Whether it's a single shot or a self-contained narrative, a great opening sequence is the
most important part of a movie — the one that convinces your audience to stay glued
to the screen until the end credits roll.
And while the films on this list span different genres, time periods, and techniques, all
of them go to show just how incredible a movie's first few minutes can be.
The Godfather
Starting a movie with a monologue is a common filmmaking device, but The Godfather does
it better than any other.
"I believe in America.
America has made my fortune."
From the moment Bonasera speaks, the scene sucks viewers into a story about the immigrant
experience — but not the kind with a happy ending.
The American legal system has failed Bonasera, setting free the men who beat his daughter
within an inch of her life.
His only hope?
Don Vito Corleone, played by Marlon Brando.
By the time this scene concludes, we know that Don Corleone is a powerful criminal,
but also the man who people in his community look to for justice when they have no one
else… and we definitely know better than to change the channel on him.
Trainspotting
The opening bars of Iggy Pop's song "Lust for Life" will be forever associated with
this gripping sequence from Danny Boyle's breakthrough film, which opens with a three-part
montage.
First, Renton — played by Ewan McGregor — and Sick Boy — played by Jonny Lee Miller
— run through the streets after a theft.
Then, they shoot up heroin in a run down apartment.
And finally, of course, they play soccer--- Er, I mean football.
Football, yeah.
Ugh, saying 'soccer' felt so dirty.
The film's other characters are introduced along the way, all while McGregor gives a
monologue about choosing life — or rather, choosing heroin instead of life — that puts
you in just the right mood for a frenetic, edgy, and darkly comic story about the horrors
of addiction.
Halloween
John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic heralded the dawn of the slasher genre that would dominate
the 1980s — and it opens with a serious scare.
The first scene is shot from the point of view of a killer, spying on some amorous teens
before stalking and murdering one of them in her bedroom, a brutal event we see through
the eyeholes of a mask that the unseen killer is wearing.
But it's not until the end of the sequence that the killer's face is revealed.
The shocking truth?
You've just witnessed a murder committed by a six-year-old boy — and learned the origin
story for iconic serial killer Michael Myers, who's still terrorizing victims nearly forty
years later.
Rear Window Master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock knows
exactly how to set a scene, and he does so in this case by showing us the world through
the eyes of his hero… who's a bit of a peeping tom.
There's not a word of dialogue in this sequence, but you know exactly what's going on: this
sweaty photographer with a broken leg and a wall full of action-packed photographs is
trapped inside his apartment and starved for adventure — which is hard to come by when
your sole source of entertainment is spying on your neighbors, unless, oh, say, you happen
to spot one of them dragging a body around.
Dazed and Confused
The opening sequence of Richard Linklater's iconic stoner film drops us straight into
1976, as an orange 1970 Pontiac GTO circles a parking lot and Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion"
plays in the background.
This is where we first meet many of the film's characters, who are at school, but also don't
seem to be taking their studies especially seriously — which all makes sense when this
title card reveals this it's the last day before summer break.
No matter what era you're watching it in, Dazed and Confused has you fully immersed
in its world in fewer than three minutes.
Star Wars: A New Hope
Yes, we all know how this movie begins — but try to imagine watching its opening sequence
in 1977, when it was a mind-blowing sci-fi setup like nothing anyone had ever seen.
That dramatic text crawl!
The alien planet!
A high speed pursuit through outer space featuring two starships blasting each other with lasers!
But this wasn't just a way of showing off Star Wars' groundbreaking special effects;
the mismatch in size between these two ships makes it obvious that the first one is the
underdog, which cleverly sets you up to root for it even before you find out that the greatest
droids in the universe and a very important princess are on board.
Saturday Night Fever
Look at cool dude John Travolta, the physical embodiment of all things disco.
He's a woman's man, no time to talk — but he does have time to shop, buy pizza, and
hit on a girl on his way to the paint store… where an annoyed customer is waiting impatiently
for his return.
That's when we, the audience, realize that the moments of joy he found in those first
few minutes were stolen and fleeting, a distraction from his mundane blue collar life.
Which is, of course, what this movie is all about.
Hustle and Flow
First of all, let's get one thing straight.
"See, man ain't like a dog."
That's the opening line to an epic monologue by Terence Howard, who has a lot to say about
the burden of consciousness on the minds of men.
But there's a twist to this philosophy lesson: its audience of one is actually a sex worker
played by Taryn Manning, who's getting a lecture from her pimp on why she should keep sleeping
with men for money.
It's a game-changing moment that sets the stage for everything that comes next — and
a genius way to get the audience hooked.
The Dark Knight
This opening scene of Christopher Nolan's most-beloved Batman flick is a mini-movie
in its own right: an exciting five-minute short film about a bunch of criminals in creepy
clown masks pulling a bank heist.
After this anonymous man gets picked up by his gang, a complex robbery goes down — along
with some important scene-setting exposition about the man who planned it.
"So why do they call him the joker?"
"I heard he wears makeup."
"Makeup?"
"Yeah, to scare people.
You know, war paint."
As each man finishes his part of the job, he's killed by his cohorts, until there's
only one left — and when he takes off his clown mask?
Gah!
Nobody saw that coming!
To recap: five minutes into The Dark Knight and you've already gotten an amazing action
sequence, an exciting twist, and a perfect introduction to Batman's greatest enemy.
Now that's how you start a movie.
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