The All-Time Best Jump Scares in Horror Movies
Jump scares: they're the bane of some horror movie fans' existence — and for good reason. When used ineffectively, jump scares are nothing more than cheap jolts. They're no more impressive or memorable than that a quick jaunt through a decent haunted house. But when used appropriately, the jump scare can create some of the most startling scenes in horror movie history.
Good jump scares make some horror films unforgettable. Who can forget Jason Voorhees's magnificent debut in the original Friday the 13th? Or Dallas's unfortunate meet-up with the xenomorph in Alien? Or the utterly terrifying jump scare from The Exorcist III (you know the one). Â
If you love horror movie scenes that make you jump, this list of the best jump scares is sure to delight (and terrify).
- 11,774 VOTES
The Conjuring, Clap-Clap
- Photo:
The Conjuring uses a lot of jump scares and stings. This one, featured in the film's trailer, is solid because of its simplicity. No loud or jangling music cue, no explosives of any kind, just two hands appearing from the darkness and clapping.
- 21,550 VOTES
Insidious, The Face of Fire
- Photo:
This scene from Insidious feels a little like one of those "when you see it..." photos come to life. The only difference, of course, is that you don't have to search at all to see the creepy face looking over someone's shoulder, because it's RIGHT THERE! - 31,215 VOTES
Friday the 13th, Jason's Last Hurrah
- Photo:
Protagonist Alice (Adrienne King) just decapitated the crazy, vengeful mother (Betsy Palmer) who was out to kill promiscuous camp counselors, since a group of them had let her son Jason drown years ago. Now, Alice floats in the still-as-glass lake. The police arrive. The music on the soundtrack is serene and beautiful. The nightmare is over.
But no... the nightmare is just beginning! - 4850 VOTES
Halloween, He's Already in the House
- Photo:
The stab (pun intended) of John Carpenter's synth score is perhaps the highlight of this jump scare, where Michael Meyers (AKA The Shape) bursts out of a cabinet and stabs Bob with such force it pins him to the wall. An absolute classic. - 5913 VOTES
The Ring, Discovering Katie's Body
- Photo:
This jump scare's effectiveness comes by way of juxtaposition. In the scene, Rachel (Naomi Watts) speaks with her sister Ruth (Lindsay Frost) about the death of Ruth's daughter Katie (Amber Tamblyn). It's the day of the funeral, and as such, the women talk in low, grieving voices. There is no score in this scene, just the two women speaking to each other.
Then, in a flashback so quick you might miss it if you blink, we see Ruth opening her daughter's closet door, revealing Katie's corpse within. With a musical shriek on the soundtrack, this is a truly jarring moment in a scene that is otherwise calm and almost lulling.
- 6917 VOTES
Carrie, Back from the Grave
- Photo:
This jump scare features Carrie White's (Sissy Spacek's) hand shooting out from under the rocks piled atop her grave, and grabbing Sue (Amy Irving). It actually inspired the equally famous end scene stinger from Friday the 13th. Fun fact: that's actually Sissy Spacek's hand; she was so committed to her role, she insisted on performing the scene herself. - 7606 VOTES
The Exorcist III: Legion, Shrouded Shears-Wielder
- Photo:
Simply one of the best jump scares ever. The scene shows its hand early — the shot is so static, viewers just know something scary is about to happen...
Wait for it...
Wait for it...
BAM. - 8853 VOTES
The Descent, Night Vision Crawler
- Photo:
Long before the found-footage horror craze, The Descent made effective use of the POV night vision camera jump scare with this first glimpse of the film's monster, dubbed the Crawler. Unlike some stings that emerge from an otherwise quiet scene, this one jumps right into the panic fray and hits the acceleration button. - 9632 VOTES
Candyman, Medicine Cabinet Surprise
- Photo:
As part of the Candyman's (Tony Todd's) attempt to make Helen (Virginia Madsen) his victim, the ghostly, hook-handed, bee-chested baddie attacks his macabre paramour through an unconventional space: the medicine cabinet, which is awesome because it's the medicine cabinet, NOT the mirror. Again, completely unexpected, as you're definitely waiting for the cabinet to close and the mirror to attack her or something to be behind her.
