15 Greatest Opening Credit Sequences In Movies

So you've picked your film. It's movie night, and you want to try something you've never seen before. Maybe it's the blockbuster you missed over the summer, a classic you're silently ashamed you've never seen, or a film you've put off watching because you're worried it's not going to be good despite it starring your favourite actor.

Or, maybe you want the comfort of a film you've seen before, and know scene-for-scene.

Whatever the case may be, all of these films have a chance to rope in their audience and make you completely entranced in what's about to occur right from the get-go. The opening credits can be used to set-up the characters you're about the meet, the tone of the film, and the stakes of the plot.

Some don't fare too well, some are simple and underwhelming, and others are just there to get the cast and crew out of the way so they can get into the nitty-gritty of the story. These films have missed a vital trick however; a trick the films in the following list failed to miss and used wholly to their advantage.

Be them classic themes, unique in style or a perfect encapsulation of what's about to happen on screen, here are the 15 greatest opening credit sequences in movies.

One of cinema's most recognisable scores, the James Bond theme tune is incredibly iconic and, let's face it, very cool. The theme was written by Monty Norman for the 1962 film Dr No, and has been used in every Bond vehicle since, with some alterations in instrument and tone. And let's not forget Bond walking across the scope, turning, and shooting his possible assassin dead, causing blood to run down the screen.

As the Bond films grew and grew into following Dr No, the Bond theme was accompanied by an extremely stylish opening montage over a song performed (and written) by a big named artist at the time.

Some of the most critically acclaimed songs have been performed by the likes of Shirley Bassey, Nancy Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Tina Turner, and Paul McCartney and Wings. Recent musicians to take on the task have included the late, great Chris Cornell, Jack White and Alicia Keys, and Sam Smith (who won himself an Oscar for the brilliant "Writing's on the Wall").

When it comes to pieces of classic pop culture, it doesn't get much bigger or better than the Bond theme, be it the classic theme from Dr No or the timeless songs that followed. Here's hoping Billie Eilish, whose song has proved to already be a big hit, fits with the new film as well as the songs that came before it.