10 Horror Movie Openings That Surprised Us All

4. Halloween

Halloween 1978 Michael
Compass International Pictures

These days, any and all film fans worth their salt are well aware that Michael Myers' path of carnage and chaos began when he stabbed his sister to death when he was just six years of age. Still, upon a first watch of Halloween, there's no way to not be taken aback by that absolutely shocking revelation.

To John Carpenter and Debra Hill's immense credit, they set this reveal up brilliantly; only showing the action and murder from the killer's point of view, meaning it was a legitimate jaw-dropper when you realise you've been watching a cherub-faced child carry out such a brutal act.

By the time of Halloween's release in 1978, it was just a given that the antagonist of a movie would be, well, an adult. If not an adult, at least a deranged college kid in their late-teens. So, when Halloween had an angelic six-year-old as the perpetrator of its initial 'kill', it genuinely stops you in your tracks.

From there, Halloween would jump ahead 15 years to the night the 21-year-old Michael returned home and left Haddonfield reeling.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.