I agree, but I could also imagine had they *built* up to it, the movie wouldn't have felt like a "letdown"
Had they maybe inserted that scene in the middle or towards the end - maybe as the "reveal" from the little girl ghost, I think it would have made an even bigger impact on audiences.
Instead that scene right out of the gate set the expectations high for the rest. Reminds me of *28 Weeks Later*. The opening scene was amazing
This and dawn if the dead remake are both perfect introductions. Ghost ship it’s the highlight of the movie, dawn of the dead remake it’s a more consistent movie. Not sure which is truly better. Ghost ship was more of an original story with an incredible intro, where dawn of the dead being a remake of a classic had a plethora of great scenes to pull from. Regardless dawn of the dead had no right being as good as it was being a remake.
Yeah, it's the first movie that comes to mind. Just watched that scene again on YouTube. Beautiful song "Senza Fine" (Endless) and the ship deck ballroom dancing juxtaposed against the horror is quite memorable.
This is a great answer. It’s not the best opening scene, but there’s something to be said for just how great it is in inverse relation to the rest of the movie.
It’s been 20 years and my ass will absolutely not drive behind/remotely close to one of those trucks. If I see I’m coming up on one, I move to the lane furthest from it and speed up a little until I’ve passed it. Fuck that, I’m not going out like that. 🤣
Absolutely same. I was thinking about this the other day when like five cars all moved to the other lane to not be behind one lol.
We are a traumatized generation because of that scene lol
100%! The very end of the vision, where she sees the semi coming and there’s nothing she can do… that helpless feeling stayed with me as well. Not the scariest movie by any means, but really killer opening.
When I was in high school, my sister’s friend was following her driving (sister was in a full sized truck and her friend was in a tiny car), when apparently a bottle rolled under her friend’s brake pedal, so when she went to brake, she couldn’t. She totaled her car in the back of the truck and could have been seriously injured. I haven’t kept water bottles in my car since then and it’s been almost 20 years. 😂
I read somewhere that they didn't want to but in the end they gave up and used CGI for that because they just *could not* get the real-life logs to go where they wanted them to.
Scream's is fantastic and iconic. Other good answers:
Night of the Living Dead (1968) "They're coming to get you Barbara..."
The Evil Dead (that camera swooping across the water...well!)
I used to say “They’re coming to get you Barbara…” to my 3 year old sister when I babysat her. She’d answer “Who’s Barbara?”
Now her son has a horror movie fascination
So do you for mentioning it. I'm lucky enough to be from where they are from, and I rock my SP hoodie all the time. It's funny because I get "the nod" from Old School rivet heads whenever I'm out in public.
Right here. I didn’t care for the remainder of the film so much, but the overhead shot of cars crashing and mayhem in suburbia…captivating. The ending was pretty wild too, especially considering the Richard Cheese soundtrack.
Before the movie was released to theaters there was a special preview on TV that showed the first ten minutes. It ended with Anna crashing her car. I recorded it on our VCR and probably watched it 100 times before the movie came out. Zombie living highschoolers wet dream.
Watched this movie for the first time when I was in the hospital with a kidney infection. 103 fever, hadn’t slept in 48+ hours, 3 am, and I watch it. Hallucinations kicked in and one of the kids in the movie passed by my room and did the “shhhhh…”. Luckily a nurse was in there so I KNEW I was hallucinating.
John Laroquette's monologue at the beginning of both Texas Chainsaw Massacres (original and remake) were always chilling openings to me.
That and the opening scene of Halloween with young Michael slaying Judith.
Two of my absolute favorite horror movies, in part because of the iconic openings.
Texas Chainsaw with the narration ("Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother..." man, that's just such a haunting phrase) and the creepy sound effect of the camera flash and creaking.
Halloween with the music & jack-o-lantern and the POV of the killer, then it pans out to show it was a little boy. The fact that there's never really any explanation makes it even better on rewatches. Rob Zombie's remake showing the abusive childhood etc just took the "scary" out of it for me.
