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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 the primary villain,
00:27Matt Reeves' The Batman veered away from the spectacular set pieces that kicked off Nolan's latter two Batman movies
00:33for something considerably simpler and more horrific.
00:37The very first shot of the film is an instant attention grabber despite its lack of technical showiness.
00:43It's nothing more than a then unknown individual spying on an apartment through a pair of binoculars.
00:48Through the window we see a young boy dressed for Halloween who then goes and like pretend kills his father
00:52and 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 unbroken shot of the Riddler going about his work.
01:19It was refreshingly pared down and yet still entirely artful
01:22and 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
01:32from its very first, very striking opening shot.
01:35The 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.
01:47However, as the cop car pulls up, West moves his camera to reveal that the black bars at the side of the screen
01:53are actually barn doors and so as the camera exits the barn, the full modern widescreen ratio reveals itself.
01:59It's a fantastic statement of intent from the outset
02:02and, like the Batman's opening shot, isn't particularly ostentatious yet has clearly a lot of thought put into it.
02:08Less genre savvy viewers might miss it entirely but if you're into your horror, particularly your older horrors,
02:13then I'm sure it will have got 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 first shot to last,
02:26opening with an intensely alluring image that may seem simple enough.
02:30It's the simplicity of the shot that makes it work, in fact.
02:33I mean, all we're looking at is a very pretty woman in a very nice dress, stood against a stunning backdrop.
02:39I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
02:41Indeed, we go on to find that the opening shot is from a scene we'll later return to.
02:45A scene in which the film's protagonist, Julie, stands out on the balcony of a party, smoking,
02:50staring impatiently at her phone and clearly being bothered by something.
02:54Or whilst the gorgeous Oslo landscape unfolds around her.
02:57The intrigue is immediate.
02:59We're thinking, what's bothering this woman?
03:01Where is she?
03:02Why is she so dressed up?
03:04And none of our questions get answered before we smash cut the title card.
03:07And we're left wondering, is this really the worst person in the world?
03:11This is not what I thought they'd look like.
03:13It's entirely with outspoken words, and yet it says a lot if you're paying any attention.
03:18Seven, Spencer.
03:20Spencer was one of last year's most singularly beautiful films.
03:23Shot with outstanding Oscar-worthy skill by Claire Matthon, as is apparent from its jaw-dropping first shot.
03:29The opening visual is a locked-off glimpse of a frosty field in the early hours of the morning.
03:34It's very peaceful, serene, quiet.
03:37It's like a nice glimpse into the calm English countryside.
03:41We get a moment to just really enjoy nature's beauty.
03:43But after a few beats, we see movement in the background,
03:46and a massive convoy of vehicles appear driving down the road.
03:50Without context, it seems like some sort of military escort.
03:53Maybe they're transporting nuclear weapons or something like that.
03:56But moments later, it's revealed to be the army detail, headed to the Queen Sandringham House,
04:01to perform security checks and deliver the food the British royal family will be eating on Christmas Eve.
04:06The juxtaposition of nature's straightforward beauty with the industrious,
04:09literally military precision of the convoy is an apt metaphor for the movie,
04:13and for Diana's personal turmoil itself.
04:16And if you're sick of overanalyzing every shot in every movie,
04:19it always has to be about someone's personality or someone's feelings.
04:22If we strip that all back, it's just a nice shot.
04:26It's gorgeous before we see the cars, and then even more meaningful and thought-provoking afterwards.
04:32So, you know, it's a win-win.
04:346. No Time to Die
04:36No Time to Die begins the same way that many Bond movies do,
04:39with a gun barrel opening in which 007 shoots at the screen.
04:42But things are subtly different this time around,
04:45as when Bond shoots at the screen, he ends up fading out to white,
04:49his dark figure evaporating against the white background,
04:52slyly 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 firmly 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 movies on this list,
05:18but DP Hidetoshi Shinomiya did a remarkable job bringing every possible drop of visual artistry out of it.
05:25Case in point, the opening shot is one of the most gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing in the entire film.
05:31Here, we see our protagonist's wife sit up out of bed in a gorgeous silhouette against the break of Tokyo's dawn.
05:37The woman, who's a screenwriter, then begins describing her latest story to her husband.
05:41As the lingering shot finally cuts to confirm that, as expected, they're both nude in bed.
05:46It's a shot that perfectly encapsulates the movie as a whole.
05:50Sexy, meticulously crafted, and absolutely concerned 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 of the past few years,
06:05and that is established right from the get-go.
