A great opening scene can suck viewers in hard and fast, setting the tone for the entire movie. Whether it’s an unforgettable kill, a slowly building sense of dread, or a creepy atmospheric event, the first few minutes of a scary movie determine whether audiences are hooked. Some horror films have become well known for their excellent openings, whether the rest of the film was good or not. Here are eight horror movies with some of the most effective opening scenes ever shot.
1. Scream (1996)
Synopsis
The film opens with teenager Casey Becker settling in for a quiet evening alone when she gets an odd yet seemingly harmless phone call. The playful conversation turns sinister as the mystery caller begins implying he is watching her from outside. The long and intense opening scene is suspenseful and unexpected, and it quickly became one of the most iconic in horror history.
Why It Was Good
The opening was alarming and downright creepy. It also shattered expectations by killing off Drew Barrymore’s character. At the time, Barrymore was a major star, and she had been heavily featured in marketing for the movie. The scene established the villain Ghostface as extremely clever and calculating. It offers a perfect mix of tension, humor, and brutality. Even almost 30 years later, it’s still considered one of the greatest opening scenes in horror.
2. Jaws (1975)
Synopsis
A young woman leaves a beach party for a late-night swim in the ocean, hoping to lure a young man into the water with her. As she enjoys the water, something unseen begins jolting her violently beneath the surface. Her screams for help go unheard, as her suitor lies drunkenly passed out on the beach. After an unseen force jerks her across the surface for several seconds, she is eventually dragged under. The sudden silence following the vicious attack is eerie.
Why It Was Good
Steven Spielberg understood that what viewers couldn’t see was scarier than what they could. Throughout the first part of the movie, he let the audience’s imagination do most of the work, especially during the opening. John Williams’ legendary and intense score, combined with the victim’s desperate struggle, created quite a scene. It actually forever changed how many people felt about swimming in the ocean, particularly at night. It became one of the most influential opening scenes.
3. 28 Weeks Later (2007)
Synopsis
A group of survivors hides inside a remote farmhouse while the Rage Virus takes over England. Their brief sense of safety shatters when infected people suddenly overwhelm the house, forcing them to flee across fields. The frantic chase is chaotic and anxiety-inducing from beginning to end.
Why It Was Good
Even people who have mixed feelings about the rest of the movie love the incredible opening. The sequence is emotional, adrenaline-inducing, and well-directed. It immediately reminds viewers how devastating the Rage Virus truly is.
4. It Follows (2014)
Synopsis
A terrified young girl runs barefoot through a quiet suburban neighborhood in the middle of the night. Her panic seems overblown, like she might be losing her mind, until the next morning, when her contorted and twisted body is found on a beach. The audience can only wonder what powerful and evil forces could have caused such a horrific death.
Why It Was Good
The movie grabs viewers by quickly presenting a bizarre and disturbing mystery. The wide camera shots and eerie music create a feeling that something is incredibly wrong in this otherwise ordinary-looking town. The filmmakers did an exceptional job of building curiosity and dread from the very first scene.
5. Ghost Ship (2002)
Synopsis
Passengers on a luxury ocean liner dance under the stars during an elegant party. Without warning, disaster strikes. In one of horror’s most infamous opening scenes, a glamorous and joyful celebration turns to complete carnage. It is so graphic that it left audiences shocked.
Why It Was Good
Although opinions on the rest of the movie vary widely, everyone agrees the opening is spectacular. The sudden shift from relaxed elegance to full-blown chaos is jarring. The visual effects were so well done that they still leave an impression years later. It’s one of those scenes that horror fans have dissected countless times.
6. When a Stranger Calls (1979)
Synopsis
While babysitting, a teenager gets repeated phone calls from a man simply asking if she has checked on the children upstairs. The caller’s calm voice and bizarre question are enough to send chills up your spine. At first, the girl dismisses the calls as a prank, until they become threatening. The end of the scene is one of horror’s most genuinely creepy reveals.
Why It Was Good
The opening creates intense suspense using just a telephone, a voice, and a young girl. The mounting anxiety is palpable. Though audiences understand the girl is in some sort of danger, it is assumed she is fairly safe inside the locked house. The reveal that danger is lurking so much closer than expected is truly chilling. This scene went on to influence countless thrillers and horror films since. Decades later, it is one of the horror genre’s most talked-about first scenes.
7. Final Destination (2000)
Synopsis
A group of high school students boards a flight to Paris, excited for their class trip in a foreign city. Moments before takeoff, one student experiences a vision of the plane exploding in midair. His desperate attempt to stop the disaster changes everyone’s fate.
Why It Was Good
The opening immediately tells audiences the movie’s unique premise. It also introduces tons of tension before viewers have even settled into their seats. The disaster opening is intense, believable, and unsettling to watch. It does a great job of setting up the film’s central idea: death cannot be cheated forever.
8. Midsommar (2019)
Synopsis
The film begins with emergency responders arriving at a seemingly typical suburban home. We quickly realize the devastating reality of what has just occurred in the home. The scene doesn’t feature monsters or violence; it simply presents a horrifying and highly emotional event. It feels painfully real and many horror fans say it still haunts them.
Why It Was Good
Midsommar proves that horror doesn’t need jump scares to be truly unsettling. The opening is heartbreaking, well acted, and extremely disturbing. The emotional weight continues through the rest of the film. This opening is certainly one of the strongest examples of psychological horror setting the tone from the very first scene.