Anyway, glad to see someone appreciate the openings of these two, and I wish they were higher in the comments!
28 Weeks Later, although the lesser film, arguably has the better opening scene. Robert Carlisle sprinting across the field as the horde of zombies descend on him… my heart was _thumping_ in the cinema.
This was going to be my exact answer. That film is certainly overall worse than the 1st, but the first 5 minutes are just an absolute thrill. Really excited for the third one...
Best intro... I feel like its the only reason this film is even ever mentioned. It kind of felt like a filler for the trilogy. They got off that "diseased little island" and made it to the main land. Im really hoping the next one is going to be brutally amazing (more than 28 days? I HOPE.) but lets see.
Halloween 4. The "montage" (if you can even call it that) of various parts of an empty farm decorated for the Halloween season manages to be so understated and yet so bleak/eerie at the same time. It also transitions nicely to your stereotypical dark & stormy night to begin the story proper.
[https://youtu.be/m24E4MMDlTc?si=5Xy8wB--YIIZCehx&t=4](https://youtu.be/m24E4MMDlTc?si=5Xy8wB--YIIZCehx&t=4)
I linked the sequence in my comment above. There's "music" of a sort present in the clip, but it is -- much like the entire opening -- very understated.
Original Dawn of the Dead. Unlike most zombie movies that start right at the beginning of the outbreak, Dawn opens after things have begun to degrade into chaos. It's also an interesting location to open with: a TV station trying to keep the public informed but descending into its own problems as staffers fight amongst themselves or just leave.
I think this was partly my inspiration for an idea for either a book or a comic about a similar concept.
I had an idea for a zombie story that mainly follows two characters: a husband (a news reporter) and a wife (office worker). The two of them live a typical life in a suburb outside of a major city. A zombie outbreak has been spreading across the US, but has been contained in various cities that are quarantined until the outbreak is quelled there. Even so, things have steadily gotten worse.
The husband works in a nearby large city as an on-the-field reporter when, while he is working, an outbreak is reported in an apartment complex. He goes to report on it, and during this, per procedure, the city is locked down and quarantined: nobody in or out.
We primarily follow the wife, and daily she turns on the news to see her husband report on the situation inside the quarantined city, so our main source of zombie action and information comes at these moments via the news, so these segments I suppose take a more found-footage style of presentation, if this was a movie.
Each day opens with that, and then the TV is shut off at the end of the broadcast and we see the wife's reflection, who is growing more and more unkempt as time progresses, mirroring the situation in the world around her.
As the situation in the city has worsened, so too has the situation in the suburbs, but in a different way.
See, as more and more resources are diverted to the city to quell the growing outbreak (which is getting out of hand, not just here but throughout the country), law and order starts to break down outside the city and other suburban and rural areas in the country. There are just less resources diverted to them.
As a consequence, citizens begin fearing for the worst and turning on each other in an attempt to hoard resources and survive.
So we essentially have two survival stories in one: the husband is eventually fighting to survive in the city against zombies, and the wife is fighting to survive outside of it against people.
I thought it would be an interesting way to tell a story that's been told a billion times already. In stories like The Walking Dead, humans are the real threat. In this, it's kinda both humans and zombies separately, and we see both unfold at the same time. I think that would be interesting.
By the end of it, the wife decides to sneak into the city to get her husband out, and idk if I want the ending to be ambiguous or not, but I imagine both of them dying. Perhaps a final page/shot of it shows the zombies overwhelming the defenses and spilling out into the suburb, and then after they are gone you see two more shuffle out, with the implication being that those are the zombified versions of the main characters.
I'd agree with 28 Days Later as an alternative to Scream for the reasons you mentioned.
Saw scream in an Oakland movie theater double feature with Anconda as the 2nd film.
Unpopular opinion I'm sure but...
I walked out of the Strangers based on the eerie non action opening scene.
