With most movies being somebody's artistic and creative vision, some filmmakers decide to get creative even before the movie properly starts. The majority of movies today have generic opening credits and they're nothing more than a formality, but others open a film with class and style.
Whether or not the credits have an exclusive song made only for the movie intercut with a great scene, Redditors have strong opinions over which opening movie has the most memorable opening credits. Between an animated intro for a crime drama, a short history lesson before Space Jam, and every James Bond movie, Redditors could debate them for years.
Drive (2011)
Drive is all about style, and although there's a deep narrative with in-depth character studies, there's no denying that the way it looks has a big hand in its appeal. Reddit user IWishItWasTheWeekend loves the "pink font over the neon-lit skyline of Los Angeles as Kavinky’s "Nightcall" plays." Between the 80s disco-like music, the hot pink font color, and the distinct nighttime look of LA, the intro is mesmerizing and it all adds to the movie's ultraviolent neo-noir aesthetic.
And that all happens after the incredible opening scene where Driver flawlessly evades the police in a getaway. That's one of the greatest-shot getaway scenes in a movie and it looks different from any other. It's shot almost entirely from inside the car. In an interview with The New York Times, director Nicholas Winding Refn said was done to make it feel like the driver was in "an ocean of sharks."
Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the most fun movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that's clear from the very opening credits. Reddit user Kylie_Forever said it best by writing "when Starlord started dancing... I knew this movie was going to be special." Between Starlord jumping in puddles and pretending lizards are microphones, this opening perfectly sets the tone.
However, the opening credits in the sequel are possibly even better. The musical number in the original is nothing compared to Groot dancing to Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky" while Drax, Gamora, and Starlord are all almost getting killed. It's one of the best uses of popular songs in movies.
Enter The Void (2009)
When it comes to talking about the best opening credits, Reddit user TellingUsWhatItAm has a literal interpretation, as the ones found in Enter The Void are credits and nothing more. There is no fun animation and they aren't intercut with a memorable scene. But each credit has several different detailed fonts that flash for a few frames of a second, and it's almost as if director Gasper Noe doesn't want audiences to read them.
As the movie is so exhausting when it comes to the endless trippy visuals (the heart-stopping film as about a dead drug dealer who watches over his family and friends in the afterlife), the strikingly different fonts are fitting. The Redditor explains that "intensity just keeps ramping up until it’s almost uncomfortable," which is also helped by the throbbing techno track "Freak" by LFO. It's such a subversive sensory experience.
Fargo (1996)
The opening credits of Fargo aren't exactly exciting or revealing in any way like the other movies that Redditors talk about, but they perfectly set the mood. When talking about the 1996 movie's intro, Reddit user RJ_launch explains that it "blows me away every time."
The first few minutes of the movie is one of the most creative opening credits, as it's a still, extremely long shot of a snow-covered road with a car driving closer to the camera. It's more atmospheric than anything, especially with the beautiful orchestral music playing, which builds the tension before the movie has even technically started.
Space Jam (1996)
The widely negatively received sequel still can't tarnish Space Jam's legacy, as the movie is a 1990s time capsule. It captured both the Looney Tunes and Michael Jordan at their peak and combined them in one surreal and fantastical melting pot. It all starts with some of the most exciting opening credits, which got even non-fans of basketball excited.
Reddit user AaronianKenrod notes that "For someone who grew up knowing nothing about basketball, and to this day having no interest in sport, those opening credits get me pumped every time." The opening credits are as flashy to be expected, with producers and actors' names exploding on the screen with classic shots of Michael Jordan scoring baskets.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
The now-classic Steven Spielberg-directed movie is one of the best cat-and-mouse chase movies of recent times, and it's complete edge-of-your-seat entertainment. In a James Bond and Mission: Impossible-like approach, the opening credits of Catch Me If You Can tease the big events of the movie in a fun and thrilling animation.
Reddit user Pgpkreestuh was most impressed, as they call it a "great use of graphic design." What makes it so unique compared to the aforementioned blockbuster franchises is that it portrays the characters as stick figures, there's classy Jazz music playing, and the block colors are so vivid.
Con Air (1997)
Con Air might not be an Academy Award-winning movie, but it's a lot of fun and it wastes absolutely no time getting to the point. Reddit Cotatiadam says Con Air has some of the best opening credits from any movie, and it's simply because of how much is packed into the few short minutes.
They explain that Poe "Gets married, commits manslaughter, does time, plane is introduced, all in the opening credits." And with the melodramatic moments, along with Nicolas Cage's ridiculous Alabama accent, it's almost like a great soap opera episode before the main event.
Batman Forever (1995)
After the disturbingly dark Batman Returns, Warner Bros. took a much lighter turn for the sequel, and that's no clearer than in one of the very first lines in the opening credits. Reddit user Jesse_the_Bumble_Bee recalls the opening of Batman Forever when Batman talks about wanting to visit a drive-thru, hinting that he hates Alfred's cooking.
It's a strange line of dialogue, and the Redditor is careful with their words, as they don't call it the best, but state that "for better or worse, a memorable opening scene." However, the movie could have been a lot darker, as Batman Forever has mind-blowing deleted scenes that didn't make the final cut.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2012)
Just like the credits of Enter The Void, the opening of David Fincher's remake/adaptation of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a complete sensory overload. The 2011 film is ushered in with a cover of "The Immigrant Song" by Karon O, which plays over a grotesque but beautifully rendered animation of a woman seemingly drowning in a liquid that looks like oil.
Reddit user Articus_bear thinks that "it works perfectly to get me in the right mood for the movie." Between the visuals and the audio, it's almost overbearingly in-your-face, but it's perfectly fitting with the unapologetically graphic contents of the Ficher's unique vision.
Every Bond Movie
AnInterestingLizard says that every Bond movie features the best opening credits, as that one answer is made up of 25 films, and they have a point. In the long-running franchise, there have been so many different well-designed visuals and countless award-winning songs for the intros.
The Redditor goes on to say that "even the bad ones have a habit of some awesome opening sequences and titles," and in some cases, the opening credits are the best things about the movies.