10 Scariest Horror Movie Opening Credits

Far from being just an example of director Richard Donner's versatility, 1976's The Omen is a terrifically spooky and atmospheric effort and probably the best of the religious horror movies that followed William Friedkin's The Exorcist in 1973.

The film, which makes excellent use of Gregory Peck as an ambitious U.S. politician unravelling in the midst of a satanic conspiracy, also boasts a peak David Warner (dearly missed after his passing in 2022) and a tremendous score from Jerry Goldsmith. Combine that with excellent location work, set design, and Donner's eye for style, and you're left with a brilliant horror picture - although one that has, despite being well-regarded, never quite received the flowers it deserved.

The Omen does an excellent job of establishing its blend of satanic horror from the off. While the opening credits sequence isn't overly elaborate - just credits fading in against a black backdrop - the emergence of the antichrist's silhouette as Goldmsmith's theme swells is itself an omen of the apocalyptic danger lying in wait, a threat Donner's film more than delivers.