10 Best Horror Movie Opening Scenes Of The 2010s

Gaspar Noe’s career has been defined by his dedication to the unexpected. Each film in his oeuvre stands apart as a unique experiment in cinema, and Climax is no different. Centring on a French dance troupe rehearsing in an abandoned school, the 2018 picture moves from heated fun to a sweat-drenched nightmare as someone spikes the punch with acid, and the social cohesion of the group disintegrates.

After being introduced to the company’s dancers via a montage of brief video interviews, we are thrown headlong into the first scene: an all-encompassing, high-energy dance sequence involving the entire cast of characters. It features the signature red tint that dominates Climax's colour palette, and was shot in one take, with Noe’s camera pivoting, tilting, and craning to take in the various movements of the dance and throw us off balance.

The staging and effort that went into capturing such a multifaceted performance in a single take is what makes this a standout scene. Everything is constantly in flux, and yet everyone remains on their mark, producing a free-flowing piece of performance art most musicals and theatrical productions would kill for. It seeds the tensions, drama, action, and horrors of the rest of the film, with the dancers writhing on the floor, losing their minds and striking out - and even subtly hints at who spiked the punch.