10 Great Movies That Hook You In The First 60 Seconds & Never Let Go

There are countless ways to tell a story in movies, though the introduction is arguably the most important aspect to get right. A great movie opening can set the tone, introduce characters, or set the scene for what shaped the villain or protagonist. Conversely, a poor intro can leave audiences uninterested, and it can be an uphill struggle to win back viewers' attention.

Films don't necessarily need to make their introductions a grand spectacle, but many of the greatest movies of all time use those opening moments wisely.

Jaws, for example, plays its legendary, ominous theme as we see through the eyes of something moving quickly through the water. The movie then cuts to a nighttime scene on the shore, priming the area for the first shark attack. Other movies take a more dialogue or exposition-heavy approach to tell the audience precisely what's going on and why it matters.

Some movies take a different approach, grabbing audiences' attention from the moment they sit down and holding it until the very end. These titles are often action movies, but they aren't limited to the genre. They hit the ground running, telling viewers exactly what to expect from the moment they start. They remain strong after those brilliant introductions, resulting in movies that hook you from the start and leave you wanting more by the credits.

10 Baby Driver (2017)

Baby Driver is a stylish heist movie that gets into action almost immediately. Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a gifted getaway driver and treats audiences to an unforgettable chase in a red Subaru Impreza WRX through busy streets as the cops pursue.

Our hero may be a talented driver, but he's eager to leave criminal life behind. He works for Doc, a crime boss, to pay off an outstanding debt. However, one last heist goes horribly wrong, and the crew he works with may suddenly turn on him, since he doesn't look or act like a typical criminal.

The first chase begins a few minutes into the movie. Still, the opening hits hard, and the soundtrack deserves a special mention because it's often synchronized with the action, giving those scenes a unique flair.

9 Swordfish (2001)

Swordfish may seem like an odd inclusion, but it's a busy thriller with an unusual intro that tells us so much about Gabriel (John Travolta), the villain.

Travolta is mesmerizing as he rants about Hollywood. He blasts the lack of realism in movies, and even highlights what he would do differently in Dog Day Afternoon. The camera pans out, and we discover he's surrounded by armed police. He's also holding some sort of button, so the officers are reluctant to shoot.

The main bulk of Swordfish reveals how we got to that point. Stanley (Hugh Jackman) is a convicted hacker unwillingly drawn into Gabriel's plan. He needs the money to fight a court case to see his daughter, but is shocked when he learns how destructive Gabriel's goals truly are.

8 28 Weeks Later (2007)

28 Weeks Later is a tense zombie horror movie, set after the events of 2002's 28 Days Later. The film boasts a fantastic cast, including Robert Carlyle as Don and Jeremy Renner as Doyle.

A deadly virus outbreak has wreaked havoc across the UK, putting the infected into a zombie-like state, though they aren't undead. That infection quickly spreads, turning its victims within seconds. The intro to 28 Weeks Later is shocking and brutal. The infected breach Don's home, and he makes a wild decision to save his own skin that we won't spoil here.

The movie explores how the survivors deal with the Rage Virus as well as the US and military response. 28 Days Later also has a particularly powerful introduction. It shows chilling scenes of an empty, deserted London and remains one of the franchise's most unforgettable moments.

7 Toy Story 3 (2010)

Toy Story 3 stands out from the other movies on this list because it's an animated kids' film. The 2010 movie concludes the original Toy Story trilogy, as Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), and their friends end up in a daycare center.

The toys have a dreadful time at the daycare and plot an escape plan, even though Lotso (Ned Beatty) has other plans. Toy Story 3's intro is also a tribute to the original, in that it's an imagined Western action sequence, with Potato Head as the villain.

The 2010 movie is surprisingly emotional, with some intense action scenes that see beloved characters in grave peril. It starts as a lighthearted adventure, with a wholesome conclusion for toys we've known since the original in 1995.

6 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is arguably one of the greatest action movies of all time. Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 Terminator is iconic, as is Robert Patrick's T-1000. The movie is overflowing with grand action set pieces, including a brilliant chase scene as the T-1000 pursues John Connor (Edward Furlong).

