10 Most Harrowing Opening Scenes In Horror Movies

Somewhere between a gripping horror and surreal waking nightmare, It Follows is the acclaimed hit from writer-director David Robert Mitchell. The plot follows Jay (Maika Monroe) as she falls victim to a mysterious, shapeshifting entity that constantly pursues her, walking at all times. The only escape is to pass the curse on by sleeping with someone.

A hypnotic and suspenseful horror made all the better by a delightful retro-inspired score from Disasterpeace, It Follows is a fascinating film to watch. The entity could be anyone and appear at any time; and this knowledge keeps viewers locked in a constant state of uneasy suspense.

Mitchell Robert nails his film's tone in the shocking cold open that sees a scantily clad Annie (Bailey Spry) run out of her house in sheer terror. Ignoring concerned pleas from her father and a neighbour, she gets in her car and drives away.

Sat in the dark, illuminated only by her car's headlights, viewers next see Annie tearfully telling her parents that she loves them over the phone.

Though viewers don't see what Annie is running from, they do see what it does to her. A sudden cut reveals her body lying on the beach, her legs bent in an impossible position.