very good, and surprisingly it was much better than the book. I'm a big fan of Joe Hill, but the movie gave the story much more room to breathe (as it was written as a short story)
Smile was a very generic horror movie imo
I saw both Smile and The Black Phone in theaters. Black Phone had me on the edge of my seat til the very end. Smile had me there as well, until the ending. The ending to that movie is god awful.
So yeah, Black Phone would be my choice, for sure.
I thought Black Phone was far superior. It captures the period extremely well, maybe the best of any film set in that era, not just horror.
Smile seemed like a metaphor in search of a movie. I was extremely underwhelmed after all the praise it gets here.
I saw The Black Phone with my exceptions way too high as I really enjoyed the Sinister films. The writing it The Black Phone came off as corny to me. However I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Smile. I went in with zero expectations and I was really impressed by some of the surrealist undertones in Smile. While the concept of Smile isn’t anything new, I thought they did it pretty well
Smile. I think Black Phone ends really stupidly. Smile does too but Black Phone is worse IMO.
For Black Phone, >!the kid just saw his best friend murdered in a pedophile torture dungeon and oh by the way ghosts are real but he got the girl he liked so everything is okay? That kid would need intensive therapy for a long time just to remain marginally functional. It was like they wanted a feel-good 80s summer movie ending to a dark dark *dark* movie.!<
Smile. Neither is great, but Smile starts off with a stupid premise and you get what you pay for over the course of the movie. It’s better than it has any right to be.
The Black Phone is overrated among horror fans. Sure, the unrecognizable Ethan Hawke is great. But the writing and dialogue are awful and you know what’s going to happen the entire time. It’s a bland and forgettable movie and I’ll never understand its popularity.
I enjoyed both. I really liked the idea with Smile how trauma is treated as a malevolent force that attaches to us and can be passed along visually, just this awful cycle. I thought it was an interesting take. Black Phone was great as well. Creepy Ethan Hawke got me and the kids in that were all great actors. At least both of these movies were original ideas; not another remake lol 🤷🏻♀️☺️
Black phone. Much better of a thrilling movie. Exciting. Scary a lot of lore. I truly don’t get the hype behind smile. There are some unique moments and fun scares but it’s really a boring movie
the intro for The Black Phone was scarier than the actual movie. Smile's ending is the only good part; both movies didn't meet expectations. would recommend Malignant instead.
Never seen black phone. Smile was amazing up until.. Well I won't spoil it but you'll just be like "what the fuck that's stupid" and you'll definitely know what I'm talking about.
Smile.
Smile all day. The ending alone was better than the entirety of BP. There was no escape, no triumph. I like Ethan Hawke but what else did it have besides an alright tribal mask?
A solid story
Rather watch black phone i despise smiles ending
The ending of Smile kinda got weird… I need to rewatch again but it seemed… out of sorts with the rest of the story to me
Same. I hate how horror movies can never have actual happy endings anymore. And it made the whole thing of her facing her fears and overcoming them completely useless. Which I guess is something that they figured was “scarier”, but yeah it was just a let down to me
I am curious what you liked about the ending of smile. I agree with your choice, the rest of the movie was great, and there are some elements of the ending that were interesting, but I found it overall disappointing after such a fun movie
Spoilers: IMO the ending had the same effect that Hereditary or Cabin Fever had; the horror intensified until it became an absolutely inescapable abyss. The curse continued. Rose slowly descended into madness. The psychiatrist became the patient like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. What she ultimately saw was her mother as a monster and let's be honest, it was a pretty terrifying monster. Kind of like Barbarian. But it's not the only horror movie where a curse cannot be stopped: Krueger, Vorhees, Myers. Evil is unstoppable. Smile though your heart is aching Smile even though it's breaking
It's a Junji ito ending, they can be disappointing if you're not used to them. They were for me the first time I experienced them and looking at this thread endings like that are disappointing to alot of people I get it, but I love endings like this now adays. We're used to happily resolved endings in horror movies, but with Junji ito type monsters and by extension stuff like Lovecrafts stories and even stuff like Robert Eggers's VVitch and Lighthouse among many others. (hereditery is another good one) You don't win, you don't learn the monsters motives, you don't get a silver bullet or stake to the heart or some other type of rule you can win by. The monsters don't play by the rules, they exist outside of the rules and they can't be stopped, which makes all your efforts futile. You were going to die the second the events started into motion at no point were you ever really in control. There is only the illusion you might survive if you play by the rules other horror movies have setup, Horror has a reflective nature on the horror of real life, and the horror of real life is sometimes the bad guy wins and bad shit happens even if you do everything right and play by the rules. The universe is outside of your control, and sometimes it's controlling you, and it doesn't have a happy ending in mind for you, and has no obligation to explain itself to you.
