10 Best Horror Movie Opening Scenes Of The 1990s

What makes Fallen's opening scene so effective is that it sets up key plot points in a misleading way, so viewers won't comprehend the whole picture until the end.

The first thing we see is Denzel Washington's character, Detective John Hobbes, frantically scurrying through the snow, talking about the time he nearly died, which is something he never believed would happen, especially at this age. Hobbes then has a flashback to explain how he got into this predicament, but emphasises he's not going back to the very beginning since "that'll take forever". This seems like an off-the-cuff comment, but pays off massively during the epilogue.

The flashback opens with Hobbes speaking to an imprisoned serial killer, Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas). Despite the fact that he's to be executed shortly, Edgar behaves brashly, teasing the detective in various languages.

While being placed into the gas chamber, the maniac doesn't have a care in the world, joyfully singing, "Time Is On My Side". At first, it seems like Edgar's behaviour is due to his psychotic nature. Little does Hobbes know that Edgar is giving him major clues to the havoc he's about to unleash on the city.

In a nutshell, Fallen's introduction is stuffed with subtle exposition that can only be appreciated on a second viewing.