10 More Horror Movies That Cleverly START With Huge Twists
8. When A Stranger Calls
Much as it may be something of a meme these days, the opening twist in 1979's slasher classic When a Stranger Calls has remained iconic for almost 50 years for damn good reason.
The film follows Jill Johnson (Carol Kane), a young babysitter who is repeatedly harassed by a threatening caller, prompting her to call the police, who then trace the call.
After another terrifying call from the assailant, the police call Jill back and drop a bombshell - the calls are coming from inside the house.
It's a brilliant example of a simple yet elegantly executed opening twist which immediately unnerves the audience and puts them on an uneven keel for most of the movie's expectation-defying remainder.
After all, this suspense sequence accounts for only the film's first act, after which it leaps forward seven years in time as Jill is forced to face off with the killer once again once he escapes from a psychiatric facility.