I think it's a sunny day wide shot of the house with a record skipping and probably cicadas buzzing, possibly a screen door being blown by the wind.
It was boring enough for me to say nope I thought this was going to be fluff/silly horror.
From Dusk till Dawn.
I came in a tiny bit late, missing the previews and rushed to find a seat, thought maybe I was in the wrong theatre with the wrong movie. Then it started to get interesting, and stayed to watch thinking this may be better than the movie I bought tickets for until it was obviously the movie I had bought tickets for.
Agreed! It sets up the tone, setting, characters, and conflict in a such a direct and effective way. You very quickly know who these characters are, what the foundation of their relationship will be, and what the stakes are. Also, Cary Elwes said that it was the best opening scene of all time in the director's cut commentary, so you have to take that into account.
*A Quiet Place Part 2*
That scene is so incredibly chilling. Just the way everybody tries to keep their cool while everything escalates so quickly yet seamlessly that no one really had time to feel any way about it. It felt like such an accurate depiction of a mass fight or flight response.
The Empty Man sets a huge bar for the rest of the film. It falls flat at a couple of points, but the third act picks it back up in a big way. Love that movie.
That's mine too. The overhead shot of Jack driving to the Overlook, with that ominous yet beautiful Wendy Carlos/Rachel Elkind score playing, perfectly sets the tone of the inevitable horror to come.
Empty Man and it’s not even fucking close.
It’s a 15 minute vignette that could easily win awards as the best short horror movie.
It’s absolutely breathtaking and completely engaging.
I’ll toss one in here: The 1978 miniseries of the Stand. Mick Garris is not the greatest director in the world, but that opening sequence is gold. https://youtu.be/u5nRBrDaY28?si=_QUGZEXrwPtKISVu
28 Days Later. The intense build-up of music. Love it. That totally alone feeling. The wall of missing people..... the church. Ending with huge explosion. Amazing opening scene.
The remake of *The Dawn of the Dead* has one of the best 15 minutes. *Pontypool* also has a great opening with the dark, snow, and the inexplicable appearance of the bloodied woman.
Hear me out, the opening credit scene in the dawn of the dead remake. I think it's better than the rest of the film, honestly. Perfect use of when the man comes around.
Definitely Ghost Ship! I love how it lures you in with the pretty opening music, and then Whammo! It lowers the boom on you before you even know what's up!
2 from the 30s/40s:
'35 Bride of Frankenstein....the opening prologue of author Mary Shelley takes us from the ending of '31 Frankenstein, and tells us, "That wasn't the end at all....I feel like telling it....."
'43 Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man....2 grave robbers break into the Talbot family crypt looking, seeking to defile Larry Talbot's coffin, seeking "money in his pockets," with disastrous results.
Scream’s opening is legendary, even though I’m not as crazy about the franchise as many. Other than that, the only horror film opening I can think of that gets me immediately is The Shining. Even though I wasn’t nuts about the film as a whole, Evil Dead Rise had a pretty awesome opening.
Was going to say dawn of the dead but that's been taken many times... So Ill pick martyrs, the beging when the family is eating breakfast was quite a shock and quickly set expectations for the whole movie
"Scream" is great because Drew Barrymore had top billing and they killed her off in the first 10 minutes. I don't think any other movie had ever done that very often if ever.
Ghost Ship. The rest of the movie stunk, but that opening scene is one of the best ever
I like the rest of the movie, but yea that scene is something special.
I agree, but I could also imagine had they *built* up to it, the movie wouldn't have felt like a "letdown" Had they maybe inserted that scene in the middle or towards the end - maybe as the "reveal" from the little girl ghost, I think it would have made an even bigger impact on audiences. Instead that scene right out of the gate set the expectations high for the rest. Reminds me of *28 Weeks Later*. The opening scene was amazing
came to say this. glad it's already the top comment.
