The humble jump scare has become a staple tradition of the modern horror movie, with some films in the genre being particularly laden with them. A “jump scare” refers to a sudden or abrupt camera cut, appearance of a character, or scary situation that spikes the viewer’s adrenaline by lulling them into a false sense of security before attacking them with terror. While the biggest jump scares are quite memorable, some horror movies have far too many of them to count.
Jump scares often get a bad rap in the horror community, often being seen as a cheap way to guarantee some startled nerves without having to try too hard. Big horror movie franchises like Insidious or the Annabelle universe are particularly prone to leaning on the technique. That being said, cramming as many jump scares as possible into a single film makes for an affecting experience if nothing else.
10 Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum
The Movie Was Released In 2018
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Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum Release Date 2018/03/28 Cast Wi Ha-joon
A shining modern example of the power of Korean horror, Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum is a stunning example of jump scares done right. A found-footage horror film, the story centers on a YouTube channel crew who decide to investigate a supposedly haunted abandoned asylum after two teenage urban explorers go missing there. Though their escapades start off scripted, the very real horrors of the location soon begin to bear down on the hapless creators.
Related 25 Best Thai Horror Movies
Although some Thai horror hits have had their own American remakes, there are many incredible horror movies from Thailand that are under-appreciated.
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum masterfully combines the eerie realism of found-footage with the theatrical power of the traditional jump scare. Black-eyed ghosts pop from the shadows with ferocious rage, and the film gets quite creative with its framing device as the last failed expedition of a ghost hunting show. Most importantly, Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum is smart enough to build tension leading up to the jump scares, making it both an effective slow-burn horror story and a pulse-pounding scream fest.
9 Sinister
The Movie Was Released In 2012
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7/10 8/10 Sinister
Sinister is a supernatural horror movie that centers around a washed-up true-crime writer named Ellison Oswalt, who finds a box of Super 8 home movies that suggest the murder he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer whose macabre work dates back to the 1960s. As he begins to write a biography about the case, terrifying images start to seep into his consciousness, making him question reality as the horrors of old are made new again.
Director Scott Derrickson Release Date October 12, 2012 Studio(s) Lionsgate Distributor(s) Lionsgate Writers Scott Derrickson , C. Robert Cargill Cast Juliet Rylance , Ethan Hawke , Fred Dalton Thompson , Vincent D’Onofrio , James Ransone Expand
Often considered to be one of the scientifically scariest horror movies of all time, Sinister certainly knows how to get the adrenaline pumping. The supernatural horror story starts off slow, following a struggling true crime writer whose discovery of a cache of violent snuff tapes soon unleashes terrifying dangers upon his new house and family. As he coldly delves into each disturbing tape, a sinister pattern begins to emerge in the footage.
Sinister
works as a suspenseful thriller in its early stages, only hinting at the tumultuous supernatural entity driving the action.
It’s when the tapes get into full swing that the jump scares start firing off one after another, with the infamous lawn mower scene being one of the most nerve-wracking scenes in the film thanks to a sudden blaring sound effect. Even those that might not normally appreciate jump scares in horror can appreciate the artistry with which Sinister shocks its viewer.
8 The Descent
The Movie Was Released In 2005
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10/10 The Descent
The Descent is a horror film that follows a group of thrill-seeking friends who find themselves fractured after one of them loses their husband and daughter in a car accident. Attempting to rejuvenate her friend Sarah and bring her back to the group, Juno convinces her to follow her and their friends to a mysterious cave system they find in the mountains. However, when they find themselves traped with no way out, she reveals she took them to an uncharted region with no chance of rescue, hoping to give them the adventure of the life time. Angry, fearful, and low on supplies, the group travels further into the caves only to discover they’re not alone.
Director Neil Marshall Studio(s) Lionsgate Distributor(s) Lionsgate Writers Neil Marshall Cast Shauna Macdonald , Saskia Mulder , Alex Reid , Natalie Mendoza , MyAnna Buring , Nora-Jane Noone
An utterly unique horror experience, The Descent combines classic jump scares with claustrophobic environments for a singularly unnerving package. The movie begins with a thrill-seeking girls trip as a group of young friends go spelunking in the wake of a recent tragedy. Entering an unexplored cave system, it isn’t long before the group is attacked by “Crawlers”, an ancient species of sub-human hominid that have evolved to live in the harsh conditions of the subterranean landscape.
The Descent gets full use of its setting, using the dark twists and turns of its bewitching cave system to set up some truly blood-curdling jump scares. It helps that the creature design of the Crawlers is unsettling enough to be truly jarring when they do appear, regardless of how obvious an incoming jump scare might be. The moment in which the group has to squeeze through a deathly narrow passageway in the cave while the beasts bare down on them is a particularly harrowing scene.