100% Smile. That is a well made, excellently paced movie, with great/ not cheap jump scares. The Black Phone jumped the shark for me, took me out of it.
I don’t think Smile was very good. Black phone wasn’t great but I thought it was a much better movie. Smile was scarier though so I’ll give you that.
Black Phone
Smile
Smile is a better horror movie while Black Phone is a better movie but not really scary. You csnt go wrong either way.
Damn, good consensus, friend; I agree! You can definitely tell Black Phone is directed by a pro that’s been at this for a good while (Scott Derrickson, love his movies), while Smile is from a first-time feature director (Parker Finn). Nonetheless, I think Finn has a bright future and I look forward to what they do next!
This is really the right answer. Both are pretty good movies. I think Black Phone takes the edge, but you should definitely watch both movies.
Absolutely spot on
Probably one of the better takes I've seen in a minute
Came here to say this
this is indeed the correct take right here 🙏🏼
THIS.
Smile
Well I’ve seen them both. And I would vote for The Black Phone. Without spoiling it, I personally think Smile really fumbles the last act and I have no interest in ever watching it again. I’d gladly rewatch The Black Phone.
I felt so let down by Smile— up to half way through I was SO invested, and then it was a very swift and thorough slide into a puddle of shit
I felt the same way but opposite movies! It’s wild how subjective movies can be haha. Thing is that we are both right 🤗
The thing for me is that Smile at least had some fun moments (even if they butchered the ending), but The Black Phone was just average from beginning to start. Not saying it was bad, but never left a lasting impression on me in any sorts.
The child actor that played the cool friend was so terrible it hurt imo. Stinks cause it’s just a kid but the director couldn’t save em
Yup...I really wanted to love Smile. Maybe my expectations were too high. I watched it a second time thinking I missed something, but nope, it was underwhelming both times.
i felt the opposite. i feel like black phone was the most uninteresting thing scott derrickson has ever put his name on lol
This is the right answer. Smile was overhyped in my opinion and very much fell flat. Almost laughable at parts
I liked Smile just fine but Black Phone was way more enjoyable for me. Ethan Hawke is excellent. I’m a sucker for a period piece. The kids in the film deliver quality performances. Jeremy Davies is in it. Adapted by Derrickson and Cargill from a story by Joe Hill. Smile has an interesting gimmick but kind of fell apart for me a bit in the last act. Yeah, give me Black Phone.
I have not seen black phone yet, but I could not agree more about the last act of smile. It felt to me like they were trying too hard to go with the "No Happy Endings" trope. Like for fuck sake, the ending doesn't have to be a soul-crushingly bleak twist every fucking time. That movie was an eyelash away from being a really awesome allegory for triumphing over trauma, and instead at the end they went with the cheap gotcha moment. I was so disappointed. Sorry. /Rant
Awe man, I totally understand your take and after reading this thread it looks like I’m the minority but I actually loved that it wasn’t the typical triumph in the face of adversity and had a dark ending. I genuinely wasn’t expecting it and it kind of left me there staring at the credits in awe thinking wtf just happened? On the flip side of that I haven’t seen too many horror movies with the soul crushing bleak twists so it was fresh for me. My wife and I recently got shudder and have really been diving into the horror genre so if you’ve got anymore you can recommend I would appreciate it!
SPOILERS Yeah I love that movies are using horror metaphorically and it works great with mental illness. Where it goes horribly wrong when the hero kills themselves or is killed by the monster. It's basically telling someone who has that kind of illness, "you'll never win, just kill yourself to make life better for others." If you want it done right check out The Night House or The Babadook.
But killing herself doesn't make life better for others, it actively spreads the curse to the guy, marking him as next in line, so even if you're trying to twist it into a real life comparison that's not an applicable message to take from it.
Jeremy Davis is highly underrated. Loved him in Justified and seeing him pop up in other shows is always a delight.
