10 Greatest Opening Shots From Recent Movies
These movies grabbed your attention from their very first shot.
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00:00Nobody wants to kick their movie off with a bland, establishing shot devoid of any visual personality.
00:06Every filmmaker wants to make a blistering impact from that initial image.
00:10And that is of course because first impressions count for so much.
00:14So, I'm Amy from WhatCulture, and here are the 10 greatest opening shots from recent movies.
00:2010. The Batman
00:22Whilst it's absolutely typical for a Batman movie to open with a scene that introduces
00:26the primary villain, Matt Reeves' The Batman veered away from the spectacular set pieces
00:31that kicked off Nolan's latter two Batman movies for something considerably simpler
00:36and more horrific. The very first shot of the film is an instant attention grabber,
00:40despite its lack of technical showiness. It's nothing more than a then-unknown
00:44individual spying on an apartment through a pair of binoculars.
00:47Through the window, we see a young boy dressed for Halloween, who then goes and, like,
00:51pretend kills his father, and we later find out that that father is the Mayor of Gotham.
00:56The person whose eyes we're seeing through then looks up to the apartment's skylight,
01:00and after almost two minutes, we finally cut inside the apartment.
01:04The subsequent moments reveal that the eyes we've been looking through belong to the Riddler,
01:08and he then goes on to murder the Mayor in one of the most brutal showings of force in the movie.
01:13Reeves had the confidence in his vision to linger on this long,
01:16unbroken shot of the Riddler going about his work. It was refreshingly pared down,
01:20and yet still entirely artful. And generally, I'd say quite impressive for a superhero movie.
01:269. X
01:27Ty West's X made sure to reassure horror fans that they were in good hands from its very first,
01:33very striking opening shot. The very first shot is of a police car pulling up to a Texas farmhouse,
01:39and initially it appears that West has filmed the shot in 4-3 aspect ratio,
01:43seemingly in homage to the classic 1970s exploitation films it's indebted to.
01:48However, as the cop car pulls up, West moves his camera to reveal that the black bars at
01:52the side of the screen are actually barn doors, and so as the camera exits the barn,
01:56the full modern widescreen ratio reveals itself. It's a fantastic statement of intent from the
02:02outset, and, like the Batman's opening shot, isn't particularly ostentatious,
02:06yet has clearly a lot of thought put into it. Less genre-savvy viewers might miss it entirely,
02:11but if you're into your horror, particularly your older horrors, then I'm sure it will have
02:15got a good nod of recognition from you right out of the gate.
02:188. The Worst Person in the World
02:20The critically acclaimed The Worst Person in the World is a magnificent piece of work from
02:25first shot to last, opening with an intensely alluring image that may seem simple enough.
02:30It's the simplicity of the shot that makes it work, in fact. I mean, all we're looking at
02:35is a very pretty woman, in a very nice dress, stood against a stunning backdrop. I mean,
02:40what could possibly go wrong? Indeed, we go on to find that the opening shot is from a
02:44scene we'll later return to, a scene in which the film's protagonist, Julie,
02:48stands out on the balcony of a party, smoking, staring impatiently at her phone,
02:52and clearly being bothered by something. All whilst the gorgeous Oslo landscape unfolds around her.
02:57The intrigue is immediate. We're thinking, what's bothering this woman? Where is she?
03:02Why is she so dressed up? And none of our questions get answered before we smash cut
03:06the title card, and we're left wondering, is this... is this really the worst person
03:11in the world? This is not what I thought they'd look like. It's entirely without
03:14spoken words, and yet it says a lot if you're paying any attention.
03:187. Spencer
03:20Spencer was one of last year's most singularly beautiful films,
03:23shot with outstanding Oscar-worthy skill by Clare Mathon, as is apparent from its jaw-dropping
03:28first shot. The opening visual is a locked-off glimpse of a frosty field in the early hours of
03:33the morning. It's very peaceful, serene, quiet. It's like a nice glimpse into the calm English
03:40countryside. We get a moment to just really enjoy nature's beauty, but after a few beats,
03:45we see movement in the background, and a massive convoy of vehicles appear driving down the road.
03:50Without context, it seems like some sort of military escort. Maybe they're transporting
03:54nuclear weapons, or something like that. But moments later, it's revealed to be the army
03:58detail headed to the Queen's Sandringham House to perform security checks and deliver the food
04:03the British royal family will be eating on Christmas Eve. The juxtaposition of nature's
04:07straightforward beauty with the industrious, literally military precision of the convoy is
04:12an apt metaphor for the movie, and for Diana's personal turmoil itself. And if you're sick of
04:17overanalyzing every shot in every movie, it always has to be about someone's personality,
04:21or someone's feelings. If we strip that all back, it's just a nice shot. It's gorgeous before we
04:28see the cars, and then even more meaningful and thought-provoking afterwards. So, you know,
04:32it's a win-win.
04:346. No Time to Die
04:36No Time to Die begins the same way that many Bond movies do, with a gun barrel opening,
04:41in which 007 shoots at the screen. But things are subtly different this time around,
04:45as when Bond shoots at the screen, he ends up fading out to white, his dark figure evaporating
04:51against the white background, slyly hinting at the fate that awaits him at the film's end.
04:55Better still, the gun barrel effortlessly transitions into the first real shot of the film,
05:00in which we see our villain trekking through the snowy Norwegian wilderness.
05:03Considering how uniform and fully regimented the gun barrel is in the annals of Bond,
05:08this was a neat way to do something different with it.
