10 Most Controversial Opening Movie Scenes

6. Proxy

There's something so immediately terrifying about seeing a pregnant woman in a horror movie. Even if nothing happens, the tension that something, anything might happen to the unborn child is enough to keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire runtime. Though filmmakers usually steer clear from having anything terrible happen to the baby (or at least showing it in detail), 2013's Proxy throws all that out the window in the opening minutes.

Following a pregnant woman as she travels home from a doctor's appointment, she's knocked unconscious in the street by a hooded assailant, who then proceeds to smash her stomach in with a brick.

Obviously, the scene became a sensation even before the movie came out, coming to overshadow the entire project. There was no way that wasn't going to happen though, as even in the context of the narrative it's still jarring, and easily one of the most uncomfortably violent movie openings of all time.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.