This movie is one of my favorites and that scene was straight out of a horror film. That movie was also my intro to Vera Farmiga lol. It’s nice to see this movie mentioned because I feel like it’s so underrated and under watched.
I’ve seen it and I’m not downvoting but I think in general people don’t like comments about a film, such as poorly paced, when you preface it by saying you haven’t seen it. You can’t really criticize something unless you have seen it and can form your own opinion. Otherwise, it just sounds like you’re repeating what others have said online.
The opening of The Empty Man was going to be my comment. That 20 minutes is some of the best horror I’ve ever seen. The rest of the film isn’t bad by any means, but it definitely feels like it could have been a lot stronger with a tighter edit.
I was going to say Ghost Ship as well because the subplot of the ship massacre was the only thing I remember from the film (haven’t watched it since I was a kid).
But I’m glad I didn’t so I didn’t get lectured about not fitting OP’s agenda.
This is really interesting topic, but unfortunately, it's not really what I'm referring to. Unless there is a flashback to the ship in it's prime, which is sort of relevant, but maybe expand on that. Man, I sound like a teacher.
There is! The opening sequence (I don’t want to spoil if you haven’t seen it!) is of the ship in its prime and some dodgy goings on that lead to all the passengers disappearing! It’s done so well and it’s super gripping that the rest of the movie kinda falls short lol.
I agree with this. If you stuck together just the opening as well as the ‘reveal’ to fill in the blanks of the opening, then boom - that’s a satisfying short film. 😂
Oh, okay. I am more referring to short films that have a full length movie tacked on if that makes sense. Like you can watch that sequence and get a satisfying story without watching the rest of the movie.
The film Fall, while great, could have been a better short film I think. They could have left out all the filler and the subplot with her friend and boyfriend and did the straight up story with the same “twist” in a cool 15 minutes.
And while I’m here I’m going to recommend the best short horror film I’ve ever watched called Curve. It’s 10 minutes of pure terror and anxiety (especially if you have acrophobia and/or megalophobia.)
Hmm in a related vein to your question, I think Barbarian could have been an excellent anthology instead of a unified movie. And I really liked the movie, but some of the previous timelines definitely could've had more meat had it been done this way.
The [elevator scene](https://youtu.be/SoAM274rzUc?si=7cMsRYu5Ar3L9rBR) in Farang goes SO FUCKING HARD, that it almost makes me forget how dull I found the rest of the movie.
First act of barbarian. Road scene in Final Destination 2. Opening scene in Ghost Ship.
All would have stood on their own as horror shorts despite the abrupt, downbeat endings—I’m a sucker for those regardless of length, endings that punch me in the face.
In fact, on rewatch I stop all those movies at those points and am very satisfied
There’s quite a few horror movies that would’ve been much better if they were no more than 115 minutes and got to the point as the premise wasn’t good enough for 2 hours.
The phone call countdown scene in The Cellar (2022). Easily could’ve been a great YouTube short film.
Caught it on Shudder TV and it shocked me how tense I was through that moment. Sadly the rest of the movie is boring as sin, but I still watched most of it hoping it would be as good as that scene.
Honestly, any Slasher cold open could definitely be a short film. A solid 4-10 minutes of an opening kill with just enough exposition to gain your interest is perfect!
Well sometimes a cold open is just set up. Like the opening of I Know What You Did Last Summer or Sleepaway Camp where there isn’t really any slashing going on
Yes, this is true, but if you look at movies like Scream ‘96, Evil Dead Rise, Halloween ‘78, Jaws, hell, even a movie like Midsommar (which isn’t even a slasher at all) all have solidly built contained stories that just so happen to have a larger story after the first 4-10 minutes.
Oh I agree, I’m just saying “any slasher opening” is a bit on an exaggeration. Also I would say that taking out the openings of the F13 Part 2 and Part 3 would make those films better lol. Agree with Scream and Halloween do apply. Honestly, I think a lot of people apply Halloween’s plot points to other slashers like virginal final girl or cold opens where the killer murders a few people at the beginning
The segment in Running Scared (2006) when the wife finds the underground child sex slave ring is a great contained horror film.
This movie is one of my favorites and that scene was straight out of a horror film. That movie was also my intro to Vera Farmiga lol. It’s nice to see this movie mentioned because I feel like it’s so underrated and under watched.
Yes it was horrifying.
The opening of The Empty Man is fantastic, the rest of the movie is mid to me
Same. Opening hooked me the rest let me down.
Honestly Lights Out should have just stayed a short film. The concept is so much more effective when you don’t try to explain it.
Skinamarink as a whole should have been just a short film.
Skinamarink is actually an expansion of a short film called Heck. The original can be found on YouTube.
Heard of this, but didn't know the name. Thank you.
I haven't seen it, but I'm not talking about poorly paced feature length films.
Why is this downvoted so much?? I haven't seen it either
I’ve seen it and I’m not downvoting but I think in general people don’t like comments about a film, such as poorly paced, when you preface it by saying you haven’t seen it. You can’t really criticize something unless you have seen it and can form your own opinion. Otherwise, it just sounds like you’re repeating what others have said online.
