Opening scene of terrifying new movie dubbed one of the best horror moments of the year

It’s a truly haunting start to a brilliantly creepy film.

We here at JOE we’re raving about the new movie Longlegs last week, writing in our review that it was the first 5/5 horror or thriller film of 2024.

And now that it has landed in cinemas, where it has become a massive box office success, audiences are catching on to its terrifying brilliance.

This is evident by the many that have flooded social media to praise the chiller, particularly its opening scene.

For those that don’t want the memorable intro spoiled, do not read any further.

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Still here. Well, here’s a description of the scene.

In snowy ’70s Oregon, a little girl with a Polaroid camera follows a mysterious voice behind her family home.

Confused by the noise, she is suddenly approached by an at first unseen strange and sinister older man (played by Nicolas Cage), who moves and speaks in an erratic manner.

He explains to her how he wore his “longlegs” to wish the child a happy birthday.

The stranger then suddenly leans at the girl, as we see only part of his face – which looks almost ghostly pale.

Nicolas Cage in Longlegs’ opening scene

The scene serves as an unforgettable introduction to the title character and a perfect tone setter for the dread-filled film to come.

One Twitter user wrote: “Longlegs has one of the best opening scenes I have seen all year. It’s probably the scene that unsettled me the most.

“You immediately get the sense that everyone involved with this film really did not come to play. Stylish as hell.”

Longlegs has one of the best opening scenes I have seen all year. It’s probably the scene that unsettled me the most. You immediately get the sense that everyone involved with this film really did not come to play.

Stylish as hell. pic.twitter.com/ejT2w9TdWl

— alec (@aleccouture) July 12, 2024

Many others on Twitter had a similar reaction:

Can’t stop thinking about the opening scene of #Longlegs pic.twitter.com/5Y8VdN7W1T

— James Rai (@MovieDisciple) July 13, 2024

Me drinking my Pepsi after the opening scene of Longlegs pic.twitter.com/d9mz6Q8bxe

— Badluck (@ohbadluckanyway) July 12, 2024

this opening scene plus the context behind it…. what a memorable scene #Longlegs pic.twitter.com/AyXnk9fZh1

— ♡ (@laacolee) July 13, 2024

The opening of @LonglegsFilm is HOW you start a horror movie. It perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the film.

Ominous atmosphere.
Striking cinematography.
Chilling score.

Bravo #Longlegs. pic.twitter.com/ztf2acnkij

— Phil Walsh (@PhilWMovies) July 13, 2024

1/2
Believe the hype. Go and see #Longlegs. One of the best new original horror films I’ve seen over the last decade. From the opening scene there is a continuous feel of sinister dread and unease that watching in a dark cinema only enhances. pic.twitter.com/EouCcLa4Zq

— Nathaniel (@Nathaniel__x) July 12, 2024

Here’s a paragraph from JOE’s review of Longlegs published last week.

“Longlegs – with its hypnotic gloomy pacing, its investigatory scenes filled with creepy codes and densely enigmatic conversations and its plot, which as it goes on becomes more dreamlike and nightmarish – somehow manages to conjure a true sense of evil, a feeling which lingers long after its closing moments.”

Written and directed by Osgood Perkins (The Blackcoat’s Daughter, the upcoming Stephen King adaptation The Monkey), Longlegs is in cinemas now.