Jump scares have gotten a bad reputation. They’ve been a staple of horror movies since the dawn of the genre, but it was right around the James Wan era of horror in the 2010s that jump scares were reduced to a simple formula: everything suddenly goes quiet, a character stares in anticipation, then a bang! or other loud sound effect. Wan used the technique effectively in films like Insidious and The Conjuring, but lesser directors began mimicking the approach and it turned into a kind of plague on horror movies. It works on a basic level—you jump—but your reaction is often followed by the realization that the scare was cheap and unearned.The best jump scares require more thought. A director might use sleight of hand to draw your attention in one direction while the scare comes from another. A scene may lull you into thinking the danger has passed, only to catch you during one of the movie’s “safe” moments. The timing, camerawork, editing and sound all have to be carefully designed. And of course, the climactic visual must leave a permanent scar on your mind.That’s what separates a great jump scare from a cheap one. You jump, but you’re also impressed by how the movie got you.Keep scrolling for our ranking of the 10 most terrifying jump scares of all time (they’re not all from horror movies!), along with video clips of each scene.Related: 5 Classic Horror Movies That Are Still Shocking Today
Best Jump Scares of All Time
10. Oddity (2024): Dani’s Murder
Damian McCarthy is one of the more skillful horror directors to emerge in recent years. His greatest strength is the way he crafts jump scares. This scene from 2024’s Oddity might be his finest one yet. Its only flaw is that it’s not entirely believable that Dani needed to enter the tent, but the scare is otherwise masterful.
9. Poltergeist (1982): Fun With Chairs
The oldest jump scare on our list comes from the 1982 classic Poltergeist. This is a sleight-of-hand style jump scare, where clever camera movement leaves you unprepared for the surprise. Many filmmakers have taken inspiration from the scene, including M. Night Shyamalan, who uses similar misdirection in The Sixth Sense.Related: Scream With Laughter at the 30 Funniest (And Scariest!) Horror Comedy Movies
8. Paranormal Activity 2 (2010): The Kitchen Scene
Speaking of kitchen scenes, nobody saw this one coming in the first sequel to Paranormal Activity. Up until this moment in the franchise, the scary stuff always happened at night, which trained the audience to feel at ease during the daytime scenes. That sense of ease officially ended here.
7. Insidious (2010): Darth Maul Face
James Wan might be to blame for popularizing the “quiet, quiet, bang” style of jump scares that plagued the 2010s, but the Insidious and The Conjuring franchises have some excellent scares. This one from the first Insidious might have left the greatest impression. Audiences couldn’t help but notice the demon’s resemblance to a certain Star Wars villain.Related: The Best (And Worst!) Classic Horror Movie Remakes of All Time
6. Paranormal Activity (2009): Night #13
In 2009, Paranormal Activity became the most profitable film ever made at the time. Some called it brilliant for its restraint and slow build-up. Others found it boring. For those who were properly scared by the movie, Night #13 stands out as arguably the most jolting moment in the franchise. It’s when many of us realized we weren’t going to sleep tonight.
5. Signs (2002): Birthday Party
It’s hard to say why this scene scared so many of us back in 2002. This was before M. Night Shyamalan’s downward trajectory as a filmmaker (a fall he’s since somewhat recovered from), when he was being compared to Alfred Hitchcock and hailed as “the next Spielberg.” Signs hinted at some of Shyamalan’s weaknesses—things that would become a serious problem in his later work—but it’s a remarkable film nonetheless. The birthday party scene is easily the most memorable. Though it doesn’t hit as hard today, it ranks at No. 5 if only because we all clearly remember being shocked by it at the time.Related: The 38 Best End-of-the-World Movies
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001): Bilbo Just Wants To Hold the Ring Again
No. 4 is our first jump scare from a non-horror movie. It was a surprise punch because The Fellowship of the Ring was not marketed to scare people, and many of us were just children when we saw it. Bilbo’s big, tortured eyes will never leave us.
3. Mulholland Drive (2001): The Man Behind the Diner
Most great jump scares work because they surprise you. But there’s a rarer kind: one that tells you exactly what’s going to happen before it happens, and the resulting dread makes you tense and prone to shock. Mulholland Drive is not a horror movie by convention, but it temporarily becomes one here.Related: The 23 Best Demonic Possession Movies of All Time
2. The Ring (2002): ‘I Saw Her Face’
If one “cheap” jump scare was going to make our list, it’s this scene from the 2002 American remake of The Ring. Movies are often designed like rollercoasters. There are moments of rising emotion, followed by lulls. In horror, the lulls are considered “safe” moments. This jump scare hits you when you think you’re safe. It’s mean. And it’s awesome.
1. The Exorcist III (1990): When’s It Coming, When’s It Coming?
The hospital scene from The Exorcist III is widely considered the most effective jump scare of all time. The sequence, which runs for over four minutes, keeps you guessing at the real surprise. It’s so well designed that even people who’ve seen it before often forget when the punch lands.Related: Have a Spooky Night in With the 50 Best Halloween Movies of All Time
Honorable Mentions
Here are a few jump scares that didn’t crack our top 10 but certainly left some scars.
The Thing (1982): The Blood Test
Hell House LLC (2015): Hiding Under the Covers (4:57 in Video Below)
The Grudge (2004): Surveillance Tape
Jaws (1975): Ben Gardner’s Face
Related: Conjure Up the 30 Best Witch Movies Ever!
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