10 Horror Movies You Knew Would Be Good After The First 10 Minutes

Because of Midsommar's 148-minute runtime, it was imperative for Ari Aster to opened with a mega-shocker to grab your attention. Fortunately, Aster went beyond the call of duty by crafting a gut-wrenching prologue that's sure to stay with you forever.

In the first scene, Dani rings her neglectful boyfriend, Christian, after she receives disturbing messages from her mentally ill sister. Because Christian is having a drink with his mates, he dismisses Dani's calls. But when he finally answers, he hears Dani howling hysterically.

Now, what we hear is not an ordinary scream. What we hear is a haunting wail coming from the depths of Dani's soul. Because of her inhuman screeching, we know Dani has suffered an unbearable tragedy.

But nobody is ready for what comes next. We then cut to Dani's family home, where we see her sibling lying beside her computer table, with a hose pipe jammed down her throat.

As haunting as this visual is, it gets so much worse. As the camera zooms onto the computer screen, we see she's sent a message to her Dani, which reads, "mom and dad are coming too. goodbye."

At this point, we understand she's filled the house with carbon monoxide, resulting in the death of herself and her parents. In that moment, you feel your heart break, knowing Dani has lost her entire family in one evening.

Although overly shocking prologues can be gimmicky, Midsommar's opening feels necessary, as it warns the viewer that they are in for a very, very uneasy watch.