7 The Banshee Chapter
The Movie Was Released In 2013
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Banshee Chapter (2013) RHorrorThriller
Director Blair Erickson Release Date November 6, 2013 Writers Daniel J. Healy Cast Ted Levine , Katia Winter , Michael McMillian , Monique Candelaria , Jenny Gabrielle , Chad Brummett , David Midthunder , Cyd Schulte , J.D. Garfield , Vivian Nesbitt , Alex Gianopoulos , William Sterchi , Corey Moosa , John Lawlor , Kevin Wiggins , Tone Forrest , Jerome L. Williams Character(s) Thomas Blackburn , Anna Roland , James Hirsch , Patient 14 , Callie , Dr. Kessle , Raoul , Laura Henrik , Retired MK-Ultra Doctor , Olivia Kmiec , Renny Seegan , Henry Cale , Patient 11 , Elderly Doctor , Black Rock County Sheriff , MK-Ultra Survivor , Orderly Runtime 87 Minutes Main Genre Horror Expand
The Banshee Chapter might not be the most well known horror film, but what it lacks in notoriety it more than makes up for with some genius jump scares. Loosely based on the H.P. Lovecraft story From Beyond, the narrative centers on a reporter who investigates the disappearance of her old college friend after he goes missing investigating the C.I.A.’s MKUltra program. Before long, her curiosity is more than sated by the appearance of dangerous supernatural creatures somehow related to the secretive government project.
Even going in with the knowledge that
The Banshee Chapter
is a jump scare-heavy film, it would likely be difficult to keep from flinching the entire time.
Combining real-world controversy with dangerous fantastical elements, The Banshee Chapter gets full mileage out of its creative premise. The film is absolutely loaded with jump scares, all of which are creatively crafted and next to impossible to see coming. Even going in with the knowledge that The Banshee Chapter is a jump scare-heavy film, it would likely be difficult to keep from flinching the entire time.
6 Drag Me To Hell
The Movie Was Released In 2009
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8/10 Drag Me To Hell
Drag Me To Hell is a supernatural horror movie directed by Sam Raimi where loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is cursed by the elderly Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) after refusing to extend the lady’s mortgage. Christine must find a way to escape Lamia, the demon who tries to literally drag her to the depths of Hell.
Director Sam Raimi Release Date March 15, 2009 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures , Lionsgate Writers Sam Raimi , Ivan Raimi
As a horror director, the filmography of Sam Raimi is quite laden with jump scares, thanks in no small part to his iconic Evil Dead horror franchise. However, it’s 2009’s Drag Me To Hell that takes the cake for Raimi’s highest percentage of jump scares, wasting no time sending its viewers hurtling through the infernal planes of the underworld. The film centers on a woman who is cursed by a mysterious hag to be supernaturally tortured before being sent directly to hell itself, making for an unbelievable thrill ride.
While Drag Me To Hell is knowingly funny for the sheer absurdity of its direction at times, that doesn’t mean it’s incapable of being genuinely scary. Raimi is the master of the jump scare, and he relentlessly proves it with Drag Me To Hell‘s twisted imagery that lashes out with no warning. The grotesque hallucinations of the film’s Romani curse give Raimi full freedom to present some frightening, if laughably over-the-top scares.
5 Night House
The Movie Was Released In 2021
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8/10 9/10 The Night House R
Beth grapples with grief after her husband Owen’s suicide. Haunted by Owen’s cryptic note and eerie occurrences, she delves into a disturbing revelation about her past. As she uncovers Owen’s dark secrets, Beth confronts supernatural forces and confronts her own mortality. With her sanity at stake, Beth faces a perilous journey to unravel the truth behind Owen’s actions and confront the entity known as “Nothing.” In a battle between life and death, Beth must find the strength to defy the sinister forces threatening her existence.
Director David Bruckner Writers Ben Collins , Luke Piotrowski Runtime 108 minutes
A fascinating, overlooked horror story dripping with both atmosphere and jump scares, Night House is a master of two worlds, thriving in intellectualism and primal jump scares. The film focuses on a grieving widow whose husband unexpectedly commits suicide, leaving her only a cryptic note to remember her by. Before long, she finds that her husband died with some terrifying secrets, unearthing a deadly supernatural force in her investigations.
As creative as Night House gets with its paranormal entities and tense mysteries, it’s just as effective at plain jump scares to stir up fear. The couch scene and the sudden appearance of sprinting naked people from the woods both craft some powerful imagery that isn’t easily forgotten. Able to access intellectual stimulation and flight-or-flight responses, Night House is quite the well-rounded horror movie.
4 The Conjuring
The Movie Was Released In 2013
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9/10 9/10 The Conjuring R
Based on the real-life case files of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Conjuring chronicles the haunting of the Perron family after moving into a Rhode Island farmhouse. The film went on to kickstart the Conjuring franchise, a series of supernatural horror films.
Director James Wan Release Date July 19, 2013 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Chad Hayes , Carey W. Hayes Cast Joey King , Vera Farmiga , Lili Taylor , Patrick Wilson , Ron Livingston
On the whole, the Conjuring franchise relies quite heavily on jump scares, maintaining its broad horror appeal through the sheer brute force of its surprising sequences. The first film in particular leans quite heavily on startlingly spooky spectral sequences, kicking off a long line of jump scare-heavy stories. In their debut appearance, the ghost hunting exorcist power couple, Lorraine and Ed Warren, do battle with a possessing demon setting its sights on a young family.