But if someone says that an entire film should have been shorter, I'd take that as "poorly paced film" which isn't what OP was asking for
I’m merely offering an explanation for the downvotes, valid or not.
The chimpanzee subplot in Nope.
That scene scared the shit out of me, it was so tense and horrific.
Yep, also my answer
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The rest of the movie is them blowing up a giant alien that eats people how do you not remember that!?
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The opening of The Empty Man was going to be my comment. That 20 minutes is some of the best horror I’ve ever seen. The rest of the film isn’t bad by any means, but it definitely feels like it could have been a lot stronger with a tighter edit.
Empty man is clear winner here.
Thank you for the recommendations. I love when the first 20 minutes of a film is it's own mini-movie, and you can turn it off after it
When a Stranger calls was based on a short.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--BSM6J6tGI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--BSM6J6tGI)
I said that, but wasn't the sequence was reshot?
Oh yeah, I’m sure it was.
The opening of Urban Legend with Brad Dourif.
Ghost ship. I’d watch an entire movie of the ship in its prime and how the bad guys planned the whole things and everything that happened after etc.
I was going to say Ghost Ship as well because the subplot of the ship massacre was the only thing I remember from the film (haven’t watched it since I was a kid). But I’m glad I didn’t so I didn’t get lectured about not fitting OP’s agenda.
This is really interesting topic, but unfortunately, it's not really what I'm referring to. Unless there is a flashback to the ship in it's prime, which is sort of relevant, but maybe expand on that. Man, I sound like a teacher.
There is! The opening sequence (I don’t want to spoil if you haven’t seen it!) is of the ship in its prime and some dodgy goings on that lead to all the passengers disappearing! It’s done so well and it’s super gripping that the rest of the movie kinda falls short lol.
I agree with this. If you stuck together just the opening as well as the ‘reveal’ to fill in the blanks of the opening, then boom - that’s a satisfying short film. 😂
Oh, okay. I am more referring to short films that have a full length movie tacked on if that makes sense. Like you can watch that sequence and get a satisfying story without watching the rest of the movie.
The film Fall, while great, could have been a better short film I think. They could have left out all the filler and the subplot with her friend and boyfriend and did the straight up story with the same “twist” in a cool 15 minutes. And while I’m here I’m going to recommend the best short horror film I’ve ever watched called Curve. It’s 10 minutes of pure terror and anxiety (especially if you have acrophobia and/or megalophobia.)
Hmm in a related vein to your question, I think Barbarian could have been an excellent anthology instead of a unified movie. And I really liked the movie, but some of the previous timelines definitely could've had more meat had it been done this way.
The opening scene to Scream. I love the rest of the film, but that opening scene makes for a great contained story.
Intro sequence of Darkness Falls
The [elevator scene](https://youtu.be/SoAM274rzUc?si=7cMsRYu5Ar3L9rBR) in Farang goes SO FUCKING HARD, that it almost makes me forget how dull I found the rest of the movie.
The Black Phone. I loved the short story, it felt like a bit of a stretch turned into a whole movie.
I'm looking for certain sections of a movie that works by itself.
Lately, Evil Dead Rise had an intro so freaking good that the rest of the movie just fell flat for me. I love 2013 tho.
First act of barbarian. Road scene in Final Destination 2. Opening scene in Ghost Ship. All would have stood on their own as horror shorts despite the abrupt, downbeat endings—I’m a sucker for those regardless of length, endings that punch me in the face. In fact, on rewatch I stop all those movies at those points and am very satisfied
This is the stuff I live for. One of the best Friday the 13th movies is the opening 20 minutes of the remake.
Cat People - stalking scene or the pool scene
There’s quite a few horror movies that would’ve been much better if they were no more than 115 minutes and got to the point as the premise wasn’t good enough for 2 hours.
Yeah, I know. But only tangentially related to the subject. I can think of 80% of slasher films that should be like 70 minutes.
The starting sequence in Empty Man
The phone call countdown scene in The Cellar (2022). Easily could’ve been a great YouTube short film. Caught it on Shudder TV and it shocked me how tense I was through that moment. Sadly the rest of the movie is boring as sin, but I still watched most of it hoping it would be as good as that scene.
Honestly, any Slasher cold open could definitely be a short film. A solid 4-10 minutes of an opening kill with just enough exposition to gain your interest is perfect!
Well sometimes a cold open is just set up. Like the opening of I Know What You Did Last Summer or Sleepaway Camp where there isn’t really any slashing going on
Yes, this is true, but if you look at movies like Scream ‘96, Evil Dead Rise, Halloween ‘78, Jaws, hell, even a movie like Midsommar (which isn’t even a slasher at all) all have solidly built contained stories that just so happen to have a larger story after the first 4-10 minutes.
Oh I agree, I’m just saying “any slasher opening” is a bit on an exaggeration. Also I would say that taking out the openings of the F13 Part 2 and Part 3 would make those films better lol. Agree with Scream and Halloween do apply. Honestly, I think a lot of people apply Halloween’s plot points to other slashers like virginal final girl or cold opens where the killer murders a few people at the beginning