06:08It's a film so eager to get going that director Mike Riander 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 animated figure,
06:24just like those drawn by protagonist Katie.
06:27She shakes her hips along to the music whilst donning a colourful gown and a pair of socks to boot.
06:32By this point, the screen is filled with an array of animated creatures with cameras and clapperboards,
06:36who may or may not represent the film's crew.
06:39Before then, the Columbia woman throws the torch to the floor and signals a transition into the rest of the movie.
06:44Beyond it being just a fun reinvention of a tired logo we've seen over and over again,
06:49it was also a nice way to put in some subtle LGBT themes with the colours and flags we had at the forefront,
06:55because as much as people like to sort of skirt around it, Katie is a queer character,
07:00and they stated that right from the beginning.
07:02You'll love to see it.
07:033. West Side Story
07:06When remaking a movie so iconic as West Side Story,
07:09you have to just take some risks and hope they pay off.
07:12I mean, the movie took these risks, and did they pay off?
07:15Looking at this opening shot, we can definitely say they did.
07:18The film opens with a frankly insane 97-second tracking shot that cranes over the rubble of
07:24various bulldozed apartments and buildings in New York City,
07:27which as sign reveals has been carried out by the New York Housing Authority to make way for the now
07:32iconic Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
07:34But the shot doesn't end there.
07:36It continues to move upwards and pass over the various cranes excavating the wreckage of these
07:40former apartments, dropping down past several wrecking balls and finally stopping on a trap door,
07:46which opens as a member of the Jets emerges from it.
07:49It's the first of several mind-melting tracking shots in the film, and one of those perfect moments where
07:54you stare at it and you stare at the movie magic and you go, how did they do that?
07:58Whilst it seems obvious that the shot was achieved by seamlessly combining crane shots
08:02and drone shots and probably some CGI, the overall effect is so audacious and impressive
08:07that the technical impossibility of it is not easy to forget or understate.
08:12For anyone doubtful that Spielberg could even get close to the meticulous craft of the 1961 original,
08:17this was a powerful rebuke from minute one.
08:20We're reminded in moments like this that he is a veteran filmmaker,
08:23and now in the present day we have so many more tools to just improve upon what we've had in the past.
08:29I mean, it's a shame they cast Ansel Aykort, but you know, you can't have it all.
08:332. The Green Knight
08:35David Lowery's The Green Knight may not be for everyone, but it's nevertheless a visual feast from
08:41beginning to end, kicking off with one of its most unforgettable images in its very first shot,
08:46a 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,
09:04but he continues to stare directly at the audience as the camera pans upwards and looks towards the sky.
09:09Taken totally in isolation, just on its own, it is an absolutely mesmerising shot,
09:15but helping further establish the film's tone is a wispy voiceover which assures the audience
09:19that this isn't the same King Arthur story they've heard so many times before.
09:23We probably could have gathered that from the guy with his head on fire, but, you know.
09:281. 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.
09:39Cheating a little bit is worth it when I get to recommend you the film Boiling Point,
09:43a movie which takes place entirely inside a swanky London restaurant as head chef Andy's life and
09:49career begin to unravel. And get this, it was filmed in one solid 90 minute take.
09:54I've got to emphasise here as well that this is a real, true all-in-one-er. We're not talking any,
10:00like, camera magic and digital joins. This is one shot from start to finish.
10:05Something like this is not easy to pull off at all and it requires a huge ensemble cast
10:09to all hit their marks perfectly. And the result is nothing short of incredible.
10:13As our leading man, Stephen Graham is incredible and he's supported by a host of wonderful co-stars.
10:19We get to see their mastery in all its glory as the camera smoothly travels from table to bar back
10:25to table to kitchen with gliding efficiency. Whilst it might be a bit of a cheat to call it an opening
10:30shot considering it's the only shot in the entire movie, Boiling Point is a daring
10:35feat of high-wire filmmaking that absolutely needs to be seen. Anyone who's ever held a cinema camera
10:40will tell you that this takes an incredible amount of stamina to be able to carry out for, like,
10:4490 minutes. And anyone who's worked at a bar or restaurant will tell you that, yes, it really is
10:49like that. And with that we've reached the end of this list of the 10 Greatest Opening Shots in
10:54Recent Movies. If you can think of any more, any more that you really think we should have included on
10:59this list then let us know in the comments down below. And remember to check out WhatCulture.com
11:03for more lists and articles like this every single day. As always, I've been Amy from WhatCulture,
11:08and I'll catch you next time!
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