Top 20 SCARIEST Opening Scenes in Horror Movies
#20: “Friday the 13th” (1980)
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This slasher classic takes place in 1979, with Mrs. Voorhees enacting her infamous killing spree at Camp Crystal Lake. However, the opening scene takes place over twenty years earlier. It sees camp counselors Barry and Claudette meeting a grisly end at the hands of an unseen assailant. The scene is filled with some remarkable tension, which is generated by the smooth point-of-view camera shots, eerie music, and that famous whispery chant that helped make the franchise so iconic. The opening places viewers inside the mind of a killer, and it is not a comfortable place to be.
#19: “You’re Next” (2011)
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This movie opens in a very similar fashion to “Friday the 13th.” It also contains a couple getting intimate and viciously killed, only this time we actually see the perpetrator. Erik Harson takes a shower and seemingly doesn’t hear what’s occurring in the other room. When he exits the shower, he’s met with a horrifying sight - his girlfriend is dead, and her blood was used to write the titular, threatening message on the window. Erik quickly follows, as he’s killed by an assailant wearing a lamb mask. It’s a great scene that seems like it was ripped from an urban legend, and it nicely establishes the home invasion theme that would follow in the main story.
#18: “Trick ‘r Treat” (2007)
This film works as an anthology and presents various separate-but-connected stories centered around a mysterious trick-or-treater named Sam. The opening scene establishes the movie’s overarching theme and the characterization of its villain. Sam attacks those who break Halloween traditions, and in this case, his target is Emma. Emma seemingly can’t wait for Halloween to be over, and ignores her husband’s superstitious advice about taking down the decorations. In return, she’s ambushed, killed, and turned into a morbid decoration herself. It’s a very effective opening that works thanks to its intrigue, music, and grotesque visuals.
#17: “Suspiria” (1977)
There are stylish horror films, and then there’s “Suspiria.” Directed by Italian filmmaker Dario Argento, “Suspiria” is a masterpiece of giallo horror and follows a ballet student who learns a terrifying truth about her school. The opening scene concerns another student named Pat, who runs away from the school and is killed at a nearby apartment complex. The entire sequence proves why Argento is known for his style. It contains many brilliant and eye-popping colors, gorgeous production design, blood-chilling music, and surreal visuals that are sure to linger in the viewer’s memory (and nightmares). It doesn’t get much more stylish than this.
#16: “Drag Me to Hell” (2009)
This horror film from Sam Raimi is about Christine Brown, a bank employee who’s cursed by an elderly Roma woman after she fails to extend the woman’s mortgage. The opening doesn’t concern itself with Christine, but a young boy named Juan who was cursed after stealing a necklace. But if you thought he’d be safe from harm because he’s a kid, think again. This scene establishes the medium character of Shaun San Dena while also showing why the movie’s called “Drag Me to Hell.” Both stylish and remorseless, the creepy results prove why Raimi is considered a master of supernatural horror.
#15: “Twilight Zone: The Movie” (1983)
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Released nearly twenty years after the iconic TV series came to an end, “Twilight Zone: The Movie” proved that the franchise still had the power to frighten. Directed and written by a slew of notable names, the anthology consists of five segments, one of which is the short prologue helmed by John Landis. A sort of meta commentary on the franchise, it sees Albert Brooks’s and Dan Aykroyd’s characters discussing the show. Aykroyd’s character then claims he’s going to do something scary and turns into a creature. The genius of this scene is not the effective makeup or sound effects, but the fact that it warns the viewer ahead of time. We know something scary is coming, yet it still catches us off guard.
#14: “Ghost Ship” (2002)
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This movie takes place in 2002 and concerns a salvage crew that finds the titular ghost ship in the Bering Sea. But to learn why it’s a ghost ship, we have to go back to the beginning. The movie opens in 1962 aboard the once-luxurious ocean liner. Passengers are enjoying a dance on the beautifully lit deck when an unseen assailant sends a wire shooting across the dance floor. The wire makes a disgusting mess, and viewers are treated to every graphic detail and image. It’s a spectacular opening that shocks and revolts in equal measure, and also generates a tantalizing mystery about the killer. And with that, viewers are instantly hooked.
