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Top 20 Opening Scenes In Cinema History

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Ignacio Weil

Entertainment - May 3rd 2025, 00:29 GMT+2

Cropped Mad Max — 20. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

You know a movie means business when it throws you headfirst into a roaring desert storm of madness within the first two minutes. *Mad Max: Fury Road* opens with Tom Hardy's Max Rockatansky munching a two-headed lizard (protein, right?) and promptly getting chased, captured, and tattooed like a piece of livestock — all without a second of explanation. George Miller basically looked at traditional exposition and said, "Nah." Charlize Theron doesn't even show up until later, but Hardy's silent panic sells every gritty second. It’s a masterclass in kinetic chaos, and honestly, we’re still catching our breath. | © Warner Bros. Pictures

Cropped Jaws — 19. Jaws (1975)

Cue the *duunnn dunnn* — the soundtrack of nightmares. Steven Spielberg’s *Jaws* wastes no time in teaching us that the ocean is *not* our friend. The opening night swim with Susan Backlinie (as Chrissie Watkins) looks peaceful at first... until she’s violently yanked around like a chew toy by a very hungry, very invisible great white. You don't even *see* the shark — and that's what makes it genius. Spielberg, along with an unseen but entirely present Bruce (the mechanical shark), redefined terror. It’s the kind of scene that had everyone reevaluating their beach vacations for decades. | © Universal Pictures

Cropped No Country For Old Men — 18. No Country for Old Men (2007)

If you've ever wanted to experience existential dread wrapped up in a Texas drawl, the Coen Brothers have you covered. *No Country for Old Men* opens with Tommy Lee Jones’ weathered voice philosophizing about the good old days... just before Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh starts doing horrifying Anton Chigurh things (hint: compressed air tanks and cold-blooded murder). The contrast between the vast, empty landscapes and the chilling violence is pure Coen magic. Also, Bardem’s haircut deserves its own separate horror movie. This opening sets the slow-burn, heart-in-throat tone for the entire masterpiece. | © Miramax Films / Paramount Vantage

Cropped Jurassic Park — 17. Jurassic Park (1993)

Before we even *see* a single dinosaur, *Jurassic Park* delivers an opening scene dripping with suspense, fog, and the world’s worst-case scenario for zoo safety standards. A mysterious crate rumbles ominously before a velociraptor makes a break for it, leaving poor “Gatekeeper Jophery” (Malcolm to his friends) dramatically screeching, "SHOOT HER!" Steven Spielberg and a very stressed-out Bob Peck (a.k.a. game warden Robert Muldoon) tease the monstrous stakes without revealing too much. Also, bonus points for the fact that you can practically feel the 1993 CGI budget trembling behind that cage door. | © Universal Pictures

Cropped Trainspotting — 16. Trainspotting (1996)

"Choose life." But first, choose *running for your life* down the gritty streets of Edinburgh. *Trainspotting* bursts onto the scene with Ewan McGregor’s Renton and Ewen Bremner’s Spud sprinting in slow-mo glory, all set to Iggy Pop’s "Lust for Life." Director Danny Boyle wastes no time in painting a vibrant, chaotic portrait of addiction, rebellion, and absolutely terrible carpeting. McGregor’s sarcastic monologue is a chef’s kiss of ‘90s nihilism, and the whole vibe somehow makes even the worst life choices look almost...fun? Almost. | © Channel Four Films / PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

Cropped Scream — 15. Scream (1996)

Wes Craven knew exactly what he was doing when he cast Drew Barrymore — a big star — and then, you know, *murdered her* in the first 12 minutes. *Scream* opens with Barrymore’s Casey Becker getting the world’s creepiest phone call, followed by an escalating game of horror trivia that ends in a bloody mess. Craven revitalized the slasher genre and rewrote the rules in one single opening, while Barrymore’s tear-streaked face became an instant pop culture image. Also, let's be honest: landlines have never seemed scarier. | © Dimension Films

Cropped Star Wars — 14. Star Wars (1977)

Imagine being in 1977, settling into your seat with popcorn, when BAM — John Williams' fanfare explodes, the opening crawl flies into space, and a massive Star Destroyer *just keeps coming* across the screen. George Lucas didn't so much start *Star Wars* as he *unleashed* it. Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia is introduced soon after, already in full rebel mode, and let’s just say Harrison Ford’s Han Solo and Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker weren’t far behind in stealing our hearts (and merchandising dollars). An iconic opening for an iconic galaxy. | © Lucasfilm Ltd.

