10 EVEN MORE Horror Movies You Knew Would Be Good After The First 10 Minutes
9. Lights Out
Based on the terrific short film of the same name, Lights Out centres around a sinister spirit called Diana that kills its victims in the dark. Although Diana's elaborate backstory is divulged later on, the very first minute effortlessly illustrates how her powers work.
As textile worker Esther (Lotta Losten) prepares to leave the building, she turns off the light, causing a barely visible figure to appear in the doorway in front of her. Unsure if her eyes are playing tricks on her, Esther flicks the light on and off over and over, with the shadowy creature only appearing when shrouded in darkness. When she turns the light off for the fifth time, the demonic entity appears right in front of her, giving Esther the scare of her life.
The jump-scare doesn't feel forced since it teaches us that Diana only exists in darkness, and also highlights that Diana can only move and attack while in the absence of light. What's more impressive is how this pivotal plot point is conveyed without a single word of dialogue.