10 Horror Movie Openings That Surprised Us All

2. Scream

Scream Drew Barrymore
Universal

Ahead of Scream's release, Drew Barrymore was the movie's biggest names, was front 'n' centre of every piece of marketing and had top billing on all trailers for Wes Craven's iconic 1996 offering.

So, when Drew's Casey Becker was killed off less than 15 minutes into the picture - and killed off in such brutal, sinister fashion! - it not only hugely shocked audiences, it also asserted to horror hounds that all bets were off with this game-changing feature.

Throughout its entire run time, Scream did all that it could to poke fun at the tired tropes of the slasher subgenre, with Craven both mocking horror stereotypes and serving up a genuinely terrifying movie at the same time. And a pivotal part of breaking the mould with Scream, was how A-lister and purported headline act Drew Barrymore was offed so alarmingly early.

Of course, the act of killing a major name in the opening minutes would become commonplace for the Scream franchise moving forward; Jada Pinkett Smith and Omar Epps offed at the start of Scream 2; franchise favourite Cotton Weary (Liev Schrieber) killed during Scream 3's opening; Lucy Hale, Kristen Bell, Anna Paquin, Aimee Teegarden and Britt Obertson done in during the head-spinning start to Scream 4.

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.