Cropped Vertigo — 13. Vertigo (1958)

If Saul Bass' hypnotic title sequence doesn't mess with your equilibrium first, Alfred Hitchcock’s opening certainly will. *Vertigo* kicks off mid-chase on a San Francisco rooftop, with James Stewart's detective Scottie Ferguson dangling for dear life. Stewart brings his everyman charm (and underlying panic) to the fore, while Hitchcock teases the obsessive, disorienting journey to come. Honestly, it’s the cinematic equivalent of tripping over your own feet but making it look stylish. Kim Novak’s entrance is still a few scenes away, but the stage is already expertly set. | © Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions / Paramount Pictures

Cropped Saving Private Ryan — 12. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Steven Spielberg didn’t just open *Saving Private Ryan* — he kicked the audience directly into the carnage of D-Day. The Normandy invasion scene, featuring a weary but determined Tom Hanks as Captain Miller, is pure, relentless chaos. Bullets whiz by, limbs fly, and the sheer sensory overload leaves you feeling like you've lived through something real (and horrifying). Matt Damon, the titular private, isn't even in this part yet, but you *definitely* understand why everyone’s risking it all to save him. It's gritty, gut-wrenching, and unforgettable. | © DreamWorks Pictures / Paramount Pictures

Cropped The Lion King — 11. The Lion King (1994)

Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba! (Translation: "Look, it's the best animated opening scene ever.") *The Lion King* doesn’t just begin; it *ascends.* With Elton John and Lebo M.’s “Circle of Life” blasting through the savannah, we watch every creature big and small gather to witness baby Simba’s grand debut. James Earl Jones (as Mufasa) and a perfectly sinister Jeremy Irons (as Scar, later) lend their legendary voices to this animated Shakespearean drama. Disney managed to make an opening so emotional that half the audience was already crying before the plot even started. | © Walt Disney Pictures

Cropped The Matrix — 10. The Matrix (1999)

If you weren’t immediately obsessed with *The Matrix* after its opening, are you even real? Lana and Lilly Wachowski kicked things off by introducing us to Trinity, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, doing slow-motion kung fu in a leather catsuit *before* we even met Keanu Reeves’ Neo. The green-tinted aesthetic, bullet-dodging physics, and that iconic rooftop chase told us loud and clear: this wasn’t just another sci-fi movie. Trinity’s balletic butt-kicking basically set the tone for the coolest visual revolution of the late '90s. Also, shoutout to Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith for making "Mr. Anderson" sound like an existential threat. | © Warner Bros. Pictures

Cropped The Dark Knight — 9. The Dark Knight (2008)

Christopher Nolan’s *The Dark Knight* opens with a bank heist so meticulously orchestrated, it makes Ocean’s Eleven look like amateur hour. The Joker, brilliantly embodied by Heath Ledger (rest in chaos, king), slowly emerges from a gang of masked robbers — only to double-cross each one like a deranged game of mafia. Ledger’s performance is mesmerizing even in those first silent moments, proving he was about to steal the whole movie — and a few Academy Awards' hearts too. Gotham City never looked so sharp, brutal, and disturbingly fun. | © Warner Bros. Pictures / Legendary Pictures / DC Comics

Cropped Raiders of the Lost Ark — 8. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Before you even know his name, Indiana Jones is dodging booby traps, retrieving golden idols, and outrunning *the* most famous boulder in cinema history. Harrison Ford wears the fedora like he was born in it, delivering instant charisma and rugged coolness that never lets up. Spielberg directs the whole thing like a kid showing off his favorite action figures, and honestly, we’re all still thrilled to be along for the ride. Snakes, darts, double-crosses — and that's *just* the opening 10 minutes. Archaeology’s never looked so dangerously awesome. | © Lucasfilm Ltd.

Cropped Goodfellas — 7. Goodfellas (1990)

"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." And just like that, Martin Scorsese drops us right into the bloody, trunk-pounding chaos that is *Goodfellas.* Ray Liotta’s Henry Hill, alongside Joe Pesci’s hair-trigger Tommy DeVito and Robert De Niro’s icy Jimmy Conway, is knee-deep in a murder cover-up before the movie’s even properly started. It's messy, violent, and weirdly...fun? Scorsese’s stylish freeze frames and wicked narration make you complicit — and excited — before you even realize you should be feeling guilty. | © Warner Bros. Pictures

Cropped Blade Runner — 6. Blade Runner (1982)

