- Grab Factor – This is a scene that immediately hooks you, draws you in, and makes you pay attention. It’s often action, but not always.
- Memorability – A scene that sticks with you after the movie is done; often one you easily remember when thinking about the movie.
- Sets the stage – A scene that prepares you for what you’re about to experience, or introduces you to a character.
*Warning: some videos contain explicit language.*
Honorable Mentions
10. Children of men
Grabs Attention
Sci-fi movies often have interesting premises, but Children of Men uniquely introduces you to its premise immediately. Just when it has you puzzling out the implications, it shocks you once again.
9. The Dark Knight
Sets the Stage
The movie opens with masked gang of criminals executing a bank heist while discussing the shadowy figure of the man behind the scenes, the criminal mastermind: The Joker. This scene offers spectacular wide angle city shots, and fast, slick action. Its true purpose, though, is building the mythos of Heath Ledger’s Oscar winning Joker.
8. The Matrix
Grabs Attention
This groundbreaking movie grabs you immediately from the first green tech-altered studio credit. Similar to the opening of Inception, The Matrix opener shows you things you can’t possibly understand until much later in the movie, not so much confusing you, but building your excitement and intrigue.
7. No Country for old men
Sets the Stage
World-weary Tommy Lee Jones narration opens the movie, overlaid on gorgeous wide-shots of southwest US desert. That of course, is merely the backdrop for audience’s introduction to one of the greatest villains in cinema history: Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh…and his infamous air gun.
6. Inside man
Memorable, Grabs Attention
A minute and a half of one man exposition. That’s all this scene is. No action. No mind-blowing visuals. Yet Clive Owen’s expert delivery in this intro makes it not only one of the most memorable scenes in the movie in cinema history as well.
5. Baby Driver
Grabs Attention, Memorable
Baby Driver begins with getaway driver Baby (Ansel Elgort) in his car jamming out to Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s Bellbottoms. It immediately endears you to the character because, who hasn’t done something similar? When it’s time to drive, the adrenaline kicks in and you get a thrilling, original car chase that’s thoroughly satisfying.
Some best opener lists have the similar opener from Drive on their lists. For me, Baby Driver’s is better.
4. Lord of War
Grabs Attention
Lord of War opens with a pan through a field of spent shell casings then up to a smug looking Nicholas Cage: How do we arm the other 11? From there you are taken on a journey through the life of a bullet. It’s unique and jarring, but a perfect intro to a movie about an infamous arms dealer.
3. Casino royale
Sets the Stage, Grabs Attention
By 2002’s Die Another Day, it was apparent that Bond was in desperate need of a reboot. Four years later with a new direction and a controversial new Bond, Casino Royale debuted. This opening scene had to carry significantly more weight than most, as it had to introduce Daniel Craig as Bond, showcase an updated direction, and instill confidence that it would still feel like a James Bond film. Director Martin Campbell completely nailed it.
The first bond scene to be shot in black and white juxtaposed a calm, collected Bond about to shoot a rogue agent, with Bond’s first kill: a gritty, brutal bathroom brawl. Combine this opener with the outstanding chase scene that followed, and you have a nearly perfect franchise reboot.
2. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the ring
Sets the Stage
This opener is the absolute archetype of a set the stage opener. The film opens with black screen and Cate Blanchett’s enchantingly severe tone as she draws you in with the line “The World is Changing.” Then drops the haunting score that I can still hear piercing my ear drums as Blanchett tells the tale of the past events that lead up the films present.
It’s engaging. It’s haunting. It’s epic. It’s a masterpiece in drawing the audience in, and bringing along the many people unfamiliar with the background of the story. This opener clued you in to the masterpiece you were about to watch.
1. Inglorious Bastards
Memorable
For me, Quentin Tarantino oscillates between absolute brilliance, and unwatchability. He takes chances and does things most other directors wouldn’t. When it works, it really works. And with the opener of this World War II fictional tale, Tarantino crushes it.
The movie’s opening scene is almost 20 mins long and almost exclusively exposition mixed with brief moments of dialogue. Yet it’s utterly captivating. Christoph Waltz is brilliant as Nazi Col. Hans Landa. Watching as he expertly breaks down the French farmer whose house he’s searching is like watching a veteran athlete toy with a novice before finally taking over the match.
If you’re going to open a movie with a 20 minute scene, it had better be spellbinding. This one certainly is.
