10 Best Horror Movie Opening Scenes Of The 1990s

Despite being devoid of conventional scares, From Dusk Till Dawn's nine-minute opening is utterly riveting.

Things seem mundane at first, with a Texas Ranger chatting to a clerk, Pete, in a liquor store before taking a leak. However, things go from 0-100 when sibling fugitives, Seth and Richie Gecko (played by George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino respectively), emerge from the corner, holding two young women at gunpoint. When Pete pleads that he "did what you said," it's apparent he's been held hostage but was trying to play it cool with the cop to avoid him exasperating the situation.

What follows is a sharp escalation, starting with accusations and insults before devolving into a murderous, bloody shootout that leads to multiple deaths and the store in flames. Not only is this shift in tone extremely unexpected, but it also warns us how chaotic things are about to get, especially when the film switches genre at the halfway point.

The scene doesn’t just introduce the main characters, but emphasises their ruthlessness, unpredictability, and twisted sense of control. By the time this calamitous confrontation is done and dusted, viewers should be completely invested and pumped for what's to come.