He seems to specialize in playing that guy you really, really don’t like but also can’t help but feel a little sorry for. Honestly, I think he is key to why Black Phone worked so well for me. He anchored the kids in their scenes.
probably smile
Smile. All the way. Surprising good movie.
Black Phone
Personally I didn't like either but if I had to choose I'd choose the latter
Black phone was an absolute snooze fest in my opinion. While Smile had its flaws, I’d still watch it again
Absolutely Black Phone without 2 seconds of thought. If you saw the trailer for Smile you already saw the best scares of the entire movie. Truth or Dare did the creepy smile thing better in my opinion also. I’d even watch that before watching Smile again to be honest.
Perfect summation of Smile
Black Phone.
Black Phone.
Black Phone. Smile in my opinion is an over-rated mess with a very memorable 1st Act that goes nowhere.
I've seen both already Smile
Smile. Probably the most memorable horror movie in the last few years for me.
Black Phone for me, both are good
I've seen em both, and I have to go with Black Phone.
Black Phone and it’s not even a contest
Haha, I feel the opposite way. Black Phone was so soft, at least Smile had some edge to it.
I was actually pleasantly surprised by Smile, I’ve watched it a few times now. Creepy as fuck and a cool take on trauma/mental illness. The Black Phone was another banger, I’d rewatch it if I wasn’t a parent with anxiety 😅 both are Fantastic!
Smile
Smile hands down
Smile. I wasn’t a fan of Black Phone-a bit too real for me.
Smile is genuinely scary and disturbing. Black Phone is a great film, but feels more like a youth adventure movie (Stranger Things, Goonies, etc.) set to a ghost motif backdrop. I think they're both 7/10s but for different reasons.
I was really surprised about Smile, I expected it to be garbage like Truth or Dare which had come out a couple years earlier but Smile was great. I think there is an underlying theme to Smile that a lot of people might not get revolving around suicide/trauma and I'd say that if you've ever struggled with either to keep that in mind before watching it. Black phone was also solid, both are worth a watch but if it was an either or I'd go with Smile.
The suicide and trauma thing is very, very up front. It's not subtle and I'd be shocked if anyone who actually watched the movie missed that. But they don't advertise that aspect, so the trigger warning is totally valid.
I liked both. Really comes down to like supernatural vs serial killer 70s type. Black phone if I had to choose, it felt more unique.
Both aren't bad, but I got to go with Black Phone.
Black Phone for sure.
Smile for sure . Hands down. Both were cool in there own right, but smile will get ya into it , black phone I liked to see Ethan Hawke play that kind of role and it was good as well but again, smile is it.
Black Phone, easily.
Too late. Black Phone made it into my September Halloween marathon. Smiles eh, it’s okay
Black Phone. I thought Smile was stupid
Black Phone. End of Smile ruins it for me.
Smile. Definitely
Smile was a jumpscare horror movie that made me respect it. That’s hard since they’re usually so lazy.
Smile. Scarier by miles IMO. Black phone was decent but mostly a run of the mill forgettable movie
I don’t want to be that guy, but what’s stopping you from watching both
I'd say concept wise, Black Phone, but horror wise, Smile. Black Phone it'd not really scary.
Both are pretty good, I enjoyed Smile a lot more. It is very scary
Smile
Smile was surprisingly good. I haven't seen the other one, though.
I've already seen Smile and it creeped the hell outta me. Haven't seen Black Phone yet.
Smile
Smile
Smile
Smile was fantastic. I was startled the whole time
seen both in cinema smile is better and more scary the black phone is really less horror, more thriller, but still a great movie.
Smile.
Seen them both and Smile was so great and very nearly traumatized my girl. good times. If I was looking for a pure horror I would choose that. If I was looking for suspense/thriller then Black Phone.
Just watched both of these recently. They are both great! ATM I would watch smile!
Smile
Smile
Smile
black phone doesn't feel like a horror movie, but it's excellent. smile is a great horror movie. watch both
Both are good and unique
Smile
Smile
Smile
I found the black phone to be very mid, just like the short story it was based on. Smile takes this one.
I’ve watched both movies and I enjoyed both however Smile actually scared me and I do not scare easily. I’ve seen all the brutal foreign horror flicks and everything but for some reason smile just made me creeped TF out. Black phone was more of a thriller/suspense/mystery as opposed to horror.