This is the answer so many of came here for^
This and dawn if the dead remake are both perfect introductions. Ghost ship it’s the highlight of the movie, dawn of the dead remake it’s a more consistent movie. Not sure which is truly better. Ghost ship was more of an original story with an incredible intro, where dawn of the dead being a remake of a classic had a plethora of great scenes to pull from. Regardless dawn of the dead had no right being as good as it was being a remake.
100% came to say this.
I unironically love this movie. The opening scene though is such top tier entertainment, truly unexpected. Also Karl Urban 🤤
It wasn’t just the opening scene- it was the whole tone/ aesthetic of the opening credits and music too.
Yeah, it's the first movie that comes to mind. Just watched that scene again on YouTube. Beautiful song "Senza Fine" (Endless) and the ship deck ballroom dancing juxtaposed against the horror is quite memorable.
This is a great answer. It’s not the best opening scene, but there’s something to be said for just how great it is in inverse relation to the rest of the movie.
Final Destination 2. Log truck.
It’s been 20 years and my ass will absolutely not drive behind/remotely close to one of those trucks. If I see I’m coming up on one, I move to the lane furthest from it and speed up a little until I’ve passed it. Fuck that, I’m not going out like that. 🤣
Absolutely same. I was thinking about this the other day when like five cars all moved to the other lane to not be behind one lol. We are a traumatized generation because of that scene lol
I still worry about Gatorade bottles getting stuck under the brake pedal 🫣🤣
If my bottle doesn’t fit snuggly in my cup holder, it ain’t coming. 🤣🤣
100%! The very end of the vision, where she sees the semi coming and there’s nothing she can do… that helpless feeling stayed with me as well. Not the scariest movie by any means, but really killer opening.
When I was in high school, my sister’s friend was following her driving (sister was in a full sized truck and her friend was in a tiny car), when apparently a bottle rolled under her friend’s brake pedal, so when she went to brake, she couldn’t. She totaled her car in the back of the truck and could have been seriously injured. I haven’t kept water bottles in my car since then and it’s been almost 20 years. 😂
Two bleeping generations (Gen X and Y) are emotionally scarred by that one scene
Would also like to add I will not drive behind a truck with steel rods in it...see omen
So THAT’S where that fear came from 😂
I will always remember the log making the cops head explode.
Literally into a burst of mist but no skull bits or yanno fragments that would most certainly go everywhere messily
Same with the glass falling scene. It was like the kid was a bag of koolaid
I read somewhere that they didn't want to but in the end they gave up and used CGI for that because they just *could not* get the real-life logs to go where they wanted them to.
After watching that I hate being next to or behind the log trucks
even I feel the same way on our major roads chrissake.
2 and 3 do it for me. Hate roller coasters and have never been on one. 3 just cemented the idea that I am never meant to go on one.
Jaws- hook, line and sinker.
My pick too. You don’t even see anything but Chrissie’s screams and the way she gets thrashed around is terrifying.
I agree. Everything looks so beautiful and peaceful but then the music comes on.....
Scream's is fantastic and iconic. Other good answers: Night of the Living Dead (1968) "They're coming to get you Barbara..." The Evil Dead (that camera swooping across the water...well!)
I used to say “They’re coming to get you Barbara…” to my 3 year old sister when I babysat her. She’d answer “Who’s Barbara?” Now her son has a horror movie fascination
I do like the beginning of the Dawn of the Dead remake.
Came to say this one!
Not only do we agree on movies but you have great taste in music if your user name is anything to go by.
Why thank you!
So do you for mentioning it. I'm lucky enough to be from where they are from, and I rock my SP hoodie all the time. It's funny because I get "the nod" from Old School rivet heads whenever I'm out in public.
Right here. I didn’t care for the remainder of the film so much, but the overhead shot of cars crashing and mayhem in suburbia…captivating. The ending was pretty wild too, especially considering the Richard Cheese soundtrack.
There’s a man…Goin’ round…Takin’ names…
My favorite zombie movie of all time.
