10 Great Horror Movie Characters Who Die At The Beginning
5. Pat Hingle - Suspiria
Its mixed critical reception upon its bow in 1977 did not stop Dario Argento's supernatural thriller from becoming a cult classic. This was due to its visual vibrancy, unabashed approach to gore, and its brilliant score crafted by Italian progressive rock band Goblin.
This offering in the giallo genre begins its reign of terror on an appropriately unsettling note. It follows Suzy Bannon (Jessica Harper)'s arrival at a prestigious ballet school in Germany. Not long after getting there, she witnesses Pat Hingle (Eva Axen) flee the school in terror, immediately telling her something is not quite right with the establishment.
Her suspicion and Pat's fears are proved to be horribly correct after the latter is found dead the next day, having passed on due to a brutal combination of hanging and repeated stabbing. Her friend Sonia also meets her sudden end after a glass shard from Pat's death hits her in the face.
Although Hingle was a minor character in the film's opening, her demise's visual assault is both memorable and sets the tone for the remainder of Argento's disturbing yet compelling feature.