20 Greatest Horror Movie Opening Scenes of the 2020s (So Far)

5. Shelby Oaks

The 20-minute mockumentary opening of Chris Stuckmann's long-awaited directorial debut Shelby Oaks seemed to suggest that a sure-fire classic was on the way.

The brilliantly conceived faux-doc, mixed-media approach skillfully chronicles the eerie disappearance of protagonist Mia's (Camille Sullivan) sister Riley (Sarah Durn), combining contemporary talking heads with superbly convincing archive footage from Riley's paranormal investigations.

There are few found footage movies that have so persuasively captured the vibe and aesthetic of mid-2000s Internet culture, ensuring it makes one hell of a strong opening impression.

Yet Shelby Oaks ultimately becomes a far more conventional supernatural horror story once it shifts to a typical narrative format at the 20-minute mark, leaving many wishing that Stuckmann had stayed true to the faux-doc format for the entire runtime.

In the very least, that opening makes for one compellingly creepy short film, and demonstrates Stuckmann's sure potential as a filmmaker.