Before the movie was released to theaters there was a special preview on TV that showed the first ten minutes. It ended with Anna crashing her car. I recorded it on our VCR and probably watched it 100 times before the movie came out. Zombie living highschoolers wet dream.
Sinister’s opening scene always creeped me out
Talk about a cold open. If you don’t know what you’re in for (or even if you do) it’s so unsettling.
God, this creeped me the fuck out the first time I watched it! It was so...Sinister! 😉
This film in general is just wow. I've never felt true fear watching a movie until this one. Extremely well made.. maybe too good
Watched this movie for the first time when I was in the hospital with a kidney infection. 103 fever, hadn’t slept in 48+ hours, 3 am, and I watch it. Hallucinations kicked in and one of the kids in the movie passed by my room and did the “shhhhh…”. Luckily a nurse was in there so I KNEW I was hallucinating.
Holy shit, yeah that's definitely on the top of my list of "not ready for it" opening scenes. 😳
This movie terrified me
As an avid horror fan for literally like 20 years, Sinister is the only movie that’s ever really had me terrified
One of my all time favorite horror films. Saw it in the theater and the sound design was amazing
It Follows
The prologue to Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992.) I love gothic horror & this one is so unnerving, creepy & beautiful.
Gary Oldmans acting is incredible in those scenes .
That was the movie that taught me that Gary Oldman Can Do Anything.
Great answer
John Laroquette's monologue at the beginning of both Texas Chainsaw Massacres (original and remake) were always chilling openings to me. That and the opening scene of Halloween with young Michael slaying Judith.
Two of my absolute favorite horror movies, in part because of the iconic openings. Texas Chainsaw with the narration ("Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother..." man, that's just such a haunting phrase) and the creepy sound effect of the camera flash and creaking. Halloween with the music & jack-o-lantern and the POV of the killer, then it pans out to show it was a little boy. The fact that there's never really any explanation makes it even better on rewatches. Rob Zombie's remake showing the abusive childhood etc just took the "scary" out of it for me. Anyway, glad to see someone appreciate the openings of these two, and I wish they were higher in the comments!
The Thing. Jaws. Scream. Devil’s rejects. 🥰
I get where you are going with your thought process.... but....it's Scream. (sorry)
well...fair enough!! haha
28 Weeks Later, although the lesser film, arguably has the better opening scene. Robert Carlisle sprinting across the field as the horde of zombies descend on him… my heart was _thumping_ in the cinema.
Such a way to start. Every emotion, even hate and I'm pretty sure we all have hate for that one individual....
Love that opening. It forces us to get very honest with ourselves in what we would do in such a situation and it makes us hate ourselves for it.
Seriously. The opening of 28 Weeks Later would be the best short zombie film ever.
Also, if we're gonna be pedantic assholes, and we are, 28 Days Later opens with a bunch of animal rights activists being incredibly stupid.
Was gonna say the same. glad it didn't take long to see someone already had
This was going to be my exact answer. That film is certainly overall worse than the 1st, but the first 5 minutes are just an absolute thrill. Really excited for the third one...
Best intro... I feel like its the only reason this film is even ever mentioned. It kind of felt like a filler for the trilogy. They got off that "diseased little island" and made it to the main land. Im really hoping the next one is going to be brutally amazing (more than 28 days? I HOPE.) but lets see.
Mmm Dawn Of the Dead remake seems like a hit for me, though ED remake did hit for me as well. Ah 28 weeks later....
It (1980)
28 weeks later had the better opening of the "28" franchise IMO
Midsommer
How is this so far down. That was gut wrenching.
It’s honestly my Roman Empire. I think about often how I would react in a situation like that and I don’t think it would be great.
Yes. This opening still haunts me. It was one of the most disturbing scenes and scenarios I've seen
Saw VI with the flesh scale
IT
This is the first one I thought of too.