The film uses quite a few fake-out jump scares to keep audiences on edge, with playful children or animals shattering nerves long before any actual demons show up. When they do, it’s mostly the movement of household objects and loud noises that make up the film’s wide variety of jump scares, though a few genuinely frightening ghostly encounters work their way into the mix as well. Even if The Conjuring might rely a little too heavily on jump scares, the sheer volume of them is impressive, if nothing else.
3 Smile
The Movie Was Released In 2022
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6/10 8/10 Smile R
A psychological horror film written and directed by newcomer Parker Finn, Smile is the story of a woman who, after witnessing a traumatic incident involving a patient, terrifying incidents keep occurring in her life. Sosie Bacon stars as Dr. Rose Cotter, the woman afflicted by these new realistic nightmares. The horrifying occurrences happen so frequently that Rose realizes she’ll have to confront past trauma to escape this new reality and survive the supernatural forces trying to kill her.
Director Parker Finn Release Date September 30, 2022 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Writers Parker Finn Cast Sosie Bacon , Jessie T. Usher , Kyle Gallner , Robin Weigert , Caitlin Stasey , Kal Penn , Rob Morgan Expand
Another example of supernatural psychological warfare from a demonic entity, 2022’s Smile leaves quite an unnerving impression. The movie follows a therapist who endures the shocking death of a patient, who commits suicide in front of her after claiming to be harassed by a mysterious paranormal being. It isn’t long before the protagonist is also besieged by the horrific curse, which takes the form of various smiling faces leading up to the victim’s demise.
Smile hits hard with some of the most terrifying jump scares ever put to screen, getting as much mileage out of its creative premise as possible. The fact that the entity can appear at any time with any person’s appearance means the viewer is never safe, and that tension is felt through every solitary second of the film following the inciting incident. The scare in which the hanging head of a mangled curse victim swivels its way into the view of a car window is an especially arresting beat.
2 Dead Silence
The Movie Was Released In 2007
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5/10 Dead Silence R
Dead Silence follows Jamie Ashen as he returns to his hometown to investigate his wife’s murder, connected to a ventriloquist dummy and the legend of Mary Shaw. His search leads him to Raven’s Fair, where the mysterious and eerie past of the town unravels.
Director James Wan Release Date March 16, 2007 Writers Leigh Whannell , James Wan Cast Ryan Kwanten , Amber Valletta , Donnie Wahlberg , Bob Gunton , Laura Regan , Michael Fairman , Joan Heney , Dmitry Chepovetsky , Judith Roberts , Steve Adams , Keir Gilchrist , Shelley Peterson , Steven Taylor , David Talbot , Enn Reitel , Julian Richings , Fred Tatasciore , Austin Majors Runtime 89 Minutes Expand
An early film from the mind of legendary horror director James Wan, Dead Silence is an underseen thriller laden with well-crafted jump scares. Exploring the horror movie potential of ventriloquist dummies, Dead Silence tells the tale of a resolute man looking for answers about his wife’s mysterious murder, which he was initially blamed for. He tracks clues to a mysterious figure in his hometown’s history, an old ventriloquist, whose ghost may be claiming the lives of the family who wronged her in revenge.
The ghost of the villain Mary Shaw is quite horrific when suddenly inflicted upon the viewer, as James Wan is wont to do as a horror director.
Dead Silence might have a bit of an impenetrable narrative, but that doesn’t mean it can’t use jump scares and terrifying imagery to its advantage. The ghost of the villain Mary Shaw is quite horrific when suddenly inflicted upon the viewer, as James Wan is wont to do as a horror director. It helps that the unnerving ventriloquist dummies surrounding her also make for good jump scare material, even if they are comedic at times.
1 The Haunting In Connecticut 2: Ghosts Of Georgia
The Movie Was Released In 2013
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The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia R Director Tom Elkins Release Date February 1, 2013 Writers David Coggeshall Cast Chad Michael Murray , Katee Sackhoff , Abigail Spencer , Cicely Tyson , Emily Alyn Lind , Andrea Frankle Runtime 100 minutes
If each horror movie has a certain number of jump scares housed within its final cut, it stands to reason that somewhere out there must be the horror movie with the single highest number of jump scares. That movie very well could be The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia, which tops the list on wheresthejump.com, a website dedicated to chronicling the art of the jump scare. At a whopping 32 jump scares, the spiritual successor follow-up to The Haunting in Connecticut is one of the most jump scare-rich films of all time.
The movie chronicles the supernatural experiences of a family who move into an old Georgia home, whose history as a stop on the underground railroad comes with some very real ghosts. Sadly, the movie also proves that jump scares are no indication of quality for a horror movie, relying on the cheap jarring nature of the technique over establishing genuine tension. Hopefully, one day a more worthy horror film as the reigning champ of jump scares in the future.