In today’s world of streaming services, where people have entire libraries of movies accessible at their fingertips, the pressure to make a good opening scene is higher than ever. If the first few minutes of a movie don’t hook your viewers, most of them will switch to watching something else. While theater walkouts are also a thing, they’re neither as common nor as frequent during the earlier moments of a film. So, while the pressure has always been there to make a statement with the first scene, it has become like an elevator pitch today.

For instance, the Mission: Impossible franchise bounced back after a disappointing second film with Mission: Impossible III, which opens with the climactic scene, establishing both the stakes and the pace of the film. Now, there is always a case to be made for watching a movie in full, despite how the opening scene makes you feel. Some great horror movie villain twists, for example, don’t occur until the end. However, setting the pace with an opening scene, just like the best cold-opens in TV show history, did for their episodes, always ensures a great viewing experience.

10

Scream (1996)

Directed by Wes Craven

There are few better ways to open a slasher movie than establishing the villain as highly capable, violent, and smart. If that’s accompanied by one of the most memorable cases of misleading, the scene is bound to become iconic. When Wes Craven’s Scream was first advertised with Drew Barrymore in the poster, it was ᴀssumed that she would be the protagonist of the film, making it all the more surprising when she turns out to be one of Ghostface’s earliest victims.

Ghostace’s introduction as a movie trivia head who then murders you after quizzing you over the phone changed slasher cinema forever. It wasn’t common for slasher villains to be amicable with their victims. Moreover, the immediate switch of tone from casual conversation with an admittedly creepy movie nerd to being threatened by a killer establishes perfectly how high the stakes in Scream are. It tells viewers to expect the movie to become intense in a matter of seconds throughout the runtime.

9

Jurᴀssic Park (1993)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

If you can create literal dinosaurs, you will want people to know how cool they look. The Jurᴀssic Park trailer blew up because Spielberg, practically the creator of the summer blockbuster, brought the promise of an adventure featuring dinosaurs that looked realistic, and still do. However, it’s just as important to remember that violent carnivorous dinosaurs are man-eating monsters you shouldn’t trifle with.

The opening scene of Jurᴀssic Park establishes exactly this. The guard who gets pulled into the cage, in one of the most iconic movie scenes ever, is proof that these dinosaurs will not spare an attempt to attack, maul, and possibly eat a human. The scene also feels like it’s out of a horror movie. While Jurᴀssic Park remains a perfect non-animated action movie for kids to watch, the opening scene lets viewers know what to expect if a carnivorous dinosaur is released. It also provides the tiniest of glimpses, teasing audiences before the dinosaurs are revealed.

8

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Directed by J. J. Abrams

It’s not often that a Mission: Impossible movie unfolds non-linearly, but J. J. Abrams isn’t a conventional filmmaker. While he’s most famous for making two of the sequel movies in the Star Wars franchise, both of which are considered among the worst Star Wars movies ever, he directed one of the best Mission: Impossible movies of all time. It introduced Michelle Monaghan as Ethan Hunt’s romantic partner, and also starred the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as the villain.

The first scene in Mission: Impossible III occurs halfway through the third act in narrative order. Yet, it’s the opening scene, so the viewers know what Ethan is dealing with. Mission: Impossible II had seemed too gimmicky with its slow-motion action and the overuse of masks. So, the franchise needed revitalizing and introducing audiences to the villain and the high stakes of the mission, along with the ruthlessness of the villain he’s dealing with, got them hooked from the very opening and told them that the game had changed altogether.

7

Baby Driver (2017)

Directed by Edgar Wright

Edgar Wright has one of the most stylish and simultaneously chaotic filmographies in all of Hollywood. He has dabbled in every genre and left an unmistakable mark on it with his style-over-substance approach. His most iconic movie, one of the most hilarious horror-comedy movies of all time, Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ is the finest example of his storytelling technique where interesting characters have meaningful experiences in fleeting moments during a chaotic film characterized by violence, memorable dialogue, and an incredible soundtrack.

However, the epitome of that style of filmmaking can be found in Baby Driver, which follows a baby-faced getaway driver. He is the best at his job, he has an impeccable taste in music, and he doesn’t get involved in any of the other aspects of the crime that is being committed. We know all this about him in less than 5 minutes during the opening scene of the movie. It also sets the high-octane pace for Baby Driver, while letting viewers know the film will be set to some of the best high tempo music ever.

6

Uncut Gems (2019)

Directed by Bennie and Josh Safdie

The Safdie brothers make some of the most uncomfortable thrillers of all time. They are brutal, quick, and relentless with anxiety-inducing moments that culminate in an explosive climax with an unpredictable conclusion. Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler in one of the best A24 movie performances of all time, is no different, as a jewelry broker’s business deals start collapsing on him simultaneously and his life is suddenly more endangered than it has ever been before.