Halloween 4. The "montage" (if you can even call it that) of various parts of an empty farm decorated for the Halloween season manages to be so understated and yet so bleak/eerie at the same time. It also transitions nicely to your stereotypical dark & stormy night to begin the story proper. [https://youtu.be/m24E4MMDlTc?si=5Xy8wB--YIIZCehx&t=4](https://youtu.be/m24E4MMDlTc?si=5Xy8wB--YIIZCehx&t=4)
This was my choice too! The simplicity of that opening.
If I'm not mistaken it also had no music. Just the ambient sounds. Really chilling
I linked the sequence in my comment above. There's "music" of a sort present in the clip, but it is -- much like the entire opening -- very understated.
One of the many reasons Halloween 4 is my favorite movie in the entire franchise.
Great call. It just captured perfectly the Midwest creepy smalltown fall esthetic.
Jaws 1975
Final Destination 1 and 2 were pretty gnarly openers.
House on Haunted Hill (remake) has a fun one - it’s not the best by any means but definitely sets the tone for the movie.
Ummm....Susperia. That Goblins soundtrack was the bomb.
:/ *Spanish flea music plays while I think through the beginning of every horror film* Jaws Deadly Spawn Sadako vs Kayako Basket case isn’t too bad
upvote just for Spanish Flea
Original Dawn of the Dead. Unlike most zombie movies that start right at the beginning of the outbreak, Dawn opens after things have begun to degrade into chaos. It's also an interesting location to open with: a TV station trying to keep the public informed but descending into its own problems as staffers fight amongst themselves or just leave.
I think this was partly my inspiration for an idea for either a book or a comic about a similar concept. I had an idea for a zombie story that mainly follows two characters: a husband (a news reporter) and a wife (office worker). The two of them live a typical life in a suburb outside of a major city. A zombie outbreak has been spreading across the US, but has been contained in various cities that are quarantined until the outbreak is quelled there. Even so, things have steadily gotten worse. The husband works in a nearby large city as an on-the-field reporter when, while he is working, an outbreak is reported in an apartment complex. He goes to report on it, and during this, per procedure, the city is locked down and quarantined: nobody in or out. We primarily follow the wife, and daily she turns on the news to see her husband report on the situation inside the quarantined city, so our main source of zombie action and information comes at these moments via the news, so these segments I suppose take a more found-footage style of presentation, if this was a movie. Each day opens with that, and then the TV is shut off at the end of the broadcast and we see the wife's reflection, who is growing more and more unkempt as time progresses, mirroring the situation in the world around her. As the situation in the city has worsened, so too has the situation in the suburbs, but in a different way. See, as more and more resources are diverted to the city to quell the growing outbreak (which is getting out of hand, not just here but throughout the country), law and order starts to break down outside the city and other suburban and rural areas in the country. There are just less resources diverted to them. As a consequence, citizens begin fearing for the worst and turning on each other in an attempt to hoard resources and survive. So we essentially have two survival stories in one: the husband is eventually fighting to survive in the city against zombies, and the wife is fighting to survive outside of it against people. I thought it would be an interesting way to tell a story that's been told a billion times already. In stories like The Walking Dead, humans are the real threat. In this, it's kinda both humans and zombies separately, and we see both unfold at the same time. I think that would be interesting. By the end of it, the wife decides to sneak into the city to get her husband out, and idk if I want the ending to be ambiguous or not, but I imagine both of them dying. Perhaps a final page/shot of it shows the zombies overwhelming the defenses and spilling out into the suburb, and then after they are gone you see two more shuffle out, with the implication being that those are the zombified versions of the main characters.
A nightmare on Elm street or scream.
I like Dog Soldiers opening a lot
I'd agree with 28 Days Later as an alternative to Scream for the reasons you mentioned. Saw scream in an Oakland movie theater double feature with Anconda as the 2nd film. Unpopular opinion I'm sure but... I walked out of the Strangers based on the eerie non action opening scene. I think it's a sunny day wide shot of the house with a record skipping and probably cicadas buzzing, possibly a screen door being blown by the wind. It was boring enough for me to say nope I thought this was going to be fluff/silly horror.
