Most Stunning Opening Scenes In Spooky Movies

"28 Weeks Later" manages to up the ante from the admittedly excellent opening sequence of "28 Days Later" and drops you right into an intense situation. It is a pulse-pounding opening that is so hard to watch. You know that the character Don (Robert Carlyle) is doing the most intelligent thing he can do to survive, but what he is doing is so messed up. You see his utterly merciless choice; it is scarier than the zombies, no matter how fast they run.

"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" is a beautifully shot film. People think of it a certain way but don't realize it until they watch how artful it is. The opening sequence isn't fast-paced or filled with a killer running around. Instead, it is a voiceover and a dark screen with spoken words. Until the screen goes black and a camera shot brings light on pieces of a picture until you see what it is. Absolutely chilling, and the sequence goes a long way toward convincing you that it is real.

"Possessor" is such an incredible film full of terror. Still, the opening sequence is another masterful creation that summarizes and introduces the ideas in the movie in a way that isn't traditional exposition. It is exciting and hopeless. You see someone living and doing tiny things that don't seem normal until the ultra-violence breaks out amid a crowd. It's shocking in its ferocity and directly imprints what the film is about on your brain.

"Ghost Ship" is an example of a film with an opening sequence that might be better than the rest of the movie. It is essentially the story of how the ship came to be haunted, so it tells a wild story that is engrossing and surprising. The first time you see it, what happens is a bombshell because while we all expect that things will go wrong, I guarantee you couldn't predict exactly what does happen.

The remake of "Dawn of the Dead" has, hands down, one of the best opening sequences and credit sequences ever. Before the movie was released, the filmmakers, director Zach Snyder, and writer James Gunn, and the studio knew that what they had was so awesome that they released the first 10 minutes of the film, and it was all over. People responded very well to the footage; the film was a hit. I would have been happy with the film if I had only seen those first minutes. It was that great.

"The Empty Man" was slept on because it got lost in the pandemic year when theaters were closed except for drive-ins. It's a shame because the film is genuinely disturbing cosmic horror. The opening sequence is perfect. It sets up everything that happens afterward and serves as a mini-movie. You have to see it to appreciate it, but when the opening sequence is done, you will be thrown a big curveball.

Lee Cronin's "Evil Dead Rise" has a ruthless opening sequence. The sequence is a capsule version of what's to come, and, while sometimes opening sequences and title sequences are two separate parts of the film, in "Evil Dead Rise," the title sequence is the only possible capper to what has gone before. It is a marriage of the opening sequence and title sequence. It's also one of the more brief and compact opening sequences, and Cronin is a master at economical storytelling.

"Final Destination 2" has a fantastic opening sequence that has led to many people refusing to follow trucks carrying loads of lumber. It's so compelling and scary that it has modified people's behavior in real life. I don't do that anymore. Director David R. Ellis constructed a tense sequence that turns around on itself until the horror gets underway. It was probably this sequence that led to there being that many sequels in the series.

"Blade," directed by Stephen Norrington, is one of the most stylish vampire films, which is why it is so popular. The slam-bang opening vampire dance party sequence is possibly one of the best sequences in the franchise that handles a lot of explication for the viewers. You watch the sequence, and it is thrilling, and you already know most of the players in the film. It's so much fun, and it's so well done.

Vincenzo Natali's "Cube" was quite influential and not as well known as it should be. The opening sequence is quiet and deadly. Alderson (Julian Richings) awakens and finds himself in a cube. He explores and finds even more cubes and has no idea how much danger he is in. We soon discover how bad the situation is and what happens pre-dates similar sequences in films like "Resident Evil" and "Ghost Ship." After the sequence is over, we know everything we need to know.

Wes Craven's "Scream" has an opening sequence that will live forever. It manages to pull of a similar feat as "Psycho" did in less time. Drew Barrymore as Casey gives a tour de force performance as the first person that we see go up against Ghostface. We get a quick primer on the rules of the film and the methods of the killer. It's quick and very brutal and makes the point that Ghostface is not to be trifled with.