#13: “Evil Dead” (2013)
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This is a solid re-imagining of Sam Raimi’s iconic original, and it contains a killer opening involving a possessed teenager. The girl is captured and brought to a dark basement, where she’s chained up and subjected to some type of mystical observance. Perhaps realizing that the game is up, the girl transforms into a deadite in a fantastic jump scare that combines scary makeup with an eerily altered voice. Whereas Raimi’s “Evil Dead” is cheaper and a little campy, this opening scene proves that the soft reboot is bringing the scares.
#12: “Midsommar” (2019)
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Dani’s boyfriend Christian sees her as clingy and overly anxious. However, she’s actually a deeply troubled woman suffering from survivor’s guilt over the death of her entire family. This is portrayed in the movie’s haunting opening sequence. Dani gets a scary email from her sister Terri and becomes worried, desperately trying to get a hold of someone. The movie then proves her fears correct in a horrific sequence that reveals the deaths of Terri and their parents. The scene establishes an unbearable sense of dread, and it culminates in a tragic outcome and some grotesque visuals. This is pure anxiety delivered in movie form, and Dani actor Florence Pugh sells it in heartbreaking fashion.
#11: “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984)
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The opening to this one is a superb example of a nightmare brought to the screen. It perfectly conveys that bizarre sense of dream logic that doesn’t really make sense but which creeps you out all the same. There are empty corridors dripping water, a boiler room, a random sheep, and a razor-clawed Freddy Krueger stalking and laughing from the shadows. The protagonist Tina also keeps looking over her shoulder, clearly afraid of what, or who, is watching her. Krueger then performs some inhuman trickery and materializes behind Tina before she wakes up in a sweat. Wes Craven’s filmmaking is inventive and creative, crafting a literal waking nightmare for his audience.
#10: “A Quiet Place” (2018)
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The opening of “A Quiet Place” is very economical. In just ten minutes, we learn everything we need to know about the movie. We learn that the world is in tatters and that towns have been left completely abandoned. We learn that humans are forced to remain quiet and use sign language to communicate or risk drawing the attention of monsters. We meet all the primary characters. And best of all, we learn that the monsters are both agile and ruthless, as one swipes young Beau right in front of his father. It’s a mesmerizing opening that’s filmed with precision, and the killing sets the dour tone that the rest of the movie follows.
#9: “28 Weeks Later” (2007)
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While the opening to “28 Days Later” is iconic, this is arguably scarier. It’s certainly more visceral, as the infected attack a farmhouse and kill most of the inhabitants. The filmmaking throughout the sequence is intentionally erratic to portray a sense of panic and unpredictability, featuring an onslaught of noise, quick cuts, and a very shaky camera. The ensuing chase with Don is also heart-pounding, as a large horde of infected materialize on a nearby hill and pursue him to a motorboat. It’s all portrayed in a very realistic manner, aided by the handheld camera and superb acting from all involved. Now that’s how you open a zombie movie!
#8: “When a Stranger Calls” (1979)
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Even the people who write off “When a Stranger Calls” admit that the opening twenty minutes is a masterpiece of horror filmmaking. It concerns Jill Johnson, a babysitter who receives threatening phone calls from a stranger. After much back and forth, Jill is famously informed that the calls are “Coming from inside the house!” and she learns that the intruder has already killed the children. The scene is notable not only for its terrifying concept, but for the escalating tension and threat level from the caller. Tony Beckley gives a magnificent vocal performance as the caller, and Carol Kane works off him nicely. It all combines to create an unforgettable - and enormously influential - opening sequence.
