10 Greatest Opening Shots From Recent Movies
These movies grabbed your attention from their very first shot.
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00:00 Nobody wants to kick their movie off with a bland, establishing shot,
00:03 devoid of any visual personality.
00:06 Every filmmaker wants to make a blistering impact from that initial image.
00:10 And that is of course because first impressions count for so much.
00:14 So, I'm Amy from WhatCulture, and here are the 10 greatest opening shots from recent movies.
00:19 10. The Batman
00:22 Whilst it's absolutely typical for a Batman movie to open with a scene that introduces
00:26 the primary villain, Matt Reeves' The Batman veered away from the spectacular set pieces
00:31 that kicked off Nolan's latter two Batman movies for something considerably simpler
00:36 and more horrific.
00:37 The very first shot of the film is an instant attention grabber,
00:40 despite its lack of technical showiness.
00:42 It's nothing more than a then-unknown individual spying on an apartment through a pair of binoculars.
00:47 Through the window, we see a young boy dressed for Halloween,
00:50 who then goes and like, pretend kills his father,
00:53 and we later find out that that father is the Mayor of Gotham.
00:56 The person whose eyes we're seeing through then looks up to the apartment's skylight,
01:00 and after almost two minutes, we finally cut inside the apartment.
01:04 The subsequent moments reveal that the eyes we've been looking through belong to the Riddler,
01:08 and he then goes on to murder the Mayor in one of the most brutal showings of force in the movie.
01:13 Reeves had the confidence in his vision to linger on this long,
01:16 unbroken shot of the Riddler going about his work.
01:19 It was refreshingly pared down and yet still entirely artful,
01:22 and generally I'd say quite impressive for a superhero movie.
01:26 9. X
01:27 Ty West's X made sure to reassure horror fans that they were in good hands
01:32 from its very first, very striking opening shot.
01:35 The very first shot is of a police car pulling up to a Texas farmhouse,
01:39 and initially it appears that West has filmed the shot in 4/3 aspect ratio,
01:43 seemingly in homage to the classic 1970s exploitation films it's indebted to.
01:48 However, as the cop car pulls up,
01:49 West moves his camera to reveal that the black bars at the side of the screen are actually barn doors,
01:54 and so as the camera exits the barn, the full modern widescreen ratio reveals itself.
01:59 It's a fantastic statement of intent from the outset,
02:02 and, like the Batman's opening shot,
02:04 isn't particularly ostentatious yet has clearly a lot of thought put into it.
02:08 Less genre-savvy viewers might miss it entirely,
02:11 but if you're into your horror, particularly your older horrors,
02:14 then I'm sure it will have got a good nod of recognition from you right out of the gate.
02:18 8. The Worst Person in the World
02:20 The critically acclaimed The Worst Person in the World is a magnificent piece of work from
02:25 first shot to last, opening with an intensely alluring image that may seem simple enough.
02:30 It's the simplicity of the shot that makes it work, in fact.
02:33 I mean, all we're looking at is a very pretty woman in a very nice dress,
02:38 stood against a stunning backdrop. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
02:41 Indeed, we go on to find that the opening shot is from a scene we'll later return to,
02:45 a scene in which the film's protagonist, Julie,
02:48 stands out on the balcony of a party, smoking, staring impatiently at her phone,
02:52 and clearly being bothered by something.
02:54 All whilst the gorgeous Oslo landscape unfolds around her.
02:57 The intrigue is immediate. We're thinking, "What's bothering this woman? Where is she?
03:02 Why is she so dressed up?" And none of our questions get answered before we smash cut
03:06 the title card, and we're left wondering, "Is this...
03:09 Is this really the worst person in the world? This is not what I thought they'd look like."
03:13 It's entirely without spoken words, and yet it says a lot if you're paying any attention.
03:18 7. Spencer
03:20 Spencer was one of last year's most singularly beautiful films.
03:23 Shot with outstanding, Oscar-worthy skill by Claire Mathon,
03:27 as is apparent from its jaw-dropping first shot.