The opening scene of Uncut Gems establishes two important things – viewers will not be able to predict where the film will go at any point, and they must be prepared to watch scenes that will make them queasy and anxious. The transition from the inside of an ore that’s been excavated to the inside of a man during his colonoscopy lets viewers know the gems have as much relevance to the protagonist’s life as his own health. The fast-paced camera movement tells them to expect a relentless film with no moments to breathe.

5

The Dark Knight (2008)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan changed superhero cinema with The Dark Knight, an action sequel better than the original movie in the franchise. It is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, with one of the best-written screenplays for a superhero film. The gritty tone of the story, buoyed by Heath Ledger’s unforgettable performance as the Joker, influenced many films in the genre and even affected the comic book Batman character.

One of the greatest strengths of The Dark Knight as a film is its impeccable pacing. Despite its extended runtime and the number of elaborate action set pieces, it’s unrelenting in its intensity and never lets up since the Joker is introduced, which happens in the very first scene. Perhaps the most iconic character introduction of all time, it shows people Heath Ledger’s version of the Joker with a chaotic bank heist that’s simultaneously perfectly planned, setting the pace for the villain’s actions to follow.

4

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan has one of the most violent and gritty war scenes ever committed to film, and what’s even more shocking, it’s the first scene in the movie. It permanently changed the way war was shown in American cinema and viewed by its audiences. While the characters’ sacrifices are respectfully acknowledged, the scene strips away any sense of glorification, showing us how destructive a battlefield is.

While it’s not the first war movie to do this, given Spielberg’s influence on audiences and cinema, it wasn’t until this, that the unglamorous representation of war became mainstream. The Omaha Beach D-Day sequence, as it is known, presents an unrelenting view of war that sets the pace for the rest of the film, letting viewers know the characters won’t have respite from danger at any point. Acts of bravery are heroic, but there is no glory in the death afforded by war, and Spielberg ensures audiences knows he’ll not be glamorizing war in his movie.

3

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Right from Pulp Fiction, which marks his directorial debut, Quentin Tarantino has established himself as a master of cinematic tension. Scenes characterized by conversations that culminate in a heated, excessively violent, and devastating moment occupy all his films. They are also often characterized by brilliant performances, like Pam Grier in and as Jackie Brown, a thriller movie performance that deserved an Oscar nomination.

However, his masterpiece, which he slyly tells us with the final line of the film, is Inglourious Basterds, a parody of the tensions during the First World War. The first scene is the ultimate demonstration of his skills as a screenwriter, as he manages to make audiences anxious, showcase Christoph Waltz’s performance as the villain, and introduce viewers to the vengeful protagonist. The casual conversation boils into a mᴀssacre of a Jew family as the Nazi played by Waltz slowly figures out where they’re hiding. It sets the pace for the action and the dialogue to follow.

2

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

While Harrison Ford’s most iconic character will undoubtedly always be Han Solo, the breakout role he is most known for, none can deny Indiana Jones’ popularity. The smooth-talking archaeologist with a penchant for punching Nazis will always be a pop-culture icon who fans will adore for his one-liners and memorable stunts. His most remarkable trait is perhaps his ability to think on the spot and pull off daring escapes from certain death.

So, it’s fitting that the scene that introduced him to the world depicts Dr. Jones exhibiting all the traits we love him for. It shows him cracking his whip to dispose of miscreants, establishes his knowledge in the field, tells us of his compᴀssion for people, and showcases his knack for finding traps and evading death. Moreover, the iconic boulder run, one of Harrison Ford’s most legendary stunts, set the pace for viewers who know to expect peril, action, and unbridled adventure from the film.

1

Trainspotting (1996)

Directed by Danny Boyle

Trainspotting

is a moody film about life, which follows a drug addict and his group of friends, all of whom struggle to get sober. It follows the ups and downs in their lives through various phases. It is one of the least coherent films of all time, which simultaneously makes sense as a meditation on the impact of drugs and urban subculture on the citizens of Ireland.

There are no words that can possibly describe the frantic vibe of Trainspotting, and perhaps director Danny Boyle knew this too. Hence, the film opens with one of the most bizarre and iconic monologues of all time, which depicts the protagonist running with drugs, nearly dying from being hit by a car, and rambling on about life in a voiceover. It also introduces us to the main characters and their defining traits, setting the pace for the relentless barrage of unforgettably queasy, weird, and incoherent dialogue and visuals that are to follow in the movie.