Horrormovies come in all shapes and sizes. There’s psychological horror,so-called “elevated” horror, creature features, zombie features, ghost stories - you get the point. While some movies rely on atmosphere and tone to create that creeping feeling of dread, other movies utilizejump scaresto keep the audience on the edge of their seats. What constitutes a jump scare? Any time there’s an abrupt, hard cut and a LOUD, JARRING noise meant to startle the audience - that’s a jump scare. Sometimes it can be cheap (like the “jumping cat out of nowhere” cliché, or relying on non-diegetic music cues to startle the audience), but if used properly by a director who knows what they’re doing, jump scares can be wildly effective (like the birthday party scene inSigns- you know the one).
People enjoy watching these kinds of movies because they want to jump out of their skin. To feel that intense dread and racketing tension is like a 90-minute buzz of adrenaline. A lot of times, movies are lambasted for their use of excessive jump scares. And while some do rely too much on the “cheap” type of jump scare, there are plenty of quality movies that don’t. If you’re looking for a good film that doesn’t go easy in the terror department, here are a few horror movies that are basically all jump scares (according to statistics gathered byWheresTheJump.com).
Updated on November 10th, 2023, by Scoot Allan:This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
15The Exorcist 3 (1990)
Exorcist 3
The Exorcist 3is arguably a much better sequelto the original film thanThe Heretic; it has a better story and a more straightforward script. The mystery of the Gemini Killer has an excellent pacing, and the transitions between the killer and the man hosting his soul are incredible.
How Many Jump Scares Does It Have?
The movie relies heavily on a jump scare in its most poignant scene. A nurse making her rounds is seen exploring her patients' rooms after hearing strange noises. She finds nothing and even briefly talks with a security guard when a hooded figure holding a cutting tool suddenly scares the bejeezus out of her. While it’s not known for quantity necessarily, it’s an important jump scare in horror movie history.
Dead Silence
Making a film about creepy puppets doesn’t call for jump scares. These demonic-looking dolls can do the job by themselves. However, James Wan wouldn’t let the audience off the hook so easily. InDead Silence,a man named Jamie returns to his hometown of Ravens Fair after his wife dies unexpectedly, with him waiting to unravel the mastery of her passing.
Jamie would discover the legend of Mary Shaw,a ventriloquist who was murdered in the town, but whose looming presence is still felt in the form of numerous creepy dolls who seem to have a life of their own. The film will have you jumping out of your set at least 15 times, with the ones shown in the first half being the most effective and unpredictable.
13Ghost Stories (2017)
Ghost Stories,ananthology-style horror moviefrom directors Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, follows Phillip Goodman, a professor who specializes in debunking psychics and instances of supernatural phenomena. He’s given three cases to investigate, and as you might expect, things get weird.
Ghost Storiesoriginally started as a stage play; Dyson and Nyman utilized a wide range of old-school tricks to get the audience jumping out of their seats in person and wisely brought that old-school feel to their film adaptation, packing in 21 jump scares. It’s a wonderful throwback to the horror films of yesteryear, featuring a genuinely unnerving atmosphere coupled with a gentle through-line of humor, all told with a sly and knowing wink.
12The Conjuring 2 (2016)
The Conjuring 2
Ed and Lorraine Warren returned after the events ofThe Conjuringto help another family deal with a potential haunting. The sequel adapted the controversial story of the “Enfield poltergeist,” which featured more than one spectral presence that terrorized a new family in England.The Conjuring 2introduced the demonic threat of Valak that would later appear inThe Nunfranchise.
James Wan’sThe Conjuring 2contains more jump scares than any film in theconnectedConjuringuniverse, coming in at 22 jolts throughout its 135-minute running time. Wan’s films have been criticized by some who find issues with his over-reliance on jarring jump scares, but the seasoned horror director knows how to use them. Wan rackets up the tension to unbelievable heights before finally hitting the audience with a perfectly timed shock of horror. Jump scares don’t come better than this.
11The Grudge (2004)
The 20 Best Jump Scares in Horror History
While it may be a classic but overused horror trope, these films expertly utilize the jump scare in a way that continues to resonate with audiences.
