20 Greatest Opening Scenes In Horror Movie History

20. Martyrs (2008)

The Movie: Riding at the forefront of the bloody New Wave of French horror, Martyrs is nothing less than the most punishing genre experience since Gaspar Noé's Irréversible. Watching this gruelling account of two women who encounter a deranged cult bent on seeking transcendence through vicarious suffering is like staring into a blast furnace. The film is a smouldering cell of anger, heat and marvel. It’s difficult to watch head on and downright painful to endure over time.

The Opening Scene: The film begins with a news flashback to 1971, where a girl named Lucie has escaped from captivity. The single tracking shot that follows the terrified, bloodied young girl is a masterclass of mood-setting that achieves scares simply through the power of suggestion.

What could possibly have left the girl in such a state? The audience doesn't find out until much later, but the suggestive power of this opening moment is enough to leave anyone in a state of dread.