Top 10 Horror Movie Openings
Opening scenes often set the tone in horror movies. They can pack a punch and set up a movie for greatness. Sometimes they’re the best part of the entire film. Below is a Top Ten list of my favorite opening scenes in horror. As I compiled it, I realized a majority come from my early years as a horror fan, which is why I think they stuck with me after all this time. It’s in no way meant to be definitive and is presented in no particular order. Just ten great opening scenes we can all enjoy.
SCREAM
Not only does the opening scene from Scream introduce one of the most famous lines in horror history, but it also utilizes a Psycho-like misdirection by having the most famous cast member (at the time) killed early. This scene sets up Ghost Face’s MO, establishes the rules of the movie, and hints at the deconstruction of the Slasher genre that is about to follow. It ends with the impactful imagery of Drew Barrymore’s character hanging from a tree, discovered by her distraught parents.
SCREAM 4
Scream 4 as a whole doesn’t get the love it deserves. As much as the original was a deconstruction of the Slasher genre, Scream 4 was a deconstruction of the Scream Franchise itself as well as the modern horror genre at large. The opening is tongue in cheek, and very aware of what it is. It’s fun and gruesome, and when it came out all I could think of Scream is back. It continued the tradition of offing famous cast members early, with cameos by Anna Paquin and Kristen Bell. It antes up on the misdirection in the original opening by having the opening to Scream 4 be the opening to Stab 6 which is the opening to Stab 5… I think? (Want a deep dive into the Scream franchise and the women involved? Just click HERE)
28 DAYS LATER
Ah, the age-old story of a group of well-meaning animal rights activists who accidentally unleash a deadly rage infection, which leads to complete societal collapse. The reason this opening scene works so well is partly because of the scene that directly follows it, 28 days later…holy shit I just got the title. First, we’re plopped down in the middle of a primate jailbreak that goes sideways when a rage infected chimp attacks its rescuers. We go from creepy lab to creepy abandoned hospital. We’re shown the barren wasteland of London through the eyes of Jim, who has just woken up and has no idea what is going on. It all culminates with his first encounter with the infected, in a church full of dead folks, and a timely rescue which sets the story off proper
28 WEEKS LATER
I thought I’d keep with the franchise love, and include the opening to 28 Weeks Later. Another brilliant opening for a completely different set of reasons. This time we’re dropped in with a group of survivors holed up in the countryside, sharing a nice dinner when a young visitor brings a horde of zombies down on them. The scene goes from a slow, emotional one as we empathize with the survivors’ struggle to a balls-to-the-wall action scene as the infected descend upon the house. And then Don decides to leave his wife behind and run for the hills. That final shot of him running away from the house is one of my favorites of all time. We’d all like to think we’d stay behind and save our loved ones, but who’s to say for sure?
DAWN OF THE DEAD
The Dawn of the Dead remake from 2004 is one of the best remakes of all time. It starts so quickly and remains an intense ride right until the end. The opening scene is the only time we really get to sit with Ana and see her in a state of normalcy before things go to shit. And they go to shit fast - first with a child zombie that attacks her husband. Her flight from the house, the reveal of the widespread destruction, and the ensuing chaos plunges us headfirst into the movie. This perfect opening scene is tied up with a haunting title sequence set to Johnny Cash’s When the Man Comes Around.
GHOST SHIP
Ghost Ship was one of the first horror movies I ever watched as a kid and to this day this is one of my favorite opening scenes. From the start, it’s constructed to lull the audience into a false sense of security. Everything from the score to the typesetting on the opening credits is presented in a way that makes you think you’re watching something from Turner Classic Movies instead of a horror movie from the early 2000’s. Then, BAM! A wire cuts through everyone on the dance floor. There’s a pause between the realization of what just happened and the slow separation of top halves from bottoms, arms from shoulders, and heads from necks. In one second we’re taken from a scene that evokes imagery of the golden age of Hollywood to a gruesome bloodbath.
IT FOLLOWS
The opening to It Follows is a quick one. I love it so much because it leaves us asking questions. We’re in the dark at the start of the movie, and clearly we don’t see whatever it is that Annie is seeing. As we watch the movie we come to understand just what it is that’s happening in the opening, but at first we’re just as much in the dark as Annie’s parents. The final shot is haunting, and gruesome, and leaves us wondering what happened to her. It piques our curiosity and makes us invested in finding out why Annie came to such a horrible fate.
WHEN A STRANGER CALLS
I really enjoy the opening to When A Stranger Calls. Much like the opening to It Follows, it’s a pretty quick one. But the juxtaposition between the bustling fair and the quiet house is really effective. Phone calls, in general, freak me out, but phone calls from strangers asking my name are next-level creepy. Even though it’s basically just a background for the opening credits, the scene really works to establish the tone for the movie with effective editing and a creepy score. This is definitely a case where less is more when it comes to getting an early scare from the audience.
FINAL DESTINATION 2
Let’s be real, this entire list could just be Final Destination opening scenes. It’s pretty much a staple of the entire franchise. I settled on the second one though, because the first didn’t give me a fear of flying and the third didn’t give me a fear of roller coasters. Final Destination 2, however, did give me a fear of driving behind logging trucks. Anytime I’m on a highway and I see a logging truck, or a flatbed carrying anything that could possibly impale me, you know I’m changing lanes ASAP. I don’t think I’m alone in that, either. I also have an irrational fear of dying unexpectedly so these movies just fuck me up in general. (Check out the top five things we’re now scared of because of this franchise HERE)
THE CONJURING
The first in what would become its own cinematic universe, the opening scene of The Conjuring gave us our first glimpse at Ed and Lorraine Warren and their encounters with the demonic. We also see Annabelle in action for the first time, which would, of course, lead to its own trilogy of movies one day. While not directly tied to the main plot of the movie, the scene establishes the rules of the universe and sets the tone for what’s to come when the Warrens face their true test.
