There’s no doubt thathorrorfilms today tend to rely heavily on jump scares to terrify audiences. Some fans may call it a cheap plot device, but jump scares can and have been effective. What makes a jump scare work is proper set-up, followed by a worthwhile pay-off. Nevertheless, there have been too many films that improperly set up a scene that ultimately has zero shock value. Whether through silent tension or a powerful and unexpected moment, notable horror films give equal attention to what comes before and after.
The atmospheric set-up and dreadful suspense of a scene is where the horror comes in, and then the jump scare is the release of tension. It should and has been used as a cathartic way to liberate the anxiety that has been built up over the course of several minutes. The art of the jump scare comes down to timing. Along with timing, factors like sound, lighting, and camera placement are all important to pulling off a jump scare. There are quite a few films that have effectively utilized these tricks and executed some of the most effective jump scares in horror history.
The following article may contain mild spoilers.
20The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring
James Wan’s modern horrorThe Conjuringis the story of a family being haunted after the move to a very old house. If it sounds like the classic “haunted house” movie, that’s because the film is a high-profile iteration of the concept by one of today’s most prominent horror filmmakers. He just adds the “based on a true story” element brought on by the presence of ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren, and makes the film a notable standout in modern horror.
The Jump Scare in The Conjuring
The bedroom scene in this modern horror classic proves how cleverJames Wan is behind the camera. His positioning of the frame’s lines and how he builds the tension in this scene alone makes him stand out among the masses. Most notable is how he shows fans the creepy figure on the cabinet before pushing in on her gruesome face.
That push-in was paired with a terrifying sound effect that made audiences jump out of their seats. What makes this scene work is that viewers knew what they saw was scary, even before the film made it clear. It’s clear to see for two seconds in pure silence. ThenThe Conjuringset our assurances by releasing the tension and closing the scene efficiently and perfectly.Stream on Max
19The Exorcist III (1990)
Exorcist 3
William Peter Blatty’sThe Exorcist IIIisn’t quite connected with the franchise. It’s more of a police procedural that takes a turn towards a religious setting. However, it’s all the more eerie how the film lands a logical connection between real crime and the supernatural. It’s truly one of the most underrated sequels in history.
The Jump Scare in The Exorcist III
While the sequels will never pair with the masterpiece that is the original film,The Exorcist IIIexpands upon the lore and has a few prominent scares (at least more so thanthe abysmal sequel). The most infamous sequence takes place in one long shot in the hallway of the hospital. It is a very quiet few minutes, with seemingly nothing happening, but something just felt off to viewers.
That tension of what could happen causes the brain to play tricks; as author C.K. Webb quipped, “Sometimes the things in our heads are far worse than anything they could put in books or on film.” Asking “what’s going to happen” causes more fear than just seeing something play out in real-time. The anticipation builds up as the nurse walks from room to room until she is followed, and her shift is ultimately cut short… no pun intended.Stream on Tubi
18Sinister (2012)
Scott Derrickson’sSinisteris widely considered to be the scariest filmaccording to science. And if science says so, then it must be correct. The film tells the story of an author who uses his new house for inspiration to write a new novel. The problem is that he finds a box of tapes that reveal that the place he moved his family to may not be safe at all.
The Jump Scare in Sinister
Sinisteris a film that was marketed as a shock-fest. It was an ambitious movie with a unique concept that utilized cinema itself to generate scares. Watching Ethan Hawke’s Ellison view old film reels showcasing massacre after massacre allowed viewers to empathize with him in these moments.
Viewers assumed he wasn’t in imminent danger, yet his anxiety over the tapes is nonetheless palpable. One tape, in particular, featured a lawnmower being used in a way that surely wasn’t intended. It is so unexpected and built up over an extended period of silence. The perfect combination of setting uneasy expectations, followed by an explosion of utter horror ended this sequence in true terror.Rent on Prime Video
17Carrie (1976)
Carrietells the story of poor Carrie White, a troubled and shy teenager who’s the victim of bullying by classmates and her excessively religious mother. Somehow, she gets a date to the prom, where she will be played the ultimate prank. Only Carrie will have her awakening that night. And her revenge.
The Jump Scare in Carrie
Brian De Palma’s twisted coming-of-age horrorCarrieleaves its scariest moment to the final scene - Sue Snell’s nightmare sequence. Sue (played by Amy Irving) kneeled to put flowers on the now-deceased Carrie’s grave.
The bloodied hand of Carrie (provided by Sissy Spacek, who was not afraid to be buried alive for the jump scare) reached out of the ground and grabbed her. After this scene, which homages the 1972 gripping thrillerDeliverancewhere a hand emerges out of a murky lake, audiences started to expect that final scare.Stream on Max
Related:27 Scariest Cold Opens in the History of Horror Movies, Ranked
16The Descent (2005)
The Descent
The indie box-office hitThe Descentis not for the faint of heart, and those with anaversion to tight, dark spaceswere in for quite the ride with the pulse-pounding horror flick. A group of thrill-seeking friends decided to go spelunking in uncharted caves in this Neil Marshall-directed knockout. The film continuously built tension as the young women realized they’re way over their heads. After the passage they’re exploring in collapsed, they become trapped in the caves.
