10 Most Harrowing Opening Scenes In Horror Movies

Out of his collection of hard-hitting and challenging flicks, none of Lars von Trier's films are as provocative or transgressive than Antichrist.

Starring Willem Defoe and Charlotte Gainsburg as a nameless couple, the film follows as the pair embark on their woodland retreat, a holiday meant to help them grieve fully in the wake of their infant son's death. However, the retreat descends into a satanic nightmare when something primal and terrible manifests through the wife.

The devastating opening prologue concerns itself with the child's death. Shot in black and white and presented in slow motion, the sequence sees the couple embraced in passionate lovemaking, oblivious that their son has managed to get out of his bed.

Set to the emotionally charged and beautifully tender tones of Handel's Lacia Chi'io Pianga, the pacing is deliberately slow. As the child climbs and looks out of the window, stuffed bear in hand, viewers become aware of what's about to happen, but are powerless to do anything about it when it does.