#7: “Night of the Living Dead” (1968)
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George A. Romero crafted one of the most revolutionary horror films of all time with “Night of the Living Dead,” and the first zombie he introduces is similarly historic. Barbra and Johnny are attacked by a man while visiting a cemetery, and he proceeds to kill Johnny and chase Barbra to a nearby farmhouse. The scene works exceptionally well on both immediate and slow-burn levels. The siblings watch the man slowly approach from the distance, and Romero mines some extraordinary tension from his advance. And the chase itself remains pulse-pounding to this day. Even with decades worth of zombies to consider, this man remains one of the all-time scariest.
#6: “It Follows” (2014)
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This little horror film from David Robert Mitchell follows (no pun intended) a supernatural entity that relentlessly pursues a young woman named Jay. But the opening sequence involves a girl named Annie, and what a sequence it is. The scene grabs viewers from the start and demands their attention with a tantalizing mystery. Annie is clearly terrified and running from something, but we don’t see what. She then drives to the beach and morosely says goodbye to her dad before a shocking cut reveals the grisly result of the chase. In just a few short minutes, the movie establishes the general concept of the movie and raises tons of great questions in the process.
#5: “The Ring” (2002)
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People like to tell creepy stories at late-night get-togethers. In this case, the story is real. Through the legend that they tell, Katie and Becca give viewers a brief rundown of the movie’s plot. There’s a cursed video tape, and it kills whoever watches it. It’s a creepy-enough story, but it gets even creepier when Katie reveals that she actually watched it. Viewers then witness the tape fulfill its curse. We don’t really see anything, aside from a quick glimpse of something on the TV and a small puddle of water. But the imagination is often scarier than reality, and through the legend and brief visuals, this scene does a great job of getting our imaginations going.
#4: “It” (2017)
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Stephen King knows how to craft a memorable monster, and he created an all-time great with Pennywise. The clown’s malice is established straight away, as he targets a young boy for death. Georgie is playing with a paper sailboat when it floats down a storm drain. It’s there that he meets Pennywise, and what follows is the stuff of horror legend. This scene was scary enough in the 1990 miniseries, but it’s made even scarier here thanks to some great lighting, the ominous performance from Bill Skarsgård, and the graphic violence that results from Pennywise’s attack. This scene touches on it all - fears of clowns, fears of someone being where they shouldn’t, and worst of all, fears of harm or violence against children.
#3: “Halloween” (1978)
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The opening to “Friday the 13th” was greatly influenced by “Halloween” and the groundbreaking work that director John Carpenter accomplished with it. This sequence places viewers inside the mind of young Michael Myers, who stalks and eventually kills his own sister. The scene was shot using a new piece of technology called the Panaglide, and the smooth, resulting one-shot take is helpful in building tension. Furthermore, Carpenter shoots the scene through Michael’s point-of-view, giving viewers a highly disturbing firsthand account of the attack. Finally, the scene ends with a deeply troubling twist, as we learn that the killer was actually a young child. It’s an unforgettable opening that helped kickstart the entire slasher genre.
#2: “Jaws” (1975)
Steven Spielberg would later become known as one of the greatest blockbuster directors, and his films are some of the most extravagant of all time. But with “Jaws,” he also proved that he could do a lot with a little. The subject of the opening scene is Chrissie Watkins, a woman who decides to go for a late-night swim in the ocean. Unfortunately, she’s targeted by the shark and violently attacked. It’s an astounding sequence that generates haunting scares with nothing but some solid acting, helpful cables, and effective music. Pretty much everything about this scene is iconic and instantly recognizable, and it’s every bit as scary today as it was in 1975.
#1: “Scream” (1996)
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Wes Craven certainly knew how to open his movies. This legendary scene sees Casey Becker being stalked by a mysterious caller. The conversation begins innocently enough, but the calls get increasingly malicious and both Casey and her boyfriend are killed. The calls themselves are blood-curdling, and the scene’s tension explodes in graphic fashion with some of the most gruesome deaths of the “Scream” franchise. The scene worked especially well at the time, as killing off Drew Barrymore’s character so early was a major twist that added a sense of unpredictability to the story. Luckily, knowing that she dies ahead of time does not sap the scene of its celebrated energy or power.