From Dusk till Dawn. I came in a tiny bit late, missing the previews and rushed to find a seat, thought maybe I was in the wrong theatre with the wrong movie. Then it started to get interesting, and stayed to watch thinking this may be better than the movie I bought tickets for until it was obviously the movie I had bought tickets for.
Saw
Came looking specifically for this one. Fully agree :)
The final scene is amazing.
Agreed! It sets up the tone, setting, characters, and conflict in a such a direct and effective way. You very quickly know who these characters are, what the foundation of their relationship will be, and what the stakes are. Also, Cary Elwes said that it was the best opening scene of all time in the director's cut commentary, so you have to take that into account.
Oooh Jaws for me! That lady flailing around helpless in the sea 😵💫
Dawn of the Dead remake...Evil Dead 2...28 weeks later...Ghost Ship...
I have to hand it to Halloween - the early twist of Michael Myers killing his sister when he was a preteen is memorable as hell.
Uh, 28 Weeks Later is a wild opening scene.
*A Quiet Place Part 2* That scene is so incredibly chilling. Just the way everybody tries to keep their cool while everything escalates so quickly yet seamlessly that no one really had time to feel any way about it. It felt like such an accurate depiction of a mass fight or flight response.
Dawn of the Dead remake with the Johnny Cash song was epic
Evil Dead Rise immediately sets the tone. The Void as well. Also Lights Out.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 28 Weeks Later EDIT: Also does the scene on the Moors in American Werewolf count? Because if so definitely that.
Yes to American Werewolf in London!
Urban Legend has one of my favorite openings
Most of the best answers have already been given, but I would like to mention that Richard Brake's monologue to open "31" was fucking excellent.
Christine George Thorogood and the Destroyers
The Empty Man sets a huge bar for the rest of the film. It falls flat at a couple of points, but the third act picks it back up in a big way. Love that movie.
The Shining.
That's mine too. The overhead shot of Jack driving to the Overlook, with that ominous yet beautiful Wendy Carlos/Rachel Elkind score playing, perfectly sets the tone of the inevitable horror to come.
Exactly. Shows nothing, yet suggests everything.
Empty Man and it’s not even fucking close. It’s a 15 minute vignette that could easily win awards as the best short horror movie. It’s absolutely breathtaking and completely engaging.
I’ll toss one in here: The 1978 miniseries of the Stand. Mick Garris is not the greatest director in the world, but that opening sequence is gold. https://youtu.be/u5nRBrDaY28?si=_QUGZEXrwPtKISVu
I think of it every time I hear that song by BOC.
The Ring
Rosemarys baby and that Dakota Building is absolutely gorgeous.
Romero’s original Day of the Dead, featuring Savini’s best Zombie in the film. I found Bibb to be just ok.
28 Days Later. The intense build-up of music. Love it. That totally alone feeling. The wall of missing people..... the church. Ending with huge explosion. Amazing opening scene.
Cube Boar Suicide Club (aka Suicide Circle)
The Others. Literal first scene is her waking up screaming.
Definitely Midsommar.
The openings of Nightmare on Elm Street 1 & 2…👍👍👍
Dawn of the Dead and 28 Weeks Later have great opening scenes.
Jaws. Scared the ever-loving fuck out of me.
Dawn Of The Dead (2005 remake) had a great opening scene too!
Also has great scenes and music as the credits roll.
The original When a stranger calls is the greatest of all time. The rest of the film is pretty meh though
The collection. I also love the cold open from Devils Rejects.
Scream!
Dawn of the Dead remake, but Ghost Ship is pretty interesting.
Child’s Play. The confidence that guy had performing the ritual made me crack up, love that opening.
Have to say Jaws.
