Many of thebest sci-fi movieslay their intentions out early with phenomenal opening scenes that grab the audience’s attention from the first minute. A good opening scene can introduce the characters and the world of a story, but it can also be used to set up the themes or the conflict.
There’s usually a lot of pressure on an opening scene in a movie, since people can switch off if they aren’t immediately interested or entertained. Simply proving a burst of action isn’t enough either, since it’s far more powerful when the opening scene of a movie is more meaningful.
102001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2001: A Space Odysseyis one of themost influential sci-fi moviesever, and it brought a new level of prestige to the genre. Its ambition begins with the first sequence, which goes back to the dawn of mankind.This sets up a journey stretched across the millennia, as humans go from fighting in the dirt to traversing the stars.
Stanley Kubrick’s2001: A Space Odyssey’s opening sequence uses a loose structure and plenty of wide shots, which gives the same impression as a nature documentary. It’s only when the iconic black monolith appears and the quivering music starts to rise that any sense of urgency and narrative thrust comes to the fore.
9Men In Black (1997)
The firstMen in Blackmovie opens by introducing K and the mysterious organization he works for in style. As he and his older partner apprehend an alien at a border crossing,Men in Blackmixes a culture of government-skeptic ufology with something much more relatable for most people.
Men in Black’s opening scene is immediately eye-catching, butit also takes on a deeper meaning as the story progresses. K assumes the role of the old hand after his partner retires, and he soon has to reckon with the reality of his obsolescence.Men in Blacksets up his entire arc while delivering a quick jolt of alien-based horror.
8Children Of Men (2006)
Alfonso Cuarón’s worldbuilding inChildren of Menhelps set the scene of a frighteningly realistic dystopia without having to resort to unnecessary exposition. The first scene is a great example of Cuarón’s approach, as he pairs a brief news report with an explosion in a small café, showing how the news relates to the film’s grimy vision of near-future Britain.
Children of Mentakes place in a world that initially looks quite similar to contemporary Britain, butCuarón’s use of long takes allows the audience to constantly scan the background for fascinating details. This makes the sudden explosion even more jarring, since there’s no real build-up.
7Jurassic Park (1993)
Jurassic Parkstraddles a few different genres, butthe opening scene emphasizes the elements of horrorthat run throughout the story. Muldoon directs a small army as they transfer a velociraptor into her new enclosure. What would be a relatively simple process in any other zoo seems like a military operation in Jurassic Park.
Steven Spielberg’s best moviesoften start with something eye-catching, like the first kill inJawsor the rolling boulder scene inRaiders of the Lost Ark.Jurassic Parkis no different, and this opening scene spells out the danger in clear terms. If a trained and heavily armed unit can’t contain the dinosaurs, the hopes of Spielberg’s heroes seem slim.
6Gravity (2013)
Gravityis aspace exploration moviethat tips over into sci-fi territory after it takes too many logical leaps. The first scene captures the power of Alfonso Cuarón’s spacebound thriller with an exquisite long take. Cuarón sets the scene miles above the surface of the Earth, lingering on two astronauts for long enough to develop their relationship before tragedy strikes.
Gravity’s opening scene creates an immersive atmosphereas soon as the camera focuses in on the astronauts. The perspective floats around their craft, but it only locks onto the inky blackness of the abyss as Stone detaches and starts tumbling out into space.
5Ghost In The Shell (1995)
Ghost in the Shellis one of the best animated sci-fi movies ever made, and certainly one of the most influential. Its remarkable worldbuilding starts in the opening scene, as Major Kusanagi assassinates a foreign diplomat before escaping with the use of her optical camouflage.
The filmopens with a burst of stylized violence, which still looks shocking for animation 30 years later.There are also intriguing touches before the title card that hint at the fully realized world of the movie, including Kusanagi’s cable ports in the back of her neck, the futuristic cityscape, and the mysterious rivalry between Section 9 and Section 6.
4Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Gozilla Minus OnetakestheGodzillafranchiseback to basics, setting the story in the aftermath of the Second World War once again. The first scene acts as a prelude, with an explosive Godzilla attack that takes place during the war. Shikishima witnesses Godzilla wiping out an entire Japanese military base on a remote island.
Without doing anything particularly revolutionary,Godzilla Minus Onemakes its monster something worth fearing again. The clarity of the action scenes is a key factor, butGodzilla Minus Onealso does the difficult task of establishing its human characters quickly. The opening scene reveals who Shikishima is and who he must become.
3Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Denis Villeneuve aced the difficult task of creating a legacy sequel toBlade Runner,continuing the good work of the original while deepening its exploration into the nature of humanity.Blade Runner 2049’s opening scene sets up a unique twist on the original.Unlike Deckard, K understands that he’s a replicant, but he still must go about his work.
Dave Bautista delivers a compelling performance in his limited screen time at the beginning ofBlade Runner 2049.His acting chops defy the archetype of a wrestler-turned-movie star. Although he’s an imposing presence, he’s much more than just a wall of muscle, and his scene with Ryan Gosling captures the intriguing philosophical debate at the heart of the story.
2The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix’s opening scene introduces the movie’s unique concept and its revolutionary style of action at the same time. There’s a lot of mystery that hangs over Trinity’s first fight scene, and this hooks the audience while priming them for the introduction of Neo, who acts as a conduit for the exploration into a strange new world.
The Matrixdoesn’t immediately spell out the specifics of its simulation-theory concept, but it shows that there are portals between a digital world and a more concrete reality, or that certain people like Trinity can hack their own surroundings. Doing all this with a jaw-dropping fight scene is unforgettable.
1Star Wars (1977)
The firstStar Warsmovie is stuffed with iconic scenes, beginning with the opening crawl that sets the scene. After a brief prologue, the camera pans to reveal a small spacecraft being pursued by a gargantuan Star Destroyer.The perspective emphasizes the David and Goliath scale of this conflict.
The opening scenepreviews the operatic spectacle of the entire franchise, with the orchestral music and the endless expanse of space creating a sense of grandeur. The franchise has tried to replicate the power of this first scene, and it’s likely that theupcomingStar Warsmovieswill continue this tradition, but the original is hard to top.
