20 TERRIFYING Scenes In TERRIBLE Horror Movies

9. The Opening Massacre - The Bye Bye Man

The Bye Bye Man
STX Entertainment

The Bye Bye Man is a film that categorically fails to deliver on the potential of its intriguing A Nightmare on Elm Street-inspired premise, where the titular entity's (Doug Jones) curse spreads like a virus to anyone who hears or even thinks its name.

The grim reality of this is at least unfurled in the movie's gnarly opening sequence, depicting an incident in 1969 where a man, Larry (Leigh Whannell), murders several of his neighbours with a shotgun, each of whom has been told about The Bye Bye Man and can play a part in spreading its influence.

Director Stacy Title films the entire five-minute sequence in an immersive single take as Larry stalks his way around the neighbourhood, refusing to flinch away from the brutally matter-of-fact violence, which succinctly establishes some high stakes.

It's just a shame about the rest of the movie, though, which can't hold a candle to this eerily bravura set-piece.

 
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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.