5 great movies impossible to stop watching after the first scene

Published Oct 7, 2026, 12:45 PM EDT After graduating from Marist University with a degree in communications and journalism, Dan Girolamo has over 10 years of experience writing about entertainment and sports. Dan's work can be seen in various publications, including Digital Trends, SportsCasting, and Tom's Guide. Throughout his career, Dan has interviewed several high-profile filmmakers and creatives, including Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, Caitriona Balfe, Frank Grillo, Miranda Cosgrove, Jai Courtney, Chris Columbus and James Cameron. Dan joins How-To Geek as a Senior Editor. When he's not writing about entertainment, Dan is either watching a movie or praying for the New York Knicks to win a championship. One of the biggest battles in Hollywood is the fight for attention. Audiences are more impatient than ever, meaning it is imperative to grab the viewer's attention within the first 10 or so minutes. Viewers face so many distractions at home that if the opening scene doesn't play well, the movie might be turned off. Luckily, these five movies feature excellent first scenes that you'll have no choice but to continue watching. It's virtually impossible to turn the movie off after watching these scenes. Don't come for me because I didn't include Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, or Goodfellas on the list. I chose to mix in some new additions along with several classics. That being said, the No. 1 selection on this list belongs to Christopher Nolan's best movie. 5 Dazed and Confused Sweet emotion The greatest hang-out movie of all time is Richard Linklater's 1993 classic Dazed and Confused. The movie should be required viewing for anyone between the ages of 13 and 21. Set in Texas on the last day of school in 1976, Dazed and Confused focuses on two groups: the rising seniors, led by star quarterback Randall "Pink" Floyd (Jason London), and the rising freshmen, led by Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins). The seniors prepare for a night of partying, while the freshmen try to survive hazing. The opening scene establishes the laid-back nature of the film. Set to Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion," the camera cuts to various students on their last day of school, highlighting what they care about: cars, smoking, gambling, and hanging out. All these teenagers want to do is party, and they'll do anything to escape their responsibilities. The only thing missing is a little "alright, alright, alright" from Matthew McConaughey's Wooderson. 4 Mad Max: Fury Road George Miller crafts his masterpiece George Miller wanted to revisit the Wasteland in Mad Max for decades, but he could never crack the code. What would the subject be for a fourth Mad Max movie, and could he do it without original star Mel Gibson? Miller opted to make a chase movie, with Tom Hardy replacing Gibson as "Mad Max" Rockatansky. The result became Mad Max: Fury Road, one of the greatest action movies of the 21st century. "My name is Max," Hardy says to begin the film. "My world is fire and blood." Within the first minute, Max tries to escape from Immortan Joe's War Boys, but he's ultimately captured and taken to the Citadel. Handcuffed, Max still tries to escape the fortress, but he's captured by the War Boys right before the title card drops. It's this chaotic energy that sets the tone for the unrelenting action to follow, which introduces Miller's iconic creation, Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron). 3 Drive I don't carry a gun. I drive ​​​​​​​ Ryan Gosling is one of my five favorite actors. He's the ideal leading man with range, looks, and charisma. 15 years ago, Gosling gave my favorite performance of his career in Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn's crime thriller about a stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals. Gosling's best attribute might be his charisma, but what makes Drive great is how restrained Gosling is in the role of the titular Driver. He barely talks, using visual cues and body language to convey his thoughts and emotions. This inspired many young people to think that the Driver is literally them. Everything you need to know about the Driver happens in the tense opening car chase. The Driver is intelligent, composed, and skilled. He never loses his cool even with the LAPD breathing down his neck. After escaping the authorities, the Driver manages to look like the coolest guy to ever wear leather gloves.​​​​​​​ Drive Release Date September 16, 2011 2 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade The River Phoenix opening ​​​​​​​ When it comes to Indiana Jones lore, putting the opening of Last Crusade over Raiders of the Lost Ark might be sacrilegious. I'm fully aware that Harrison Ford's first appearance as Indiana Jones is a seminal moment in cinematic history. From cracking the whip to narrowly escaping the falling boulder, the Raiders of the Lost Ark opening is as adventurous as it gets. Yet I prefer the origin story of a young Indiana Jones in Last Crusade. River Phoenix is impeccably cast as a teenage version of Indiana Jones, who steals a valuable crucifix from Fedora (Richard Young) and his fellow grave robbers in a Utah cave. Indy gets his first taste of adventure and suffers his first loss. "You lost today, kid" Fedora says to Indy, "but that doesn't mean you have to like it." As Fedora puts the hat on Indy, the film brilliantly cuts to Ford's version of the character in the present. When they say Spielberg makes movie magic, I look at that scene as a prime example. 1 The Dark Knight An introduction to a groundbreaking character ​​​​​​​ Imagine making a Batman movie and dedicating the first scene to the film's villain. That's what Nolan did with The Dark Knight, and as most of us know, it was the right decision. Set to Hans Zimmer's tense music, The Dark Knight opens with a bank heist involving a group of criminals wearing clown masks. The heist is equal parts chaos and brilliance. As the men start to betray and kill each other, one criminal remains: the Joker, played by Heath Ledger. As soon as he takes his mask off and the camera focuses on Ledger in full clown makeup, you realize that the next 150 or so minutes will be truly special. It's a legendary introduction to the greatest comic book villain of all time. Remember this: "I believe, whatever doesn't kill you, simply makes you ... stranger." More movies to fire up on streaming If you're a fan of thrillers, head to Netflix and check out Unabomber, a riveting movie about Ted Kaczynski and his formative years at Harvard. On Hulu, one of the new movies coming to the service is Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger, which details the reunion between Liam and Noel Gallagher.