10 Horror Movies You Knew Would Be Good After The First 10 Minutes
1. Jaws
One second. That's how long it takes for Jaws to get your attention. After hearing a sliver of John Williams' ominous score while the camera pans around the seafloor from the shark's viewpoint, you can't help being transfixed.
As mesmerising as the opening credits sequence is, it's the following scene that's responsible for making an entire generation afraid of going into the water. While teenager, Chrissy, is enjoying her swim in the sea without a care in the world, the camera keeps strategically cutting underneath her. Every time we cut to the shark's POV, the camera edges closer to Chrissy's dangling legs, highlighting the predator is drawing near.
As Chrissy is suddenly jerked downward, the contentment on her face dissolves, and is replaced with immediate terror. As she tries to swim to safety, her body is pulled in the opposite direction, proving she is now in the maw of the shark. After another bit of helplessly thrashing, the unseen beast drags Chrissy's flailing body downward, sending her to a watery grave.
You know what's the most impressive part? This scene left viewers petrified of sharks... even though we never saw one. By using tactical camera work, a magnificent score, (as well as a pulley to cause the actress to flail around), this scene freaked us out, and made us desperate to see what happens next.