The lights go down and the movie starts. That first couple of minutes when the movie starts and you munch your popcorn excitedly, waiting for those first scenes that grab you and pull you into the movie. To make you forget that you are in a theatre and suspend your belief for the one or two hours that you’ve committed to this movie.
In a way, games have an even harder uphill battle to make sure you’re really invested from the jump. They don’t have the luxury of assuming you’ll be in a darkened theatre with no external distractions. They know you’re at home and comfy, buried in blankets, or kicked back in a gaming chair It’s a little harder to absorb a person into an imaginary world. Of course, they do also have the luxury of knowing that some games just aren’t meant to have grand, epic storytelling. Some games are just fun.
Below are the Kali Krew’s favourite opening scenes from movies and games. Scenes that instantly attract you into their world.
This list is brought to you by Shawn
Belly
Chosen by Brian
Belly has one of the all-time great openings. Hype Williams in all his 90s rap glory, great character introductions, visually stunning. – Brian
Children of Men
Chosen by Sam
Children of Men does such a good job of just quietly placing you into the world of this story, then literally blows it up. – Sam
Chosen by Brian
It’s a tight, self-contained, compelling piece of crime fiction on its own that also introduces some of the themes that the movie will explore. – Brian
Full Metal Jacket
Chosen by Tracy
“This is my rifle….” – Tracy
Ghost Ship
Chosen by Shawn
Ghost Ship has maybe the most jarring transition from great opening scene to bad movie. – Shawn
Check out JB Rockwell’s Bad Movie Mayhem: Ghost Ship
Guardians of the Galaxy
Chosen by Bill
That amazingly goofy dance scene. – Bill
The Happening
Chosen by Olly
The opening mass suicide sequence is chilling and massively effective. The rest of the film not so much. – Olly
The Irishman
Chosen by Brian
Martin Scorsese gives us a great opening with The Irishman. It’s looks great, it has subtle mixing of narration and speaking tbag implies the mixing of thought, memory, and speaking out loud. The reveal of what being a house painter means AND the ending hit job is fully revealed in a muzzle flash BUT you don’t know it is until you get to the end of the movie.– Brian
Jacob’s Ladder
Chosen by Gracie
It starts out as typical Vietnam guys in the jungle joking around. Suddenly their world is lit up and it goes from (comparatively) peaceful to absolute chaos. But there’s something more. Strange things like seizures, violence, etc. start happening. The way the movie cuts from that scene to the train is so jarring that we’re already sharing Jacob’s feelings of disorientation as soon as the movie starts. – Gracie
Check out Gracie’s Focus on the Frightful: Jacob’s Ladder
The Last of Us
Chosen by Cory
I like The Last Of Us opening because it’s very cinematic and beautiful to look at, tricks you into thinking you’re diving right into the action and horror of a zombie outbreak, and then it yanks all the typical video game testosterone out from under you with a human soldier killing Joel’s daughter and shattering your expectations. It was probably the only time a “25 years later” slate punched me in the gut. – Cory
Night of the Living Dead
Chosen by Olly
“He’s coming to get you Barbara…” – Olly
A Picnic at Hanging Rock
Chosen by Gracie
I love the dreamy, surreal feeling of Picnic at Hanging Rock – it really sets you up for what the pace and feel of the movie will be like. The juxtaposition between the natural world that’s free, dreamy, and open to the tightly rigid defined areas of the school and girls perfectly sets the tone for the movie and its themes. – Gracie
Check out Gracie’s Focus on the Frightful: Picnic at Hanging Rock
A Quiet Place
Chosen by Lilyn
It sets the tone immediately and by the time the airplane goes “reeoo reeooo ppppsssssshhht” you are in full OH SHIT mode. – Lilyn
Check out Lilyn’s review of A Quiet Place
Scream
Chosen by Sam
It’s just the perfect goofy-until-it’s-not opening and it sets the tone for everything that comes just beautifully. Plus you have to respect a movie that uses Drew Barrymore extensively in the marketing then kills her off damn near instantly. – Sam
Silent Hill 2
Chosen by Gracie
I know the SH2 intro is very low-key but it’s one of my favourites, it sets up the story and feel of the game so well. The piano music sounds so sad and melancholic, James’ words set up the story. It’s great. – Gracie
Check out one of Gracie’s (many) posts on the Silent Hill series
Streets of Fire
Chosen by Olly
A fantastic musical opening that’s wonderfully 80s. – Olly
Static
Chosen by Olly
Director Mark Romanek has subsequently disowned this maybe fantasy, maybe not movie, which is a shame as it’s great. The opening is particularly brilliant, with rock star Amanda Plummer quitting her band mid-concert and going on a road trip whilst listening to The The. – Olly
Thir13en Ghosts
Chosen by Sam
It immediately lets you know the characters will be dealing with some baaaad shit later on. – Sam
What are the opening scenes that were most memorable to you? Let us know down below!
GracieKat was the first co-host of Sci-Fi & Scary, Lilyn’s partner-in-crime, and sub-head of the Kali Krew. She reviews horror books, movies, and games for the site. She also does a weekly Focus on the Frightful feature, and is the site list-maker. She is also in control of the Sci-Fi & Scary podcast which will relaunch soon.
Totally agree on all these, ever the Happening that sucked after the beginning. And, oh my gosh, Belly! Haven’t thought of that movie in so long!
I have never seen The Happening but I have not heard good things, lol
Oh don’t waste your time on it.