03:29 The opening visual is a locked-off glimpse of a frosty field in the early hours of the morning.
03:34 It's very peaceful, serene, quiet. It's like a nice glimpse into the calm English countryside.
03:41 We get a moment to just really enjoy nature's beauty. But after a few beats,
03:45 we see movement in the background, and a massive convoy of vehicles appear driving down the road.
03:50 Without context, it seems like some sort of military escort. Maybe they're transporting
03:54 nuclear weapons or something like that. But moments later, it's revealed to be the army
03:58 detail headed to the Queen's Sandringham House to perform security checks and deliver the food
04:03 the British royal family will be eating on Christmas Eve. The juxtaposition of nature's
04:07 straightforward beauty with the industrious, literally military precision of the convoy
04:12 is an apt metaphor for the movie, and for Diana's personal turmoil itself.
04:16 And if you're sick of over-analysing every shot in every movie, it always has to be about
04:20 someone's personality or someone's feelings. If we strip that all back, it's just a nice shot.
04:26 It's gorgeous before we see the cars, and then even more meaningful
04:30 and thought-provoking afterwards. So, you know, it's a win-win.
04:33 6. No Time to Die
04:36 No Time to Die begins the same way that many Bond movies do, with a gun barrel opening in
04:41 which 007 shoots at the screen. But things are subtly different this time around, as when Bond
04:46 shoots at the screen, he ends up fading out to white, his dark figure evaporating against the
04:51 white background, slyly hinting at the fate that awaits him at the film's end.
04:55 Better still, the gun barrel effortlessly transitions into the first real shot of the film,
05:00 in which we see our villain trekking through the snowy Norwegian wilderness.
05:03 Considering how uniform and fully regimented the gun barrel is in the annals of Bond,
05:08 this was a neat way to do something different with it.
05:11 5. Drive My Car
05:13 Best Picture nominated Drive My Car may have been made for a fraction of the budget of most movies
05:18 on this list, but DP Hidetoshi Shinomiya did a remarkable job bringing every possible drop of
05:23 visual artistry out of it. Case in point, the opening shot is one of the most gorgeous and
05:28 aesthetically pleasing in the entire film. Here, we see our protagonist's wife sit up out of bed,
05:33 in a gorgeous silhouette against the break of Tokyo's dawn. The woman, who's a screenwriter,
05:38 then begins describing her latest story to her husband. As the lingering shot finally cuts to
05:43 confirm that, as expected, they're both nude in bed. It's a shot that perfectly encapsulates the
05:49 movie as a whole. Sexy, meticulously crafted, and absolutely concerned with the creation and
05:54 telling of stories. 4. The Mitchells vs. The Machines
05:59 The Mitchells vs. The Machines is one of the most energetic, visually dynamic animated films
06:04 of the past few years, and that is established right from the get-go. It's a film so eager to
06:09 get going that director Mike Rihanda doesn't even wait for the typical studio idents to finish,
06:14 such that an iconic opening Columbia logo is hijacked by the movie itself.
06:18 Soon enough, the legendary Columbia woman holding a torch stamps her foot and transforms
06:23 into a 2D animated figure, just like those drawn by protagonist Katie. She shakes her
06:28 hips along to the music whilst donning a colourful gown and a pair of socks to boot.
06:32 By this point, the screen is filled with an array of animated creatures with cameras and
06:36 clapperboards who may or may not represent the film's crew. Before then, the Columbia woman
06:40 throws the torch to the floor and signals a transition into the rest of the movie.
06:44 Beyond it being just a fun reinvention of a tired logo we've seen over and over again,
06:49 it was also a nice way to put in some subtle LGBT themes with the colours and flags we had
06:54 at the forefront, because as much as people like to sort of skirt around it, Katie is a queer
06:59 character and they stated that right from the beginning. You'll love to see it.
