10 Movies That DEMAND Your Attention Immediately

These movies locked you in their grip from the first moment.

A Clockwork Orange Malcolm McDowell
Warner Bros.

First impressions count for a lot, because if a movie doesn't grip audiences within its first few scenes, then it will have to fight tooth and nail to win their sustained attention for the remainder.

It's fair to say that not all great movies are immediately compelling from their first scene, and in fact, it's quite a rarity that a film truly manages to lock the viewer's gaze from its opening moments.

When it happens it's truly miraculous, assuring the audience they're in for something truly special if the filmmaker can maintain that momentum for the rest of the movie.

In the case of these 10 films, each took full advantage of every trick in the toolbox - a great cast, veteran cinematographer, Oscar-worthy editor, and even a shrewd musical selection - to ensure they had your full, undivided attention from the jump.

It's tough to pull off, and sometimes films that try it end up falling flat on their faces, but that thankfully wasn't the case with these classic films. Each had viewers hanging on every word and image from the opening moments onwards...

10. Mad Max: Fury Road

A Clockwork Orange Malcolm McDowell
Warner Bros.

As the first Mad Max movie in a full 30 years, Fury Road absolutely needed to come storming out of the gate with something special, and that it certainly did.

The first moment in George Miller's high-octane post-apocalyptic epic - after a brief opening narration, that is - is an eye-watering glimpse of the beautiful-yet-arid desert wasteland, while Max (Tom Hardy) and his trusty Interceptor overlook the horizon.

Within mere moments, Max has killed and eaten a mutated two-headed lizard, hopped into his car, and driven off into the expanse, as he's chased down by a gang of War Boys.

Such begins what is effectively a two-hour chase movie that sees Max teaming up with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) to help take down the vile tyrant known as Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne).

The opening moments do a fantastic job of setting the mood and style while also confirming that this isn't going to be your typical action flick.

If you're not totally gripped by that mesmerising opening shot of the desert landscape, are you even awake?

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.