Horror heads often scoff at jump scares. The technique can feel too easy: slap a loud sound effect on an unexpected thing in the dark and anyone will gasp. It’s glorified peek-a-boo. But a great jump scare is undeniable. Done with taste, originality, and skill, the jump can deliver a scare that will linger with an audience for years.
Almost every horror film has a jump scare; it’s in the Constitution. But which horror films use the tool most effectively? These are movies that lean on jump scares, but not as a crutch: they simply work every time. Here are the fifteen best jump scare movies of all time.
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Best Jump Scare Movies
15. Scream 2 (1997)
One of the most underrated horror movies of all time, Scream 2 is often overshadowed by its previous entry.
Scream 2 scene · Best jump scare movies
While Wes Craven’s Scream admittedly is a better film, Scream 2 ups the stakes and the scares. The result is a movie crammed with jump scares, and though some are hokey, most are sure to give you a fright.
Best Jump Scare Movies
Conclusion
Scream 2 is a solid horror sequel. It’s often hilarious, but don’t let its sense of humor fool you — there are some great scares throughout.
Scariest Jump Scare Movies
14. The Exorcist III (1990)
Unlike most of the titles on this list, The Exorcist III does not have that many jump scares. But what lands it here is that it has one of the best jump scares ever. The nurse beheading scene in Exorcist III is unique as a jump scare because it doesn’t lose its punch after multiple viewings.
The Exorcist III scene · Best jump scare movies
For most jumps, once the surprise is gone, so is the majority of the terror. Not so for Exorcist III, which so expertly builds up an uneasy sense of dread over the course of five minutes that the jump almost feels like a cherry on top.
Best Jump Scare Movies
Conclusion
The Exorcist III boasts the greatest jump scare of all time. But don’t get us wrong, the rest of the movie is great, too.
Best Jump Scare Movies
13. Gremlins (1984)
It feels strange to put Gremlins, one of the best Christmas-horror movies, on a list of best jump scare movies because there are so many other iconic characteristics to the film. And yet, the jump scares Gremlins deploys are all effective, scary, and, interestingly, funny.
Gremlins jump scene • Best jump scare movies
The jumps in Gremlins are similar to the movie as a whole, which is genuinely unnerving while also being hilarious. These are scares that will make you gasp and then laugh. Sounds fun, right?
Scary Movies With Jump Scares
Conclusion
It’s a testament to Gremlins’ quality that its high-octane jump scares aren’t the most memorable aspect of the movie.
Scariest Jump Scare Movies
12. Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
Unlike Gremlins, Ouija: Origin of Evil does not have many redeeming qualities beyond its jump scares. But those moments are far scarier.
A jump scare in the cut • Best jump scare movies
Horror auteur Mike Flanagan knows how to terrify his audience (if we’ve learned anything from Haunting of Hill House). And this skill is on full display in Ouija. If you’re one of those sickos who likes to mess with Ouija boards, this movie will quickly shake you out of that bad habit.
Best Jump Scare Movies
Conclusion
Ouija: Origins of Evil is not necessarily going to crack BFI’s top 100 anytime soon, but there’s no denying its scares.
Best Jump Scare Movies
11. The Evil Dead (1981)
As this list will demonstrate, Sam Raimi is king of the jump scare. The world first learned this with Raimi’s absolutely nuts Evil Dead. Evil Dead holds nothing back, a cornucopia from a young director bursting with ideas.
Now that’s how you introduce an evil entity • Best jump scare movies
These ideas often take the form of jump scares, which get crazier and crazier as the film chugs on. If you’re bored with the conventional jump, look no further than Evil Dead to revitalize the technique.
Scary Movies With Jump Scares
Conclusion
Sam Raimi’s breakout cult classic should not be missed. Oh, and its scares are great too.
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Scariest Jump Scare Movies
10. Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Annabelle: Creation had an unfair scare advantage going into production, and that is Annabelle herself, the world’s most upsetting doll.
