20 Greatest Opening Scenes In Horror Movie History

The Movie: In 1974, novelist Peter Benchley's Jaws emerged as a best seller, an unlikely thriller about a killer great white shark and the few men brave enough to battle it. As an enjoyable page-turner, Benchley's book works just fine, but it wasn't until Steven Spielberg endured a hellish shoot to complete his 1975 blockbuster adaptation that the homicidal fish officially earned its scary stripes.

The Opening Scene: Setting the stage for a brilliant monster without even letting the audience see it, a young and free woman runs into the ocean to indulge in a bit of skinny dipping. Suddenly the carefree and fun atmosphere shifts to a POV of something looking at the girl from the depths.

The brilliant and subtle score by John Williams begins to play as the POV moves closer and closer. Eventually the girl is thrown back and forth and pulled under the water as she screams for help. The feeling of being stranded in the ocean with the possibility of anything underneath is instantly terrifying and puts the viewer firmly in her place. It remains, to this day, a brilliant start to an overall brilliant film.

What's your favorite opening sequence in a horror movie? Let us know in the comment section below.