Someone should cut this together with that scene where the children are being abducted in Hook. - 10684 VOTES
Alien, Dallas Meets the Xenomorph
- Photo:
A masterclass in suspense-building, this famous scene from Ridley Scott's Alien continues to jolt audiences to this day. It was particularly shocking to viewers in 1979, given Tom Skerritt's star-status at the time. Everyone expected him to come out the hero, but Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) was the real bad-ass of this film. - 111,007 VOTES
Mama, She's Mad
- Photo:
There are quite a few intensely creepy scenes in Mama, but this one takes the cake. The eerie, almost hypnotic flowing of the creature's hair, the unnatural length of her arms, and then her rapid movement toward the little girl all combine for one unnerving scare. - 12737 VOTES
The Thing, Chest Defibrillation
- Photo:
The juxtaposition of the commonplace (attempting to revive a man via chest defibrillation) and the grotesque (the man's chest spouting a jagged-toothed maw and chomping the doctor's arms off) is a match made in jump scare heaven. - 13657 VOTES
A Nightmare on Elm Street, Wake UP!
- Photo:
This jump scare appears at the end of the very first scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street, setting audiences up for an onslaught of jump scares in every scene. But writer/director Wes Craven steps back and takes his time developing the characters and plot, so that when the next shocking moment occurs, it resonates even further.
But this is just the first in the series of classic jump scares from this iconic series. It's also fun. Of any franchise, the Nightmare on Elm Street films have always been the most fun to watch. And this jump scare starts off the whole thing.
- 14612 VOTES
The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Contortion
- Photo:
There's a bit of a double whammy with this jump scare, because it starts out on an already unsettling note. The image of Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) contorted on the floor is chilling on its own, but when she pops open her mouth and moans, it's like an blizzard of creepy. - 15615 VOTES
REC, 360 Spin
- Photo:
Many jump scares operate under the basic premise that something unnatural or unsettling appears seemingly out of nowhere, and that's exactly how this one from REC plays out. A full 360-spin around a room reveals nothing out of the ordinary... until the camera makes it all the way back around. - 16558 VOTES
The Shining, Hallorann's Demise
- Photo:
One of the only jump scares in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is possibly the most frustrating for Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers). This guy traveled from Florida to Colorado by plane and drove through a deadly blizzard from Denver to the Overlook Hotel, all so he could help a little boy whose father went insane and whose life is in danger. And what does he get for all this effort? An axe blade straight to the heart. No good deeds go unpunished, right? - 17421 VOTES
Salem's Lot, Vampire in Your Face!
- Photo:
Tobe Hooper (of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame) adapted this TV mini-series from Stephen King's novel. It features cinema-quality scares, such as this iconic moment involving the lead vampire, Barlow. See also the scene featuring pint-sized blood-suckers floating outside a kid's window — supreme nightmare fodder. - 18546 VOTES
It Follows, Tall Man in the Doorway
- Photo:
The "it" in It Follows can pretty much appear at any time and in any form, so audiences watching the film are never quite prepared for the thing's arrival. While there are numerous unexpected appearances of the "it," this one from fairly early in the film is the real creep-tastic winner. - 19552 VOTES
The Exorcist, Pea Soup
- Photo:
This infamous scene from The Exorcist is not only a jump scare, it's a jump gross-out. The pea-soup spewing is even slightly telegraphed just before it happens: the green goop is all over Regan's (Linda Blair's) nightgown. - 20345 VOTES
Mulholland Dr., The Alley Behind the Restaurant
- Photo:
Some might argue Mulholland Dr. is not a horror film, but rather a psychological thriller. The short is answer is: it's both, and this jump scare from early in the film definitely contributes to the movie's genre line-straddling. It also proves, once again, that David Lynch is a master of unnerving imagery. - 21317 VOTES
The Rude Awakening, The Darkness
- Photo:
No horror movie is going to show a closeup of a girl sleeping without doing something with the scene and this jump scare from The Darkness is no different. If you're a young, hot girl who's pretty high up on the call sheet in a horror movie and there's a camera anywhere near you when you're sleeping, you probably should never open your eyes. Or run out of the room screaming. This also applies for real life.
