A solid opening is a vital part of any good movie.

Without one, the viewer would have no reason to sit through any given hour-plus film. 

There is no shortage of great opening scenes in film that have us ready to buckle in for the long haul. What makes opening scenes fun is how different they are from each other.

Some use comedy to draw us in while others use special effects. Many films use drama and intrigue to get you invested while other rely on the cinematics to grip you.

We all have our personal preferences on what hooks us so our tastes on a good opening scene will likely differ. That said, what is your favorite opening scene in movies?

One that has always stuck out to me was the opening scene of Goodfellas. 

What makes this scene so good is how well Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci act. Liotta tells a great story solely through facial expressions while Pesci and De Niro use actions. 

This scene goes from the mundane to high intrigue in a matter of minutes with Liotta’s iconic line setting the stage. The music that follows the line, “As far back as I could remember, I always wanted to be a gangster,” is just fantastic as it juxtaposes the glamor of the Mafia with the dirty actions that follow. 

Another fantastic opening goes to The Lion King. 

I just love the music and how it complements the groundbreaking animation. It’s hard not to get chills watching that scene as baby Simba is anointed future king. I think it is the music that really elevates this scene to its lofty perch.

One last scene that has always stood out to me is the opening sequence in The Dark Knight. 

The whole bank robbery was so well done and set the stage for the Joker’s character throughout the film. Not just that, but it also featured action, a little bit of mystery, and plenty of great cinematics. 

There are so many great opening scenes that constantly rank high including Jaws, The Godfather, Forrest Gump, and many more. Each one works to hook us into what will be a thrilling cinematic ride.

So what do you think? Which opening scene from a movie really hooked you? Was there an opening scene that was good despite the rest of the movie being bad? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.

The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of Boss Rush Media and The Boss Rush Network. Each week, Corey, LeRon, Stephanie, Edward, and their friends from around the internet come together to talk their week in games, entertainment, and more while also bringing topics for conversation, answer listener and community questions, and cover major news and events happening in the video game industry. Watch The Boss Rush Podcast live on Wednesday Nights on Twitch at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT or on Monday mornings at 7 a.m. ET on YouTube and podcast services everywhere. Thanks for listening! You can also get this episode one week early on Patreon.

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Featured Image: Warner Bros (via Far Out Magazine)