07:04 3. West Side Story
07:06 When remaking a movie so iconic as West Side Story, you have to just take some risks and hope
07:11 they pay off. I mean, the movie took these risks and did they pay off? Looking at this opening
07:16 shot, we can definitely say they did. The film opens with a frankly insane 97 second tracking
07:22 shot that cranes over the rubble of various bulldozed apartments and buildings in New York
07:27 City, which a sign reveals has been carried out by the New York Housing Authority to make way for
07:31 the now iconic Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. But the shot doesn't end there. It continues
07:36 to move upwards and pass over the various cranes excavating the wreckage of these former apartments,
07:42 dropping down past several wrecking balls and finally stopping on a trap door, which opens as
07:47 a member of the Jets emerges from it. It's the first of several mind-melting tracking shots in
07:51 the film and one of those perfect moments where you stare at it and you stare at the movie magic
07:56 and you go, "How did they do that?" Whilst it seems obvious that the shot was achieved by
08:01 seamlessly combining crane shots and drone shots and probably some CGI, the overall effect is so
08:06 audacious and impressive that the technical impossibility of it is not easy to forget or
08:11 understate. For anyone doubtful that Spielberg could even get close to the meticulous craft of
08:16 the 1961 original, this was a powerful rebuke from Minute One. We're reminded in moments like this
08:21 that he is a veteran filmmaker and now in the present day we have so many more tools to just
08:26 improve upon what we've had in the past. I mean, it's a shame they cast Ansel Acord, but you know,
08:32 you can't have it all. Two. The Green Knight. David Lowry's The Green Knight may not be for
08:38 everyone, but it's nevertheless a visual feast from beginning to end, kicking off with one of
08:43 its most unforgettable images in its very first shot, a shot that was very wisely featured
08:48 extensively throughout the film's marketing. The first shot sets the mood perfectly, glimpsing
08:53 upon a visage of Sir Gawain kitted out in a yellow robe whilst sat upon a throne in King
08:58 Arthur's Great Hall. The crown descends onto his head before his head then bursts into flames,
09:04 but he continues to stare directly at the audience as the camera pans upwards and looks towards the
09:09 sky. Taken totally in isolation, just on its own, it is an absolutely mesmerising shot,
09:15 but helping further establish the film's tone is a wispy voiceover which assures the audience that
09:19 this isn't the same King Arthur story they've heard so many times before. We probably could
09:24 have gathered that from the guy with his head on fire, but you know. One. Boiling Point. Yet perhaps
09:31 the most interesting opening shot of any movie over the past year is not just an opening shot
09:36 at all. Maybe I'm going to cheat a little here. Cheating a little bit is worth it when I get to
09:41 recommend you the film Boiling Point, a movie which takes place entirely inside a swanky
09:46 London restaurant as head chef Andy's life and career begin to unravel. And get this,
09:51 it was filmed in one solid 90 minute take. I've got to emphasise here as well that this is a real
09:57 true all-in-one-er. We're not talking any like camera magic and digital joins. This is one shot
10:04 from start to finish. Something like this is not easy to pull off at all and it requires a huge
10:08 ensemble cast to all hit their marks perfectly. And the result is nothing short of incredible.
10:13 As our leading man, Stephen Graham is incredible and he's supported by a host of wonderful co-stars.
10:19 We get to see their mastery in all its glory as the camera smoothly travels from table to bar,
10:24 back to table, to kitchen with gliding efficiency. Whilst it might be a bit of a cheat to call it an
10:30 opening shot considering it's the only shot in the entire movie, Boiling Point is a daring feat
10:35 of high wire filmmaking that absolutely needs to be seen. Anyone who's ever held a cinema camera
10:40 will tell you that this takes an incredible amount of stamina to be able to carry out for like
10:44 90 minutes. And anyone who's worked at a bar or restaurant will tell you that yes,
10:49 it really is like that. And with that we've reached the end of this list of the 10 greatest
10:53 opening shots in recent movies. If you can think of any more, any more that you really think we
10:58 should have included on this list, then let us know in the comments down below. And remember to
11:02 check out whatculture.com for more lists and articles like this every single day. As always,
11:07 I've been Amy from WhatCulture and I'll catch you next time.