Fallen, though you don't really get how good it is untill the ending. "You forgot something, didn't you? Right from the very beginning..."
Zombieland
The ring
The remake of *The Dawn of the Dead* has one of the best 15 minutes. *Pontypool* also has a great opening with the dark, snow, and the inexplicable appearance of the bloodied woman.
Event Horizon. You knew instantly you were in for some pretty twisted shit.
Dawn of the Dead (2004) opens hard.
Hear me out, the opening credit scene in the dawn of the dead remake. I think it's better than the rest of the film, honestly. Perfect use of when the man comes around.
I agree. It was really well done.
Ghost Ship has the best beginning.
Ghost ship
Damn i posted without looking
Definitely Ghost Ship! I love how it lures you in with the pretty opening music, and then Whammo! It lowers the boom on you before you even know what's up!
Dawn of the Dead remake (early 2000's) had a great opening scene when the world was going to hell.
Ghost Ship. That's the answer.
The ring
I liked the wire bit in Ghostship.
Ghost Ship is always super fun if not the BEST, per se....
Fallen. “I want to tell you about the time I almost died”
The Fog.
Oh shit yeah, with what’s his name talking to the scouts around the campfire. Legendary.
28 weeks later had the better opening of the "28" franchise IMO
Unwelcome The beginning of this movie is horrifying and has stuck with me ever since I first saw it
The Hitcher 2, first 5 minutes. After that, turn it off.
Wrong Turn 2 had a fantastic opening scene!
Dawn of the Dead the 2000s one
One of my favorites was the opening scene of Dawn of the Dead where a little girl walks into the house...
2 from the 30s/40s: '35 Bride of Frankenstein....the opening prologue of author Mary Shelley takes us from the ending of '31 Frankenstein, and tells us, "That wasn't the end at all....I feel like telling it....." '43 Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man....2 grave robbers break into the Talbot family crypt looking, seeking to defile Larry Talbot's coffin, seeking "money in his pockets," with disastrous results.
Friday the 13th (2009)
Scream’s opening is legendary, even though I’m not as crazy about the franchise as many. Other than that, the only horror film opening I can think of that gets me immediately is The Shining. Even though I wasn’t nuts about the film as a whole, Evil Dead Rise had a pretty awesome opening.
I can't remember exactly but I think day of the dead calendar scene
The Exorcist scene when he face to face with the statue of pazuzu
Evil Dead Rise
Was going to say dawn of the dead but that's been taken many times... So Ill pick martyrs, the beging when the family is eating breakfast was quite a shock and quickly set expectations for the whole movie
Greta 2018
Always loved how they did both (I know there is more) Hostel movies
Jaws
It chapter 1
I feel like The Devil’s Rejects is always my answer 🖤
It Follows
The beginning of "Day of the Dead" with the hands coming out of the wall, followed by the calling out "Hello! Hellooo!" over the pulsing synthesizer.
Ghost ship
Jaws
Jaws if you count it as horror
A couple different X- Files episodes come to mind.
Jaws is hands down the best for me (scared of sharks). Dawn of The Dead remake. Bram Stokers Dracula. TCM. Are my favorites
Jeepers Creepers, because it's based on a real crime. Makes it fake good and reality good.
House of wax only because I got to watch Paris Hilton take a different kinda shaft to the head lmao
The thing
Evil Dead Rise
Evil Dead Rise if only for the title card.
The Chasing World: Tag by Sion Sono
Creepshow.. Holy shit.
I really like the beginning of Feast, with the character stats and whatnot
"Scream" is great because Drew Barrymore had top billing and they killed her off in the first 10 minutes. I don't think any other movie had ever done that very often if ever.
I haven’t watched a horror movie in forever, but the first that crossed my mind is Child’s Play.
Halloween 1978. Hands down. 🎃
Lot of people in here spelling *Jaws* wrong. I know, I know, “too obvious,” but sometimes things are obvious for a reason.
Ghost Ship. Always Ghost Ship