Horror fans say Netflix movie has 'best opening scene ever' - despite woeful 14% Rotten Tomatoes score

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Horror enthusiasts have hailed a film for having the "best opening scene" in the genre, and it's just landed on Netflix in time for Halloween.

Despite its shockingly low 14% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes and a slightly more favourable Popcornmeter score of 37%, Ghost Ship, released in 2002, is still remembered by fans for its gruesome and terrifying opening sequence.

The film, directed by Steve Beck and penned by Mark Hanlon and John Pogue, is renowned for its start, even if the rest of the movie didn't quite hit the mark.

The plot of Ghost Ship is set in a remote part of the Bering Sea, where a boat salvage crew stumbles upon the eerie remains of a grand passenger liner believed to have been lost for over 40 years. However, once they board the creepy, cavernous ship, the Arctic Warrior crew discovers that the decaying vessel is far from deserted.

In fact, it's home to something far more deadly and horrifying than anything they've encountered in their seafaring years, reports the Mirror.

As the story unfolds, the crew finds themselves stranded when their tugboat explodes, forcing them to seek shelter on the Ghost Ship. They are then compelled to face the tragedy that occurred on board, which resulted in the death of nearly all the passengers

However, viewers are already privy to the horrific disaster that took place years earlier, as it is revealed in the opening scene.

The film's opening sequence sets a harrowing tone as passengers are seen enjoying themselves with live music, unaware of the looming danger. A shadowy figure tampers with the ship's equipment, leading to a catastrophic failure where a metal cable whips across the dance floor, gruesomely slicing through the crowd.

A sole survivor, a little girl too short to be hit by the deadly cable, is left in shock amidst the carnage, her screams echoing the audience's horror. Despite the film's subsequent decline in quality, this opening scene has been etched into the minds of many, earning its place in the annals of horror cinema.

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One viewer confessed: "I watched this as a kid and I either forgot or didn't know the name, but I can never forget the opening scene. It was permanently seared into my brain as a child, I was so freaked out."

Another shared their traumatic experience, writing: "This childhood movie put me in therapy for years."

Yet another reflected on how perceptions change over time: "I used to watch this movie as a kid and i always thought it was awesome, until i watched it again 15 years later and realized it's kinda boring. Only really good part was the opening scene." (sic)

Contrastingly, one fan praised the film's overall quality, stating: "this movie is so underrated! The opening scene is one of the best of all the horror films I've seen. this will always be one of my favorite movies." (sic)

Echoing this sentiment, another enthusiast claimed: "A truly underrated movie with on of the best opening scenes you'll see in a horror movie." (sic)

Ghost Ship is available to watch on Netflix now.

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