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

In It Follow's beginning, a half-dressed woman bursts out of her house, constantly looking back, as if someone is chasing her. Her shoes don't match her clothes, suggesting she shoved them on in a panic the instant she realised something was following her. She then circles back to her house, grabs her purse, and zooms off in her car.

The scene cuts to nighttime, with Annie huddled on the beach in palpable terror. When her dad rings her phone, she answers it, telling him she loves him in a way that suggests she has accepted her fate. During this conversation, a repetitive thud can be heard in the distance, which sounds eerily like footsteps.

The scene suddenly cuts to the next morning, revealing a close-up of Annie's corpse. The camera pulls back, showing her body has been viciously mutilated.

With that three-minute sequence, the audience is instantly invested (and petrified beyond measure). Even though the pursuer and the murder itself is never witnessed, viewers immediately understand Annie's concerns were 100% warranted.

It's also a great scene since it proves a movie doesn't need to start with a mask-wearing psychopath or a hulking monster to leave a haunting impression.