10 Scariest Horror Movie Opening Credits
5. Alien
Alien's blend of existential terror is peerless, and it's made apparent pretty much from the off. The title sequence for Ridley Scott's sci-fi magnum opus makes clear the cold unknown of space immediately, rendering in stark clarity its immortal tagline.
Jerry Goldsmith's score almost telegraphs how unprepared the soon-to-be-revealed crew of the Nostromo are for what they're about to face - a slow, melodic composition that acts as a sort of reflection of them awaking from their slumber, all the while an unnerving set of strings and an echoey clunking fade in and out, all of it conveying one thing - you are vulnerable.
Like the crew of the Nostromo, the opening credits for Alien make clear that we too are trapped precariously in the void, unable to change course from the horror lying in wait. We look to the stars in Alien and don't see wonder - all we get is dust, and darkness.