But the film doesn’t rest on Annabelle’s laurels; instead, it delivers finely crafted jump scare after finely crafted jump scare. By the time the credits roll, the movie has tortured the viewer with over twenty jumps.
Every jump in Annabelle • Best jump scare movies
There’s certainly a few lazy scares interspersed, but all in all, this is a film that will keep you yelping, “Be gone with ye, Annabelle!”
Best Jump Scare Movies
Conclusion
Annabelle: Creation is by no means a perfect film, but director David F. Sandberg knows how to concoct a jump scare. Even the most hardened horror buff is likely to flinch.
Scary Jump Scare Movies
9. Insidious (2010)
Before James Wan built one of the most successful horror franchises of all time with The Conjuring, he scared the Holy Trinity out of us with Insidious. Wan’s roaming, omniscient camera lends itself perfectly to jump scares, and Insidious is a testament to that.
The best scare in Insidious • Best jump scare movies
The scene above provides a blueprint for why Insidious jumps are so good. They’re patient, character-based, unexpected, and punctuated with terrifying monsters. The “face of fire” is one of Wan’s greatest creations — a wide-eyed demon whose grin is instantly imprinted on our brains.
Scary Movies With Jump Scares
Conclusion
James Wan departed from his gory roots of Saw with Insidious, a horror film filled with jump scares that just get scarier and scarier.
Scary Jump Scare Movies
8. Drag Me to Hell (2009)
By 2009, Sam Raimi was one of the most successful filmmakers of the 21st century, having overseen the advent of superhero blockbusters with Spider-Man. By Spider-Man 3, it was clear Raimi was restless with the superhero genre in which he found himself pigeon-holed.
Enter Drag Me to Hell, Raimi’s return to his horror-camp beginnings. And what a return it is.
Wait for it... • Best jump scare movies
Raimi holds nothing back in the film, which operates at full-tilt from start to finish. There’s a lot of scares, so many that the 23 jumps don’t make up the majority of them. But that doesn’t mean the jump scares don’t leave an impact. When Raimi makes a scare, he’ll make it memorable.
Best Jump Scare Movies
Conclusion
Drag Me to Hell is as over-the-top as its title might suggest. This is a good thing.
Jump Scare Horror Movies
7. The Conjuring 2 (2016)
The Conjuring 2 introduces its main setting, England, with the Clash’s “London Calling” playing over various shots of Big Ben and the Queen’s Guard. This is the amount of subtlety this film is working with, and it’s all the better for it.
Make it stop, James! • Best jump scare movies
Conjuring 2 takes all of the elements of its predecessor and pushes them to their furthest extremes. Bigger scares, larger families, heightened stakes, sweeter Patrick Wilsons.
We’re also introduced to perhaps the Conjuring universe’s most horrifying entity: the nun. Listen, we all know that nuns are scary, but James Wan’s Sister is so terrifying it should be illegal.
Best Jump Scare Movies
Conclusion
The Conjuring 2 doesn’t surpass its predecessor in quality, but it racks up the jump scares (almost twice as many) and their terror. It’s a must-watch for anyone who wants to wet themselves while watching.
Jump Scare Horror Movies
6. It (2017)
Speaking of horrifying entities, 2017’s It remake brought Pennywise into the 21st century. Thanks a lot, guys.
The jumps of It • Best jump scare movies
The depraved clown is on full display in It, and his design is so well done that any time he shows up could be constituted as a jump scare. It smartly introduces Pennywise early: in every scene that follows, we’re on the edge of our seats, waiting for, dreading, that awful grin.
Top Jump Scare Movies
Conclusion
It is undeniably terrifying, placing its poor child protagonists in an amusement park of horrors. The only thing more dreadful is the quality of its sequel.
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Horror Movies With Jump Scares
5. Candyman (1992)
You might have noticed that this list has a recency bias. This is because today’s horror films often pack far more jump scares into their runtime than most horrors of the 20th century (another reason that jumps are often maligned). Candyman, however, provides an exception.
