10 Horror Movies You Knew Would Be Good After The First 10 Minutes
After the first scene, we were sold.
It cannot emphasised how pivotal the first scene of a movie is. If the prologue doesn't draw you in from the get-go, don't expect the film to keep your attention for the next two hours (or longer). But if the filmmakers craft an incredible opening act, they're sure to have the viewers' undivided attention until the credits roll.
Creating the prelude of a horror can be a bit trickier, since the genre can't help relying on the same tired tropes. Even though it's tempting to start the story with an exposition dump, a forced jumpscare, or gratuitous gore, these techniques give the impression that what we're about to watch a trashy B-movie (which is totally fine if you're into that sort of thing).
However, there are some horror flicks that begin with such an intriguing mystery, compelling performance, or heartbreaking revelation, we are immediately invested, knowing we are in for one hell of a ride.
Although we should judge a movie as a whole, we were confident these ten horror flicks were going to be amazing, simply by watching the first ten minutes.
10. The Host
There are countless movie monsters that were created after encountering a man-made contaminant. The creatures from C.H.U.D., Godzilla, Them! (and technically the Ninja Turtles) all came to be after being exposed to pollution.
So, when The Host begins with a scene of a scientist dumping chemicals down a sink, it's clear this action will lead to the creation of the film's monstrous villain.
Even though we have seen this scene play out many times, The Host's prologue hits a lot harder, due to sheer volume of waste that the scientist disposes of.
He doesn't just empty a couple of bottles. Instead, he dumps a whopping 200 containers of formaldehyde! For the record, two tablespoons of this compound will kill a human being. As the camera slowly pans across the room, revealing the staggering amount of poison that's about to be poured straight into the Hans river, your mind goes wild, trying to comprehend what sort of behemoth these chemicals will create.
What makes this scene more horrific is the fact it's based on a real event that occurred in Seoul in 2000. (It didn't lead to a mutant tadpole killing people, as is depicted in the movie, but it's still shocking).