10 Opening Horror Scenes NOTHING Like The Rest Of The Movie

10. Uzumaki

Based on Junji Ito's manga of the same name, Uzumaki follows Toshio Saito, a father who is cursed, causing him to develop an obsession with spirals. 

Toshio's behaviour seems odd at first, but it isn't long before his hobby consumes him and leads to his demise. And when the hex spreads to the rest of the town, Toshio's son and friends worry they'll suffer the same fate.

Despite having some nightmarish imagery, there isn't the slightest indication Uzumaki is a horror for the first ten minutes or so. The film opens with a schoolgirl, Kirie, frolicking through her village while uplifting music plays in the background. Her jaunt is interrupted by Yamaguchi, a boy who begs her to go on a date with him. This scene is filled with weird close-ups and the camera inexplicably flipping sideways or upside-down, which makes this little exchange come across as playful and whimsical. 

Even though the source material has moments of levity, this scene feels like it's setting up a light-hearted romantic tale. As such, it's a proper WTF moment when things go full-blown body horror, with the townsfolk contorting themselves into spiral shapes, breaking every bone in their bodies.