If you could summarize a whole vibe in one shot, it would be the opening of *Blade Runner*. Ridley Scott’s dystopian Los Angeles — all towering fire plumes, endless neon, and Vangelis’ haunting synths — tells you immediately: this is not your typical future. Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard hasn’t even muttered his first weary line yet when you’re already sucked into the smog and cyberpunk melancholy. The opening *Voight-Kampff* interview with a twitchy replicant (hello, Leon, played by Brion James) is a tense masterclass that foreshadows all the philosophical unraveling ahead. | © The Ladd Company / Warner Bros. Pictures

Cropped Up — 5. Up (2009)

Leave it to Pixar to emotionally devastate an entire audience before the title card even appears. Up begins with a wordless montage chronicling Carl and Ellie’s love story — from adorable childhood dreams to heartbreaking loss — and it’s as beautiful as it is soul-crushing. Ed Asner’s voice later brings even more layers to Carl’s grumpy charm, but honestly, by the time that “Adventure Book” scene rolls, we’re already ugly crying into our popcorn. Pixar somehow managed to squeeze an entire Oscar-worthy drama into five minutes of animated magic. We forgive you, Pixar. Mostly. | © Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios

Cropped The Godfather — 4. The Godfather (1972)

"I believe in America." And with that single, brooding line, Francis Ford Coppola’s *The Godfather* sets the operatic wheels of crime and family loyalty into motion. Marlon Brando’s Don Vito Corleone barely has to speak to exude absolute power from behind his dark, shadowy desk. The opening wedding scene soon brings in a parade of familiar faces: Al Pacino’s Michael, James Caan’s Sonny, and Robert Duvall’s ever-smooth Tom Hagen. It's less a scene and more a hypnotic overture to a saga that would define the gangster genre for generations. | © Paramount Pictures

Cropped Once Upon a Time in the West — 3. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

Sergio Leone’s *Once Upon a Time in the West* might just be the slowest, most gloriously tense opening in film history. Charles Bronson’s nameless gunslinger faces off against three weary outlaws (one of whom is *actual* Jack Elam, squinting like only he can) at a dusty train station, while a creaky windmill and a buzzing fly provide the "soundtrack." There’s almost no dialogue — just sweat, leather creaks, and the unbearable ticking of time — until Bronson finally speaks. Leone proves you don’t need fast cuts when you have faces carved out of granite. | © Paramount Pictures

Cropped 2001 Space Odyssey — 2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Stanley Kubrick didn’t just open *2001: A Space Odyssey* — he *rewrote* what a cinematic opening could even be. First, the black screen with Richard Strauss’ booming "Also sprach Zarathustra." Then, apes discovering murder via bone clubs in "The Dawn of Man." There’s no dialogue for what feels like forever, but honestly, who needs it when you have sweeping prehistoric drama and cosmic existentialism on display? Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood appear later as astronauts Dave and Frank, but for now, it's just evolution...and impending doom. Epic. Confusing. Perfect. | © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Cropped Inglourious Basterds — 1. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Quentin Tarantino unleashed one of the most nerve-shredding scenes of all time to kick off *Inglourious Basterds.* Enter Christoph Waltz’s Colonel Hans Landa — polite, charming, and utterly terrifying — as he sips milk and interrogates poor farmer Perrier LaPadite about hidden Jews. Mélanie Laurent, though silent for most of the opening, makes a desperate run for it that still echoes through the whole film. Waltz’s performance is so good that it basically won him an Oscar before the movie even hit the 20-minute mark. It’s tense, twisted, and pure Tarantino flexing at full power. | © The Weinstein Company / Universal Pictures

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When it comes to unforgettable moments in film, few are as impactful as a powerful opening scene. The first few minutes of a movie set the tone, establish the story’s world, and immediately pull audiences into the experience. Whether it's a breathtaking action sequence, a quiet, chilling buildup, or a masterful piece of storytelling, the best opening scenes in cinema history stay with us long after the credits roll. In this article, we rank the top 20 opening scenes in cinema, showcasing iconic beginnings that have defined genres, influenced filmmakers, and captivated moviegoers worldwide.

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When it comes to unforgettable moments in film, few are as impactful as a powerful opening scene. The first few minutes of a movie set the tone, establish the story’s world, and immediately pull audiences into the experience. Whether it's a breathtaking action sequence, a quiet, chilling buildup, or a masterful piece of storytelling, the best opening scenes in cinema history stay with us long after the credits roll. In this article, we rank the top 20 opening scenes in cinema, showcasing iconic beginnings that have defined genres, influenced filmmakers, and captivated moviegoers worldwide.