Terminator 2 makes the list because it's a gripping action masterpiece that opens with a jaw-dropping intro. We see a nuclear bomb detonate just moments into the film, as a child on a swing fades to white. The movie fast-forwards to Los Angeles, 2029 AD. It's silent, but only temporarily, as a war between humans and machines rages on.

So many elements work together to make Terminator 2: Judgment Day a grand spectacle that few others can emulate. It's a busy movie, with many moving parts, an exceptional cast, and it's arguably a must-watch for action fans.

5 Scream (1996)

Scream is a legendary horror franchise with an iconic villain in Ghostface. The original movie makes the list because it starts almost immediately with a chilling phone call, a sequence that has become a series staple.

Casey (Drew Barrymore) is home alone, getting ready to watch a movie. The phone rings, with a mysterious voice on the other end. They have a playful talk about horror movies, but the conversation takes a frightening turn when Casey asks why the person on the phone wants to know her name.

The voice calmly responds, "Because I want to know who I'm looking at." Casey hangs up shortly after, but the scene escalates into the first kill of the movie, where audiences see Ghostface for the first time. It's a surprisingly brutal scene, and a gripping whodunnit mystery ensues.

4 Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Mission: Impossible III is arguably one of the darkest movies in the franchise, with an intense opening scene. During a black screen, we hear Ethan (Tom Cruise) grunt as a voice says, "We've put an explosive charge in your head."

When we see our hero for the first time, he's hurt, with blood running from his nose. Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the movie's antagonist, demands to know where the rabbit's foot is as he points a gun at a woman. The audience doesn't really know what's happening, but it's a heavy scene.

Mission: Impossible III makes the list because the intro is unforgettable. Fans are used to seeing Hunt as an action hero from the previous movie. Seeing him tied to a chair, panicking, is shocking, as we know it would take an extraordinary villain to do that to the legendary Ethan Hunt.

3 The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Bringing audiences into the action with a bang is one of the James Bond franchise's specialties. However, The Spy Who Loved Me's opening still holds up decades later, setting the stage for a great adventure starring Roger Moore.

Bond is being pursued down a snowy mountainside on skis as the iconic tune plays. His attacker tries to shoot him, but Bond spins around and fires back, revealing that one of his ski poles is actually a gun.

As Bond reaches the cliff edge, the scene falls silent as he jumps off, dropping his skis. The triumphant theme tune returns when Bond opens his Union Jack parachute. It's a thrilling intro, and The Spy Who Loved Me is widely regarded as one of Moore's best.

2 The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix is a phenomenal late-90s sci-fi action movie, starring Keanu Reeves as Neo and Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity. The intro is stylish and gripping because, while it's a spectacle, the audience won't understand what just happened until later on.

Police break into a room in a dingy apartment complex where Trinity is using a computer. Officers demand that she stop. Instead, Trinity faces them and disarms one as the camera pans around in bullet time, which audiences at the time had never seen before. She then effortlessly incapacitates the rest and runs.

The entire intro sequence is incredible. We see an Agent with the same gravity-defying abilities as Trinity, though we have no idea what happened to her as she's seemingly crushed inside a phone booth. We're left to fill in the gaps until later, but the scene was a spectacle in the 90s, and still holds up more than 25 years later.

1 The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight is still widely regarded as one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. Heath Ledger's Joker steals the show in every scene, and his introduction remains just as incredible during a rewatch.

Several criminals are wearing clown masks as part of a bank heist. Each has a role to play, though we soon realize each one kills another after their role is complete. It's fascinating to watch their plan unfold, until only one remains.

A bank worker is injured during the heist and lambasts the final masked criminal. As it turns out, that last person is the Joker himself. He removes his mask, revealing his painted face, saying, "I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you stranger." His plan works flawlessly, and we cannot wait to see how Christian Bale's Batman responds to such a unique adversary who doesn't rely on brute strength. The Dark Knight is one of the great movies in the DC universe, with an incredible villain who is a massive highlight of the story.