Jaws (1975)
According to WatchMojo, the number one horror film opening of all time is from Jaws. I agree with them, as it is the best horror film opening I watched during my research. From the start, it grabs the viewer's attention with the silhouettes of two naked adults running on the beach. When the female is peacefully swimming and something begins circling around her from under the water, suspense is being created. The suspense is what will make the viewer want to continue watching. In fact, I ended up watching the full movie after watching the film opening. What I found was that the film opening also served to introduce the problem in the film and allude to later conflict. During the opening scene, a leit motif is established to represent the dangerous, lurking shark below. The motif is used throughout the rest of the movie whenever the shark is going to attack/put someone in danger. The combination of audience engagement and tone establishment is what makes this film opening incredibly effective.
Scream (1996)
The film opening of Scream is a perfect example of an effective horror/thriller film opening. In this case, the opening primarily serves to establish the tone of the rest of the movie. I found a few parts of this quite interesting. First, the use of stings during times of panic/danger helps to invoke fear in the viewer. Also, the editing during the hectic parts of the scene was fast-paced in order to create a sense of chaos. Lastly, the transition from bright lighting at the beginning of the scene to bluer lighting at the end conveys a dark, scary tone. These techniques help to make this opening effective at establishing the tone for the rest of the production: dark, ominous, and suspenseful.
Final Destination 3 (2006)
The film opening for Final Destination 3 is another example of a film opening that engages the audience from the very beginning. While the coaster is making its way up the hill, a series of close-ups of the scared girl and the repeated view of the faulty equipment helps to establish a strong sense of suspense. These shots paired up with chaotic music do a great job of showing that something bad is going to happen next. As the scene goes on, the roller coaster malfunctions and people start falling to their deaths. The detailed depiction of each person dying serves to incite feelings of terror into the viewer. The producers want the viewer to be terrified yet interested when watching this scene. It definitely did the trick! The whole time, my palms were sweaty and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what the fate of the rest of the characters would be. The suspense built from this film opening is extremely common between successful thriller films.
Results
After doing extensive research, I have discovered that the most important quality of a successful horror/thriller film opening is that it is engaging and suspenseful. For the horror/thriller genres, consumers expect to be in a constant state of suspense. They watch horror films because they enjoy the fear and suspense that are created by them. When I am creating my horror/thriller film opening, I will be sure to create a product that creates strong feelings of fear and suspense in the viewer that will make them want to keep watching.
References:
Brayton, R. WatchMojo. Top Ten Horror Movie Opening Scenes. Retrieved from https://watchmojo.com/video/id/12992
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