Top 10 Best Horror Movie Opening Scenes

There are many things we focus on when picking out a movie to watch. With horrors it is no different. Some search for a gory poster, some judge a film by watching a trailer or going through the director and cast in the film. Many of us wait to see the reviews on our favorite horror website and channel. For me, when the tough selection process is complete I click on the play button and it is the first 10 minutes that makes me decide if I am going to enjoy it or not (this method works if you feed on anything and enjoy almost everything – yes, I am a diehard fan of 90% of the horror genre)

Still, there are some opening scenes that get me glued to the screen more than others. For this reason Allhorror has prepared a list of some of the best horror movie openings.

These will not be considered spoilers as the first 10 minutes of a movie are more of an introduction into a good horror story, so let us begin:

10. The Conjuring (2013)

This one is a great creepy demonic possession horror. Yes, the opening scene is about Annabelle, but it is a great intro that shows us not to mess with the supernatural and the consequences it can bring. The scariest scene in the movie is the Hide and Clap game moment, so if you have not seen Conjuring we encourage you to check out the whole franchise.

9. Final Destination (2000)

Each film from this franchise (five movies) has the same formula. Opening scenes where a group of teens dies in a horrible accident only to be discovered it was a future vision from one of the protagonists that helps this group avoid certain death. They can be on an airplane, car, on a rollercoaster, race track or a bridge it does not matter to “Death” and by the end of each film we learn that there are some ways to shortly postpone it, but you can never escape it! Here is the opening scene from the original movie from 2000, but feel free to check out all of them.

8. The Collection (2012)

This horror film is a sequel to The Collector. If this opening scene catches your eye, I strongly recommend watching the 2009 part first. This one is about a guy sent to aid mercenaries in capturing his abductor from the original movie while trying to avoid all the traps set by the antagonist.

7. 28 Weeks Later (2007)

The first scene from this British horror sequel is one of my top 5 favorite scenes dealing with infection outbreaks. If you somehow missed it, be sure to watch both 28 Days and 28 Weeks Later. Survival is our basic instinct and when up against rage infected people it is every man for himself.

6. Scream (1996)

This one was directed by Wes Craven. Almost everyone knows the masked killer from Scream, the iconic “Ghostface”. This great teen slasher also has an excellent opening scene to get you “craving” for more (see what I did there). It starts with a simple phone conversation that quickly escalates into run for your life moment with a gruesome outcome.

5. Cube (1997)

For fans of survival games thrillers Cube is a must watch trilogy. A group of people wake up in a cube with 6 doors, one on each side. No one remembers how they got there and how to get out, but what we do find out from the opening is that there are deadly traps set in these cubes and one wrong step can be your last.

4. Jaws (1975)

Almost 45 years has passed and Jaws is still one of the top ranked horror on many lists. No surprise here because the film is a masterpiece. I of course watched it as a kid and was scared of sharks throughout my whole life. Thankfully the Sharknado franchise began and I learned the comedic side of these scary beasts so it is a bit easier now when I go on vacation and enjoy the sea.

3. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Easily one of my top scariest horror films (yes, I am a fast zombie fan). This film has a really good opening intro featuring a song from Johnny Cash followed by an even better opening part where infection and chaos spread through the neighborhood.

2. Dead Silence (2007)

Not much to say here. I already mentioned I dislike dolls and how my parents bought me two of the creepiest clown dolls to watch over me while I sleep. There is no picture on the internet that can portrait the way they looked so I tried to make something similar. Eyes were more dead (like sharks eyes), face was white and the nose was pointier. One was blue, one was red… I was 7 and I hated them... Well in Dead Silence there are dolls, lots of them, but the main one is Billy. Scary as hell, and if he was left at my doorstep as a present, he would have been thrown into a dumpster and set on fire. Unfortunately for the woman, she kept him and fortunately for us, it gave us this scene.

1. Evil Dead (2013)

Number one pick is a sequel to Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead (1981). Some consider it a remake but it was meant to be a sequel to the original film. For those of you who haven’t seen it, you might guess from the title that it is about demons and possession. The plot revolves around a group of young people who go to a secluded cabin in the woods only to discover there is something sinister about that place. There are lessons to be learned from this movie and by far the most important one is: Never mess around with a book made out of human skin, sealed with barbed wire.