Why?? Why say Candyman again? • Best jump scare movies
Candyman is refreshingly original, shifting horror from the suburbs, where it was stuck for most of the ‘80s, and into the city. This allows for a more diverse cast of characters to be terrorized by jump scares. And terrorized they are: each jump in Candyman is shocking and terrifying.
Candyman widened the scope of the horror genre, and also upped the amount of jumps filmmakers believed they could fit into their features.
Jump Scare Horror Movies
Conclusion
Before you watch the remake, check out the original Candyman, a scary and groundbreaking horror film that’s gripping throughout.
Top Jump Scare Movies
4. The Descent (2005)
Out of any of the films on this list, The Descent has perhaps the most dread-inducing conceit. Going into a cave is scary enough. Getting lost in it? No thanks. Finding subterranean carnivorous humanoids infesting it? Pass.
Spelunking, anyone? • Best jump scare movies
The Descent uses its terrifying setting to its advantage, crafting some of the most horrific jump scares in cinema history within its caverns’ walls.
The film smartly combines its conventional coverage with found-footage, which obscures the creatures hiding in the crevices even more. Fear the unknown; stop spelunking.
Horror Movies With Jump Scares
Conclusion
The Descent provides thrill after thrill, gradually becoming one of the scariest movies of all time by its conclusion.
Good Jump Scare Movies
3. Evil Dead 2 (1987)
Remember when I mentioned Sam Raimi’s horror-camp beginnings? Evil Dead 2 is the writer-director’s horror-camp masterpiece, filled to the brim with set pieces that, at their most tame, are completely deranged.
Evil Dead: A head above the competition • Best jump scare movies
Good Jump Scare Movies
Conclusion
Evil Dead 2 is one of the greatest horror films of all time: it’s a thrill ride that never lets up.
Best Jump Scare Movies
2. Lights Out (2016)
Evil Dead 2 is a better film than Lights Out. But, for my money, Lights Out is one of the scariest movies ever made.
The film is based on a short film which made waves on the festival circuit for having a few incredible jump scares in a 2 minute runtime. Director David F. Sandberg took his short film and flushed out the concept — a figure which only appears in the dark — into a feature-length house of horrors.
The original Lights Out short film • Best jump scare movies
The nature of the monster in Lights Out is a recipe for great jump scares, and Sandberg delivers. Lights Out is one of the only films on this list which almost solely relies on jump scares, and they are so immaculately conceived that they don’t get old or predictable. They’re ungodly every single time.
Good Jump Scare Movies
Conclusion
Lights Out is so thoroughly terrifying it feels irresponsible to recommend. But here we are. It’s one of the best jump scare horror movies ever.
Best Jump Scare Films
1. The Conjuring (2013)
With The Conjuring, James Wan secured his spot as the 2010’s king of horror. The Conjuring doesn’t reinvent the wheel — at its core, it’s a haunted house story. It perfects the wheel.
It’s not a film as packed with jumps as other films on this list (that award goes to Evil Dead 2, Conjuring 2, and Lights Out), but each jump scare it does deploy is masterfully executed.
Stop investigating dark houses! • Best jump scare movies
Wan’s superpower is patience. His gliding camera takes its time, forcing the audience to squirm, anticipating what’s coming.
And what comes, each time, is terrifying.
The Conjuring is populated with characters we care about, and so we’re unable to distance ourselves from each scare. We’re right by these characters’ sides as they face the horrible unknown. The Conjuring is a great story well-told. The jump scares are simply part of the telling.
Horror Movies With Jump Scares
Conclusion
The Conjuring uses jump scares in a way that is indispensable. It’s a fantastic kickoff to a massive franchise that continues to scare audiences almost a decade later. It’s the best of jump scare films.
Up Next
Best Horror Movies Ever
After going through this list of the best jump scare movies, you might be jumped-out. To save your poor heart, check out some less jump-scare-heavy horror films that are sure to terrify you, though maybe in a different way.
We ranked our favorite horror films by our favorite horror directors. Check out our Top 100 picks...with the lights out, of course.
Up Next: Greatest Horror Movies →
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