Horror movies are a strange breed of film. Many of them are distinctly remembered for their stunning, and often terrifying conclusions. Others have such an oppressive mood that you feel genuine discomfort all throughout. And then, some have the ability to set the pace within the first few minutes and take you on an emotional ride before the fun even begins. The following are some of the best horror movie introductions to date, and while some of these films may not necessarily hold up to the classics, their opening scenes have certainly earned them a place in our memory. Click the links to check out each intro.
10. Pontypool
Perhaps the most tame, if not peculiar introduction on this list, Pontypool's intro gets a nod not for its scares, but for its clever use of subtlety. As you watch the film, you become aware of certain things that will enforce the strength of the opening. On the first viewing, it exists simply as a strange, bizarre introduction to this unusual zombie flick. It's not until you realize exactly what's being said in that opening that makes it such an effective way to begin this film.
One of the few horror movie remakes that actually manages to turn out a worthy product, 2004’s Dawn of the Dead also gets us right into the zombie action without wasting time. The first few minutes are quite brutal and effective, and the drive into the city is met with an appropriately dramatic score, some clever camera angles, and a foreboding radio news alert.
8. Sinister
The most recent horror movie entry, Sinister uses effective changes in mood and atmosphere with some unsettling raw footage to create a memorable modern horror classic. The film contains several of these bizarre and gruesome home videos, but the one shown at the very beginning is perhaps the most disturbing.
7. The Ring
Another horror remake, The Ring is also one of the most critically successful horror films of all time and also paved the way for other, less effective Japanese horror remakes like The Grudge and Dark Water. But what The Ring creates so much more effectively than those two is mood, and never is that more evident than in its opening scene.
Wes Craven’s original slasher flick created a legend, and one of horror’s most iconic and deadly villains. Across 9 films, Freddy has killed more than 40 victims. His iconic clawed gloves, red and black striped shirt, and burned face have been terrifying - and murdering - people in their sleep for decades. The introduction to this horror anthology’s first entry gives you just the right amount of anticipation for the rest of the film.
5. Jaws
While not necessarily remembered by most as a “true” horror film, Jaws dished out its own form of terror by scaring millions out of the ocean in 1975. This iconic thriller about a man-eating shark was the highest-grossing film of its time, and the most successful movie until the release of Star Wars. The serene, quiet opening sets a strange and juxtaposed tone to the rest of the film and perfectly captures the relationship between predator and prey.
4. Poltergeist
Ever feared that your house was built on the remains of an ancient burial ground? Well it’s probably because of this movie. Poltergeist is responsible for some of the most memorable movie quotes in history: from Carol Anne’s haunting “They’re here!” to spiritual medium Tangina Barrons’ “This house is clean.” But it’s the opening that sends real chills down your spine. Never has a television been more terrifying.
Make no mistake: 28 Weeks Later is not the best horror movie. It took its predecessor's formula, one that elevated it into the pantheon of classic low budget horror flicks, and completely replaced it with standard Hollywood action/horror nonsense. Weeks squandered the potential of this not-zombie-but-infected-even-though-they’re-zombies series. That being said, the intro offered a glimpse of what could have been. And it looked outstanding.
2. Halloween
John Carpenter is a legend in the horror universe, a mind that has brought us a number of classics: from The Fog (1980), to The Thing (1982), to Prince of Darkness (1987), and more. I could go on and on about his contributions to horror, but none of his films have had as much of a cultural impact as the original Halloween. Michael Myers is a monster. A force of pure, unfiltered rage. While Rob Zombie’s 2007 remake attempts to neuter Carpenter’s legendary psychopath by giving him a backstory of “misunderstood young boy,” the opening scene of the original makes it very clear that Michael Myers is not misunderstood - he’s simply evil.
1. Scream
Speaking of having a cultural impact. Scream ushered in a new age of horror, bringing with it a slew of modern teen slashers and creating what had previously been a rather niche subgenre - meta humor. Scream’s innate ability to be both thrilling, funny, and completely self-aware set it a part from nearly every movie on this list, and certainly most of the observed classics. Arguably one of the most important horror films ever made, Scream wasn’t just a return to form for director Wes Craven, but it was also a triumphant commercial success and remained in theaters for a whopping 8 months after its release, a length unheard of by today’s standards. The opening scene is iconic for many reasons: it plays with our idea of horror movie tropes, first introducing us to a character played by a successful and famous movie star (Drew Barrymore), and then promptly killing her within the first 10 minutes; it pokes fun at the trend of horror movie sequels, something that the Scream franchise too becomes a victim of; and it gives us perhaps one of the greatest movie quotes of all time. So, the question remains: “Do you like scary movies?”
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