Opening-credit sequences in movies aren’t as trendy in the 2020s as they were in, say, the '50s and '60s—and there are many reasons for that extending well beyond a director’s vision for mood and pacing. But, when approached as a crucial part of the film rather than an afterthought, they can still offer a crucial hook to reel in an audience. "I like credits. They promise something," Martin Scorsese mused in the Blank on Blank series. "Like posters, they promise something, you know, because for me credit sequences are sometimes more important than the movie. I don’t know. Because they present the picture a certain way. I tend to get impatient with the title sequences that are unimaginative that are just showing up with shots of people driving, going in their house."
The essential title-credit sequences leave a mark in some way—establishing an atmosphere, creating a sense of excitement or wonder or dread. Many publications have put together lists of the all-time best, and several films appear over and over again—everything from the techno-dense, sensory-overload chaos of Gaspar Noe’s surrealist 2009 film Enter the Void to the elegant animation and jazzy score of Stephen Spielberg’s 2002 crime-comedy Catch Me If You Can. (Both of those titles appeared on the British Film Institute’s round-up focusing on the 21st century, but they’ve also earned co-signs all over the Internet.) In order to find a general consensus without decade parameters, we consulted a handful of lists (from Screencrush, Collider, Slash Film, Screen Rant, and CineFix), and three films tied for the most appearances (four).
The opening-credit revolution
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Interestingly, these movies were all made prior to 1980—one apiece from the '50s, '60s, and '70s. But that actually makes sense when you look back in history. As filmmaker Patrick (H) Willems notes in his exhaustive video essay "A Celebration of Opening Title Sequences (And Why They Need to Come Back)," movie openings really became an art form in the 1950s, starting with the work of graphic designer Saul Bass. "I saw the title as a way of conditioning the audience," that prolific artist told Film Quarterly in 1996, as noted by Willems, "so that when the film actually began, viewers would already have an emotional resonance with it."
So with that in mind, let’s take a closer look at these three classic sequences.
Which films have the most acclaimed opening credits?
Vertigo (1958)
One of the ultimate psychological-horror films—and arguably Alfred Hitchcock’s finest work—Vertigo stars James Stewart as a former detective who retired after developing a debilitating fear of heights. The title sequence, designed by Bass, creates a perfectly creepy sense of foreboding, as vivid colors swirl onto eyeballs and against black backgrounds, simulating the titular spinning sensation. (For the record, CineFix included Bass' entire catalog as one entry, so Vertigo counts!)
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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
Sergio Leone opened this spaghetti Western, perhaps the most beloved in movie history, with a striking title sequence by designer Iginio Lardani. It thrillingly balances the gritty and the gently psychedelic, making creative use of silhouetted horsemen and layered composite imagery, all soundtracked by Ennio Morricone's dust-blown score. Lardani even used coffee grounds to simulate the image of blowing sand, as his son Alberto told Art of the Title. “He poured some coffee powder and filmed it using this high-contrast film and the camera reversed,” he said. “Basically, he placed the coffee and filmed it with the camera upside down. It looked as if the wind was taking it away.”
- YouTube www.youtube.com
Halloween (1978)
With credits sequences, sometimes less is more. For the opening of John Carpenter’s signature horror classic Halloween, MGM's team used the most minimal of elements: orange text against a black background, Carpenter’s own stark piano-and-synth theme, and the slow zoom in on a flickering (and surprisingly unsettling) pumpkin. What else could you ask for? "The sequence plays like a blackhearted processional we’d like to writhe away from," wrote Alexander Ulloa for Art of the Title, "but the pull of this simpleton’s grin has us ensnared."
- YouTube www.youtube.com
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21 products that are gaslighting us into thinking they’re essential when they’re not
Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.
Recently, our sister-site Upworthy asked their Facebook audience the question: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.
Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential—when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.
1. Whole body deodorant
"Take a shower," said Shannon H.
“How did we ever manage all those years without it!! 😂😵💫” added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions—but for the average person, it's definitely a marketing creation.
2. Health insurance
It topped the list. Erica L. explained: “My doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery—Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it’s financially effective to treat you.”
Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many—but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.
3. The wedding industry
Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: “We spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.”
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.
4. Bottled water
Carole D. said: “Water in plastic bottles! Get a cup!”
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it’s often just filtered tap water—sold for profit in plastic.
5. Baby product overload
“Most baby products,” wrote Kelli O. “They really aren’t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.”
6. Fabric softener
“It’s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,” said Gail H.
Some experts agree—many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.
7. Smart appliances
“Adding ‘phone controls’ to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,” wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something’s gone off the rails.
8. Makeup and anti-aging products
“Anything anti-aging,” said Melissa T., “Please just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.”
Others questioned products designed to “fix” eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, “Products that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be ‘beautiful’ and therefore ‘loved.’”
9. Cosmetic surgery
Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.
10. Ticketmaster and “convenience fees”
“Let’s go back to waiting in line at a record store,” wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: “Convenience fee for online purchases—then charging $10 more at the actual event.”
11. Engagement rings
James P. didn’t mince words: “Engagement rings.”
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.
12. Lawn chemicals and services
“Plant native grasses and you don’t have the pests or need for constant watering,” wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.
13. AI and generative tech
“This stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,” said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.
14. Funeral services
Amy W. shared: “My parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, ‘I won’t care, I’m dead.’”
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition—but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.
15. Rinse and repeat
Amy D. nailed it: “It’s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.”
16. Credit Card Surcharges
Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: “That is the cost of doing business and shouldn’t be the burden of the purchaser.”
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.
17. Constant phone upgrades
“Apple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,” said Steph S.
Diana H. added, “Needing to upgrade our phones so frequently.”
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.
18. Vitamins and supplements
“If I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn’t need food. Nor could I afford it,” said Tausha L.
19. Fake pockets on women’s pants
Jessica W. said, “I have to buy men’s pants for work because women’s pants would just get torn up too fast!”
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.
20. Disposable everything
“The ‘convenience’ of disposable everything,” said Rick R.
It’s killing the planet—and draining wallets.
21. Tipping
“I’m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,” wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.
The bigger picture
People aren’t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it's worth asking: who benefits from all of this?
And more importantly—who pays?
This article originally appeared earlier this year.