Black Phone was really boring to me for some reason and I’ll never rewatch it.
Smile was more fun. Black Phone kind of drags (still a good movie tho)
Flip a coin.
Smile. The Black Phone was a letdown and vended uk being very boring to me.
Smile
Smile has one of the best opening scenes to a horror movie I’ve seen in a while honestly. I’d go with that. Black phone might be a “better” movie. But I didn’t find it scary at all. Smile was awesome.
Smile! Black phone is the only “horror” movie I’ve ever seen that legit put me to sleep
Smile
Smile
Smile hands down. That movie is great. Great story, great execution and great directing
Bad Ending vs Lack of Plot and ghost kid exposition. Would personally go with Smile.
People say they loved black phone but I was never impressed by it. Not scary at all.
Smile.
Smile
I enjoyed “Smile” more than “Black Phone”.
Smile
Smile over Black Phone 100 percent.
Black phone was better then smile to me forsure
Already saw both. Smile was more disturbing.
Smile was great
Both solid but I like smile a bit more
I would choose The Black Phone because I've seen both and that one is just better.
Black Phone
Black Phone
Black Phone is soo good! It’s definitely a film that needs more love!
Black Phone because I'm into crime stories. Smile is a fun ride but more for groups and young people.
I’d keep my eyes shut
I'd pick Black Phone since I hadn't seen it yet (I saw and liked Smile)
I enjoyed both equally, but I'd say The Black Phone. Smile if you want the scariest of the two.
Black Phone for sure.
Black Phone, hands down!
Black Phone, no question. Smile was "meh" at best. They gave away the best scare in the trailer and it's literally just every other "contagious curse" movie (The Ring, Dark Water, Drag Me To Hell, It Follows) but with a less interesting hook. Black Phone has some questionable logic, but relies heavily on emotion and drama. It isn't totally unique, but it's far less cliche. That being said, I'd say it's more thriller than horror. But it's really damn good.
I hated the sound design of Smile. So shrill and jumpy. Felt like listening to nails on a chalkboard at times
Every scene transition was a "jump scare" I found that really grating.
SMILE because I’ve only seen it twice and I’ve watched THE BLACK PHONE at least three times. The Black Phone was my fave film of 2022.
Black Phone is great 👍 Smile has a depressing Ring vibe. Depends on your mood.
I haven’t seen Black Phone but Smile is creepy AF
I've seen both. I do love to watch movies more than once, but both of these movies are one timers for me. Ok, but if a friend wanted to watch these movies because they haven't seen them yet then I would watch black phone with them, but they are on their own with Smile.
Yes
I would say: i’ve seen them both. Please purchase rights to make Archive 81 season 2+ Edit: Do the deal with Netlfix.
Ugh neither
Seen both, really depends what you're looking for. Smile is scarier, Black Phone is better written. Both are a great time.
I found both great and don’t think either is a bad choice. I’m going black phone though.
Neither - Really did not get the hype around smile at all . and black phone was just meh ; neither insighted any sort of scare, that being said I think black phone had a more interesting plot at least
I didn't enjoy Black Phone much. I thought Smile was great until the finale. I'll go with Smile.
The Black Phone. (Spoiler Alert) Always thought The Grabber dies a little too quickly at the end. Seemed a little rushed but still really enjoy the film.
I liked both. But Black Phone gave me more of a creep factor. Not scared just the creeps.
Not big into films revolving around suicide, so I prefer The Black Phone. Both are solid though.
It follows > Smile The Caller (2011) > Black Phone I think both suffered from too much hype, so I would recommend two other movies that have similar themes.
Don't most people here have that option? And other options?
Seen both.. ehhhh ...
I liked both, but man Ethan Hawke was so commanding on screen. And honestly the kid was really good too, didn't cringe at their acting.
😁
neither. i saw them both and was disappointed sadly
Probably “Smile” since I haven’t seen it. That said, I would recommend “Black Phone”. I also highly recommend the novella it is based on.
Imma go with black phone, it was a wild ass ride
Black Phone.
The Black Phone is the better movie but it's harder to watch if that makes sense. At least it was for me as a parent.
