20 Horror Movie Openings That Are Practically Perfect
4. Jaws - The Shark Attacks
The death of Chrissie Watkins (Susan Backlinie) never loses its punch, even on the tenth viewing. It is simply flawless.
The unfortunate Chrissie is the first victim of Jaws' villainous shark, and her nightmarish death scene is a testament to the power of suggestion. As has been well-documented, the shark models didn't work and Steven Spielberg instead relied on POV shots and John Williams' ominous score to convey the shark's presence. This couldn't have worked better, as the viewers' imagination will often be more terrifying than anything on-screen.
With Chrissie's death, we don't see anything of the shark, we just see Chrissie being violently dragged around by an underwater force as she screams in terror - the lack of clarity makes it all so much worse, as there's a terrible sense of powerlessness in the face of the unknown. In short, it's a masterful beginning to one of the greatest movies ever made.
It's given further punch by a legitimately terrific performance from the late Susan Backlinie; it's a real shame her acting career never quite took off after this movie. Spielberg did, nevertheless, reunite with her for his regrettable 1979 war comedy 1941, where she cameos in a scene that pays homage to this very scene.