20 Greatest Opening Scenes In Horror Movie History

The Movie: Based on the true life story of murderer John List, Terry O’Quinn plays mild-mannered Jerry Blake, a real-estate agent with the perfect family. On scraping away at the veneer, however, it becomes obvious that Jerry, who has married into this nuclear family, is anything but the perfect father. He has aggressive mood swings, shouts at himself in the cellar and has a worrying preoccupation with '50s comedies.

The Opening Scene: This queasy opening sequence depicts the aftermath of a massacre in a suburban home - that just so happens to have been perpetrated by O'Quinn's deranged daddy. Watching him silently and calmly stride past the brutalized bodies of his former family on his way out the front door is a shocking, unforgettable image that you're not likely to soon forget.

Not a single line of dialogue is needed to let the audience know exactly who the film’s title character is, and what he’s all about. Sometimes, less truly is more, and The Stepfather is a perfect example of that.