A great horror movie understands that there is no second chance at a first scare. With a great opening comes a great responsibility, since it establishes the tone of the rest of the film and helps people decide whether they want to commit to the film or find something else to watch. A good hook is the most important in a horror film, which is why expectations are often high in this genre.
Fortunately, the ten most terrifying movie opening scenes of all time do more than just set the tone; they are the first sign that these films will make you afraid to go to bed at night, check all of your locks and windows, and fall asleep with the lights on. From suburban slashers to supernatural horror, these are the most terrifying scenes ever captured on film.
10. 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' (1974)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, one of the most beloved and controversial horror films of all time, is terrifying and ominous throughout. It begins with a grainy shot of sun-covered burnt corpses. Soon after, a van full of young travelers picks up a hitchhiker who appears strange but harmless as he talks about his work at a slaughterhouse; then, he cuts himself with a knife, takes a picture of one of the travelers, burns the photo, and then cuts one of them. They push him out, and he rubs his blood all over the van, dancing by the roadside as they drive away.
The hitchhiker, played by Edwin Neal, is not some supernatural monster—just a grinning, incoherent human being, serving as the foundation for the horror in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, portraying it as a masterpiece of nihilistic filmmaking. The bright Texas sunlight and documentary-style cinematography heighten the film's visceral and unsettling quality, and the opening scene foreshadows this throughout. There is no dramatic music in the van scene, which establishes not only realism but also a world without rules, where people are the biggest factor of unpredictability. Tobe Hooper may not have been the cast's favorite person after filming, but he delivered a horror masterpiece.
9. 'The Ring' (2002)
Fans of horror are familiar with Ringu, the Japanese film that sparked a wave of Japanese horror and its inevitable American remakes. The Ring, starring Naomi Watts, is a remake of 1998's Ringu, and while it can't compare to the original in every way, its opening scene is incredibly similar, if not more eerie. It begins with two teenage girls sitting in a bedroom; one of them, Katie (Amber Tamblyn), tells her friend about a cursed videotape: after watching it, you receive a phone call telling you that you will die in seven days. The phone rings moments later. Katie answers the phone, but the call is a ruse; however, when she returns to the bedroom, she notices the curse and her face twists into a frozen grimace.
Gore Verbinski's remake captures what the original intended, which is a sense of terror overtaking a general mundanity. For example, the girls are random teenagers, the house is a suburban dream, and evil manifests itself through the TV, which is otherwise a source of comfort and entertainment in many homes—you watch this particular movie through it, too. The opening scene, though heavily 2000s-coded, shows remarkable restraint, since we never see the killer, posing the story as a mystery. The final frame of Katie's face lasts long after the scene ends.
8. 'Final Destination' (2000)
Final Destination ushered in a new era of modern horror as a cinematic blockbuster, and this horror/thriller clearly had the production value to create a show. Every horror fan has seen Final Destination's opening scene, which is less of a jump scare and more ominous and unsettling. It begins with Alex (Devon Sawa), a high school student, boarding Flight 180 to Paris with his classmates. As the plane heads down the runway, he has a vivid vision: the plane explodes shortly after takeoff, killing everyone onboard. He panics, screams, and starts a fight, causing him and a few other passengers to be thrown off the plane. Angry at Alex, they hurl a barrage of insults at him until the plane explodes in a fireball against the night sky.
This opening is genius and one of the most memorable in film history. The plane explosion in Alex's premonition is depicted in graphic, brutal detail: seats are ripped apart, bodies are incinerated, and luggage catches fire, and director James Wong employs numerous practical effects to make the crash feel terrifyingly real. It's reassuring to see Alex snap out of it, but convincing others to leave the plane is another nerve-racking task. The image of the plane exploding against the black sky is imprinted on the collective mind, while the scene itself instilled a long-lasting, specific phobia in anyone who's ever watched Final Destination.
7. 'It Follows' (2014)
It Follows is widely regarded as one of the best horror films of the 21st century, and its invisible destructive force is genuinely terrifying. Imagine seeing someone looking at something in front or behind them with terror in their eyes, and you can't see anything; this is the basic premise (and plot) of It Follows—only the pursued person can see it, and it follows you until it catches you. It Follows begins with a terrified teenage girl running out of her suburban home wearing silk pajamas and red heels. She looks around, then runs back inside, grabs a car key, drives to a beach, and calls her father, apologizing for being rude to him, telling him she loves him, and appearing to be saying goodbye. The following morning, she is discovered dead on the sand, her body twisted and broken.
In the first five minutes of It Follows, director David Robert Mitchell establishes the central rule: something is following you, it never stops, and you are the only one who can see it. This opening scene is a masterclass in building dread without relying on jump scares, setting the stage for one of the most innovative horror films of the decade.
