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Nowadays, with our attention span on a downward spiral, the window to hook an audience is getting smaller and smaller. It’s more important than ever for films to have an opening scene that catches your attention and draws you in. I’ve put together a list of a few films with effective opening scenes that leave the audience wanting more.
UP (2009)
Up is a Pixar animated film directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson. It follows Carl Fredrickson (Ed Asner), a grumpy old man who refuses to sell his home to the city and instead ties thousands of balloons to his home to carry him away. What he doesn’t realize is that he accidentally takes along Russell (Jordan Nagai), a Boy Scout insistent on helping (annoying) Carl at every turn.
I’m certain everyone has heard of the film Up, as it's practically a childhood staple, which also means everyone knows about its famous opening scene.
We open on two young children: one quiet boy and one rowdy girl, who are clearly fond of each other. From there, we see glimpses of their life together, their wedding, and building their home. It’s very sweet; there’s no dialogue yet the audience can still understand every emotion.
As the montage continues, we get used to the couple’s routine as we follow them into old age and feel the enormous amount of love between the two. Until we unfortunately get to Ellie’s passing, leaving Carl all alone.
Up’s opening scene is a famous one, known for being heart wrenching. It gives the audience context for Carl’s behavior throughout the film, and despite only seeing their relationship through a montage, by the end of the scene you feel like you were right by their side through it all.
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan stars Christian Bale and Heath Ledger. The film follows Batman facing off with a new criminal in Gotham City, the Joker.
The Dark Knight’s opening scene starts with a group of criminals wearing masks on their way to rob a bank. They hold the patrons hostage with weapons as they work together to enter the safe, but along the way, they end up murdering one another to get more money. They do this until there’s only one left walking out with the money. As he takes his mask off, it’s revealed to be the Joker himself.
This scene successfully drops the audience into the action right away, hooking their interest immediately. There’s so much going on outside of the robbery itself, like all of said robbers turning on each other. But the best part is most definitely the reveal of the Joker behind the mask. It sets the film up perfectly and lets the audience know just how twisted this character truly is.
Goodfellas (1990)
Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci.
Henry Hill grew up with the mafia and is always ready to put them above everything, but when his good time starts to take a turn, he realizes he has to be willing to do anything to survive.
Goodfellas is a classic Scorsese gangster film that takes the audience on a crazy ride. But the opening scene does a great job of preparing you for what’s ahead.
It opens with Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), James Conway (Robert De Niro), and Tommy Devito (Joe Pesci) driving out at night, and we hear noises from the trunk. The trio pulls over to the side of the road, pops the trunk, and there lies a man begging for his life. Without hesitation, Conway and Devito begin brutally stabbing the man, then shoot him.
What I enjoy about the opening is that it tells you exactly what the film is about in just 2 minutes. Showcasing the brutality of the mafia and the ease with which they can get rid of someone. It also depicts how, despite being groomed for the mafia, Henry realizes he might be out of his depth compared to his fellow members.
Scream (1996)
Scream is directed by Wes Craven and stars Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, and more.
A masked killer called Ghostface is terrorizing the town of Woodsboro, leaving residents scared and vulnerable. When a group of high school students become targets, they try to figure out the identity of the killer before they’re all picked off.
The opening scene features a teenager, Casey (Drew Barrymore), home alone and preparing to watch a movie. She then gets a call from a voice she doesn't recognize, as they make conversation, we get the iconic line “What’s your favorite scary movie?”
During the call, Ghostface torments Casey, including leaving her boyfriend tied up and gutted on her porch. In the end, Casey is killed as well, and this starts Scream’s tradition of opening kills.
At the time of the film’s release, Barrymore was already a well-known actress, and she was featured in a lot of the promo. So it was a surprise for the audience when she was killed off in the opening scene. A twist at the beginning of the film is a surefire way to grab the audience’s attention, and Scream did just that.
This list could go on and on with examples of iconic opening scenes, but the point is you only have so long to reel your audience in and get them intrigued for what's to come. Those first few minutes set the tone for the rest of the film, so you have to make them count.
