20 Greatest Horror Movie Opening Scenes of the 2020s (So Far)

9. Talk to Me

Talk to Me
A24

Danny and Michael Philippou's searing debut Talk to Me offers up one of the most chillingly efficient opening scenes of any horror movie ever, so perfectly teeing up the rest of the movie in two terrifying minutes.

The scene follows a young man, Cole (Ari McCarthy), who enters a raucous house party in search of his mentally disturbed brother Duckett (Sunny Johnson), being concerned enough about him that he even breaks down the door of the room he's locked inside.

As Cole tries to take Duckett home, however, Duckett stabs him, and as the rest of the party disperses in a panic, Duckett swiftly turns the blade on himself, stabbing himself in the head as we hard-cut to the film's title.

Even though we don't yet know the full context of what brought Duckett to this place - that he was the previous owner of the cursed embalmed hand - it's one hell of a jolting, intense opener which gets the audience on edge from the jump.

 
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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.