The Jump Scare in The Descent
Audiences everywhere were left gasping for air right alongside the frightened characters. The extremely tight quarters and ominous atmosphere ultimately gave way to the arrival of the terrifying cave-dwelling creatures known as Crawlers. In one unforgettable scene, Sarah (Shauna McDonald) and her friends encounter the decrepit flesh-eating creatures while using a night vision camera. They grew increasingly on edge in the chilling build-up as the camera revealed a creature standing behind them. Chaos ensued as the crawler attacked before retreating back into the darkness.Rent on Prime Video
15Hereditary (2018)
Hereditary
Hereditaryis the story of the Grahams, a family struck by a recent tragedy who start experiencing supernatural events as they grieve. Everyone experiences a different thing, and when another tragedy occurs, the mother, Annie, decides to try and contact someone in the afterlife. This will reveal something extremely important about her family.
The Jump Scare in Hereditary
Ari Aster’s masterpiecewill set a precedent for how horror should be executed. The last ten minutes ofHereditaryare essentially an entire jump scare that was set up by two hours of tension. However, in the ending scene, Peter (Alex Wolff) was unknowingly lurked by his possessed mother. He walked around his quiet home as she hovered over him and terrified fans.
What Aster achieves is a suspense tactic that was established and proven by Hitchcock himself – to have the audience be aware of something that the characters are not. It’s simple but highly effective at achieving suspense. When Peter stumbled upon his burned father and all hope seemed lost, his mother burst through a darkened corner of the wall in an unexpected jump scare that sealed the deal.Stream on Max
14Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock’sPsychotells the story of Marion Crane, a woman running from the law after she decides to steal some money to help her lover, and run away with him into the sunset. The problem is Marion gets too tired after driving on a rainy night, and she decides to rent a room in Bates Motel, a road motel where she will pay the ultimate price.
The Jump Scare in Psycho
The classics can never go unnoticed. What Alfred Hitchcock achieves in this entire film by not showing everything leads to more shock value than putting it all on the screen. Again, the imagination is often more powerful than anypractical or special effectever shown on film. WhilePsychois milder in terms of its visuals, it still holds up with its chilling soundtrack and shocking subversion of narrative structure.
As the detective wanders around inside the Bates’ home, the tension builds with the intensifying score until that iconic Bernard Herrmann track arrives. Mrs. Bates protrudes from the darkness and slices the detective in plain sight. Shocking for the time, but what makes it hold up is how the soundtrack is ironically the instrument playing viewers' emotional state. They are riding the wave that the music produces, and it is still effective after many decades despite being imitated tirelessly and obnoxiously to this day.Rent on Prime Video
13Lights Out (2016)
Lights Out
InLights Out, Rebecca is contacted by her stepbrother’s school because, for some reason, Martin’s parents can’t be reached. Rebecca steps in and learns Martin has experienced a series of supernatural events where his mother speaks to entities hiding in the dark. Of course, the kid is onto something, and Rebecca finds out what it is the hard way.
The Jump Scare in Lights Out
Adapted from a praised horror short of the same name,Lights Outis technically astounding in its execution. The darkness is a horror filmmaker’s best friend because it allows them to utilize cheaper practical effects that can play tricks on the viewer’s mind. It all comes to a climactic standoff when our lead characters (Teresa Palmer and Gabriel Bateman) are trapped in the dark basement and our supporting character Bret (Alexander DiPersia) finds himself in a fight with the unknown.
With only his cell phone as his guide, the darkness surrounding him is his greatest threat as it is the pathway for the violent entity haunting them to maneuver through the room. The realistic-looking figure is horrifying and startled viewers at every moment because it could be anywhere at any time. This is one of the few films which relies almost solely on jump scares and yet completely works.Stream on Netflix
12[REC] (2007)
[REC]tells the story of a journalist who, in the middle of recording an episode for her midnight show, jumps on a truck to accompany firemen as they investigate a strange occurrence in an apartment building in Barcelona. When they arrive, a tarp is thrown over the building, and they’re put in quarantine. Apparently, there’s something loose inside and authorities want to keep it there.
The Jump Scare in [REC]
The original[REC]is one of the most terrifyingfound footage filmsof all time. The movie uses its limitations to its advantage, since the single camera cannot cover every angle, and horror thrives on the unseen and unknown. The sequence toward the end of the film is especially intense, as viewers are only shown what remains in the light, and are well aware of the ravenous monsters lurking in the darkness that could be anywhere.
This film is chaotic at its heart and, throughout its runtime, the audience can start to anticipate that chaos will continue. Moments of silence then only add to the unease. When the cameraman climbed the attic stairs and searched the room for answers, he is met with a carnivorous being that has been waiting there the entire time. Viewers and the cameraman see it at the same time right in their faces, causing everyone involved to jump in terror.Stream on AMC+
11What Lies Beneath (2000)
What Lies Beneath
The very underratedWhat Lies Beneathtells the story of Claire Spence, a housewife who believes her house may be hunted, after she begins experiencing supernatural events. When she tells Norman, her husband, his reaction makes her suspect she may be hallucinating, and may be losing her mind. Or is she?
The Jump Scare in What Lies Beneath
With one of the most tasteful jump scares in horror history,What Lies Beneathoften floats under the radar when it comes to 2000s horror. In one of Harrison Ford’s only villain roles, the story is set up for him to get away with both the previous murder of an old mistress, as well as his current wife.
When running a bath to drown his paralyzed wife, Ford is terrified when he sees the ghostly reflection of his former kill. He springs backward, smashing his head into the sink, and giving his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer) the chance she needs to survive the encounter.Stream on Showtime