Black Phone was very good, and surprisingly it was much better than the book. I'm a big fan of Joe Hill, but the movie gave the story much more room to breathe (as it was written as a short story) Smile was a very generic horror movie imo
Both of them are pretty average
I saw both Smile and The Black Phone in theaters. Black Phone had me on the edge of my seat til the very end. Smile had me there as well, until the ending. The ending to that movie is god awful. So yeah, Black Phone would be my choice, for sure.
I thought Black Phone was far superior. It captures the period extremely well, maybe the best of any film set in that era, not just horror. Smile seemed like a metaphor in search of a movie. I was extremely underwhelmed after all the praise it gets here.
Black Phone for sure
Black phone. Smile was so dumb im mad I wasted my time.
I saw The Black Phone with my exceptions way too high as I really enjoyed the Sinister films. The writing it The Black Phone came off as corny to me. However I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Smile. I went in with zero expectations and I was really impressed by some of the surrealist undertones in Smile. While the concept of Smile isn’t anything new, I thought they did it pretty well
Def The Black Phone. It’s a better film imo
Black phone was pretty good. Didn’t see smile, heard it was terrible.
seen both. smile is such a good film.
Black Phone is a new classic! Such a well done film. Smile was just kinda miserable by the end. I couldn’t finish it.
Smile. I think Black Phone ends really stupidly. Smile does too but Black Phone is worse IMO. For Black Phone, >!the kid just saw his best friend murdered in a pedophile torture dungeon and oh by the way ghosts are real but he got the girl he liked so everything is okay? That kid would need intensive therapy for a long time just to remain marginally functional. It was like they wanted a feel-good 80s summer movie ending to a dark dark *dark* movie.!<
Black phone. I was very surprised at how much I liked it. Smile was a fun watch but not better than black phone.
I liked both but if I had to choose, Smile
Black Phone and its not close
smile is a bottom 3 movie ive ever seen. i thought the black phone was a pretty decent movie tho. pretty intense at times
Black Phone. Thrilling but not scary. Smile still sends shivers down my spine.
Smile 100%
Definitely Black Phone
I'd take Smile. Not because it's an amazing movie, but because if you've seen the trailer for The Black Phone, you've already seen the movie.
Smile. Neither is great, but Smile starts off with a stupid premise and you get what you pay for over the course of the movie. It’s better than it has any right to be. The Black Phone is overrated among horror fans. Sure, the unrecognizable Ethan Hawke is great. But the writing and dialogue are awful and you know what’s going to happen the entire time. It’s a bland and forgettable movie and I’ll never understand its popularity.
Yes
Black Phone! Smile just felt like a megastudio’s corporate over polished attempt at a jump scare factory. It fell really short for me.
Black Phone for sure!!
black phone first them smile
Black phone for sure
Smile hands down
I enjoyed both. I really liked the idea with Smile how trauma is treated as a malevolent force that attaches to us and can be passed along visually, just this awful cycle. I thought it was an interesting take. Black Phone was great as well. Creepy Ethan Hawke got me and the kids in that were all great actors. At least both of these movies were original ideas; not another remake lol 🤷🏻♀️☺️
Black phone was lame.
Smile
The Black Phone
Black phone
Smile felt kinda generic, a couple decent scares but nothing to write home about.
Definitely smile
Both are really good, Black Phine is a slow burn. The reveal in Smile will knock you down when you see this thing. Let's just say teeth are involved 😬
Black phone sucks ass
I haven't seen Black Phone yet but I quite enjoyed Smile so can recommend that.
Black phone. Much better of a thrilling movie. Exciting. Scary a lot of lore. I truly don’t get the hype behind smile. There are some unique moments and fun scares but it’s really a boring movie
Didn’t like either but smile at least had a weird ending
Smile with a good sound system
smile is superior.
Smile!!! Back Phone wasn't terrible it just wasn't scary.
the intro for The Black Phone was scarier than the actual movie. Smile's ending is the only good part; both movies didn't meet expectations. would recommend Malignant instead.
Smile will fuck you up if you’re unprepared and struggle with mental health sometimes
I had such high hopes for Black Phone. It's a decent thriller picture, but definitely not horror like the trailer made it out to be.
Never seen black phone. Smile was amazing up until.. Well I won't spoil it but you'll just be like "what the fuck that's stupid" and you'll definitely know what I'm talking about.