10 Best Horror Movie Opening Scenes Of The 1990s
8. Ring
Although the original Ring has some disturbing imagery, the prelude focuses entirely on atmosphere.
The scene begins with high schooler, Masami, talking to her friend Tomoko about a cursed videotape which kills the viewer seven days after watching it. Even though Masami laughs at the idea, she changes her tune when Tomoko reveals she watched the tape seven days earlier. Furthermore, she received a phone call afterwards from a caller who uttered the words, "Seven days."
After an awkward silence, Tomoko bursts out laughing, taunting her friend's gullibility. However, their jeering is interrupted by the blaring phone, causing the two teens to cautiously answer it. However, Tomoko is reassured when she realises the caller is her mother.
When Masami leaves the room, Tomoko notices the television has turned itself on. After switching it off, Tomoko hears a scratching sound behind her just before she's killed by an unseen force.
What makes the scene work so well is how it repeatedly offers a false sense of relief, only to heighten the tension immediately after. The fact Tomoko's fate isn't revealed at first accentuates the atmosphere, since viewers are unable to rest, not knowing exactly what happened.