10 TERRIFYING Horror Movie Openings (That Led To Disappointing Movies)
Films that started out frightening but quickly became frustratingly underwhelming.
A terrifying opening scene can do wonders for a horror movie. For example, it can set the stage for the main narrative and characters, establish the film’s tone and style, and allow audiences to settle in with a playful or petrifying scare right off the bat.
In fact, some of the finest titles in the genre – 1975’s Jaws, 1996’s Scream, 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street, and 2014’s It Follows among them – are known for their frightening introductions as much as anything else.
Regrettably, far too many scary cinematic efforts start off strong and go downhill from there, though, with their unsettling – and even iconic – first frames heightening expectations in ways that the rest of the runtime fails to meet. That’s not to say that they become outright terrible, though. Rather, it just means that viewers were so impressed, startled, and excited by what they saw after hitting “play” that they were inevitably let down by where the film went afterward.
That could be because the picture never again equals its preliminary scares and inventiveness, or because it gets increasingly uninvolving and stupid. Whatever the case may be, the following ten movies represent especially egregious cases of terrifying horror openings that sadly led to disappointing films!
(Spoilers ahead, of course.)
10. Sinister 2
Writing partners Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill have a track record of diminishing returns with sequels, as both The Black Phone 2 and Sinister 2 fell short of the superb originals. That said, there’s a bigger gap in quality between the Sinister duo, with the second entry feeling like a pale imitation of what preceded it.
That’s quite unfortunate since it kicks off with a premonition that’s as alarming as most of the infamous home movie snuff films shown in 2012’s Sinister.
Simply put, nine-year-old Dylan Collins has a vision of three people who’re bound like scarecrows in a cornfield being set ablaze by an unknown figure. Granted, it’s not very graphic or prolonged, but the notion of being burned alive – coupled with the haunting ambient soundtrack – nonetheless results in an extremely upsetting scene.
Sadly, the bulk of Sinister 2 – which was directed by Ciarán Foy instead of Derrickson – comes across as a shoddier and sillier imitation of its predecessor, with the same blueprint being used alongside traces of Children of the Corn and Goodnight Mommy.
Its twist – that Dylan’s possessed twin sibling, Zach, eventually brings Dylan’s dream to life – is particularly stupid and predictable, and despite admirable performances from leads Shannyn Sossamon and the late James Ransone (may he rest in peace), Sinister 2 is universally underwhelming.