05:115. Drive My Car
05:13Best Picture-nominated Drive My Car may have been made for a fraction of the budget of most
05:17movies on this list, but DP Hidetoshi Shinomiya did a remarkable job bringing every possible drop
05:23of visual artistry out of it. Case in point, the opening shot is one of the most gorgeous
05:28and aesthetically pleasing in the entire film. Here, we see our protagonist's wife sit up out
05:33of bed in a gorgeous silhouette against the break of Tokyo's dawn. The woman,
05:37who's a screenwriter, then begins describing her latest story to her husband. As the lingering
05:42shot finally cuts to confirm that, as expected, they're both nude in bed. It's a shot that
05:47perfectly encapsulates the movie as a whole. Sexy, meticulously crafted, and absolutely
05:53concerned with the creation and telling of stories.
05:564. The Mitchells vs. The Machines
05:59The Mitchells vs. The Machines is one of the most energetic, visually dynamic animated films
06:04of the past few years, and that is established right from the get-go. It's a film so eager to
06:09get going that director Mike Rianda doesn't even wait for the typical studio idents to finish,
06:14such that an iconic opening Columbia logo is hijacked by the movie itself.
06:18Soon enough, the legendary Columbia woman holding a torch stamps her foot and transforms into a 2D
06:23animated figure, just like those drawn by protagonist Katie. She shakes her hips along
06:28to the music whilst donning a colourful gown and a pair of socks to boot. By this point,
06:32the screen is filled with an array of animated creatures with cameras and clapperboards,
06:36who may or may not represent the film's crew. Before then, the Columbia woman throws the torch
06:41to the floor and signals a transition into the rest of the movie. Beyond it being just a fun
06:45reinvention of a tired logo we've seen over and over again, it was also a nice way to put in some
06:51subtle LGBT themes with the colours and flags we had at the forefront, because as much as people
06:56like to sort of skirt around it, Katie is a queer character, and they stated that right from the
07:02beginning. You'll love to see it. 3. West Side Story
07:06When remaking a movie so iconic as West Side Story, you have to just take some risks and hope
07:11they pay off. I mean, the movie took these risks, and did they pay off? Looking at this opening
07:16shot, we can definitely say they did. The film opens with a frankly insane 97 second tracking
07:22shot that cranes over the rubble of various bulldozed apartments and buildings in New York
07:27City, which a sign reveals has been carried out by the New York Housing Authority to make way for the
07:31now iconic Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. But the shot doesn't end there. It continues to
07:37move upwards and pass over the various cranes excavating the wreckage of these former apartments,
07:42dropping down past several wrecking balls and finally stopping on a trap door,
07:46which opens as a member of the Jets emerges from it. It's the first of several mind-melting tracking
07:51shots in the film, and one of those perfect moments where you stare at it and you stare
07:55at the movie magic and you go, how did they do that? Whilst it seems obvious that the shot was
08:00achieved by seamlessly combining crane shots and drone shots and probably some CGI, the overall
08:05effect is so audacious and impressive that the technical impossibility of it is not easy to
08:10forget or understate. For anyone doubtful that Spielberg could even get close to the meticulous
08:15craft of the 1961 original, this was a powerful rebuke from Minute One. We're reminded in moments
08:21like this that he is a veteran filmmaker, and now, in the present day, we have so many more tools to
08:26just improve upon what we've had in the past. I mean, it's a shame they cast Ansel Acord, but,
08:32you know, you can't have it all. 2. The Green Knight
08:35David Lowery's The Green Knight may not be for everyone, but it's nevertheless a visual feast
08:41from beginning to end, kicking off with one of its most unforgettable images in its very first
08:46shot, a shot that was very wisely featured extensively throughout the film's marketing.
08:50The first shot sets the mood perfectly, glimpsing upon a visage of Sir Gawain,
08:55kitted out in a yellow robe whilst sat upon a throne in King Arthur's Great Hall.
09:00The crown descends onto his head before his head then bursts into flames, but he continues to stare
09:05directly at the audience as the camera pans upwards and looks towards the sky. Taken totally
09:10in isolation, just on its own, it is an absolutely mesmerising shot, but helping further establish
09:16the film's tone is a wispy voiceover which assures the audience that this isn't the same
09:20King Arthur story they've heard so many times before. We probably could have gathered that
09:24from the guy with his head on fire, but, you know. 1. Boiling Point
09:30Yet perhaps the most interesting opening shot of any movie over the past year
09:35is not just an opening shot at all. Maybe I'm going to cheat a little here. Cheating a little
09:40is worth it when I get to recommend you the film Boiling Point, a movie which takes place entirely
09:45inside a swanky London restaurant as head chef Andy's life and career begin to unravel. And get
09:51this, it was filmed in one solid 90 minute take. I've got to emphasise here as well that this is
09:57a real, true, all-in-one-er. We're not talking any, like, camera magic and digital joins. This
10:03is one shot from start to finish. Something like this is not easy to pull off at all,
10:07and it requires a huge ensemble cast to all hit their marks perfectly. And the result is nothing
10:12short of incredible. As our leading man, Stephen Graham is incredible, and he's supported by a host
10:18of wonderful co-stars. We get to see their mastery in all its glory as the camera smoothly travels
10:23from table to bar back to table to kitchen with gliding efficiency. Whilst it might be a bit of
10:29a cheat to call it an opening shot, considering it's the only shot in the entire movie, Boiling
10:33Point is a daring feat of high wire filmmaking that absolutely needs to be seen. Anyone who's
10:38ever held a cinema camera will tell you that this takes an incredible amount of stamina to be able
10:43to carry out for, like, 90 minutes. And anyone who's worked in a bar or restaurant will tell you
10:48that, yes, it really is like that. And with that, we've reached the end of this list of the 10
10:53greatest opening shots in recent movies. If you can think of any more, any more that you really
10:57think we should have included on this list, then let us know in the comments down below.
11:01And remember to check out whatculture.com for more lists and articles like this every single
11:06day. As always, I've been Amy from WhatCulture, and I'll catch you next time.