The Grudge, the American remake of the incredibly popular (and terrifying)Japanese filmJu-On, stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as a nurse living in Tokyo, who is exposed to “the grudge,” a supernatural curse that is born when someone dies in a state of extreme rage or sorrow. The curse claims and eventually kills its victims before moving on to the next unfortunate soul.
Director Takashi Simizu manages to recapture the dread-soaked atmosphere and creepy imagery that made his Japanese original so popular. But Simizu also leans more heavily into the shock-inducing jump scares; the American remake has 23 jump scares, as opposed to the 15 found in his more atmospheric original. It’s not a perfect movie, and the original may edge it out ever so slightly, butThe Grudgeis an early-2000s horror classic that will have you clutching your chest throughout its 90-minute runtime.
10Scream 3 (2000)
Many people blameScream 3as the film that derailed the franchise for its extremely meta-commentary and lack of plotline. After the events of the first two movies, a third film in the “Stab” saga is being shot based on the circumstances ofScream 2. However, things get out of control when a masked copycat killer begins killing all cast members to attempt to get to Sydney Prescott.
If the story sounds convoluted, it is because it is. It’s pretty challenging to think Wes Cravenwrote and directed this moviesince it felt like it dwindled the original premise he created with the first entry in the saga. The director went overboard with the number of jump scares for this one, with 23 taking place in a runtime of two hours.
9It: Chapter One (2017)
Andy Muschietti’s adaptation ofStephen King’s seminal novelfollows a group of bullied teens who band together to kill a terrifying shape-shifting clown known as Pennywise, played by the incredibly unnerving Bill Skårsgard. The film features a handful of truly nightmarish sequences that linger long after the credits roll.
At 23 jump scares,It: Chapter Onereally packs them in. But given the film’s two-hour-and-fifteen-minute runtime, the jolts don’t feel nearly as excessive as that number may suggest. Funny enough, the follow-up -Chapter Two -features an equal amount of jump scares, but given the film’s close to three-hour running time, the scares don’t feel nearly as abundant.
8Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Drag Me To Hell
After directing three Spider-Man films back-to-back, Sam Raimi took a break from the big-budget Hollywood action movies and returned to his horror roots with the uproarious and terrifyingDrag Me to Hell. The movie stars Alison Lohman as Christine Brown, a loan officer who evicts an old woman (who happens to be an ancient witch) from her home, and becomes the victim of a relentless, supernatural curse.
If you’re a fan of the director’s mix of over-the-top humor and gross-out horror, you will find a lot to love inDrag Me to Hell. While the film has its detractors for its overuse of LOUD jump scares (of which it has 23), Raimi uses these jolts of terror to create a consistent atmosphere of high-strung tension and dread, placing you directly into the character’s shoes to great effect.
7Insidious (2004)
Insidiousfollows a family trying to rescue their comatose son from a supernatural realm known as “The Further.” UnlikeThe NunorThe Curse of La Llorona, Wan knows when to lean into the trusted jump scare, and when to play it cool, resulting in a movie that feels very much like atwisted ride through a haunted house. His masterful control of mood and atmosphere is why James Wan is one of the most successful horror directors working today.
Insidioussqueezes 24 total jump scares in its economic runtime. The imagery in this film is truly the stuff of nightmares, and James Wan manages to pull off not just one, buttwojump scares that will go down as some of the best in horror movie history.
6The Beyond (1981)
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NotoriousItalian horror director Lucio Fulcigave the world one of his best films with the release ofThe Beyondin 1981, a film that was viewed generally unfavorably upon its initial release but has developed a passionate and devout cult following in the years since. The Louisiana-set gothic horror movie follows Liza, a young woman who inherits an old hotel which may or may not be a literal gateway to hell.
The film is a surreal,Giallo-inspired descent into madness that is not for the faint of heart. Not only does Fulci create a masterful atmosphere of uneasiness, he doesn’t skimp on the jump scares, either. The 87-minute film has a total of 27 scares, meaning you’re in for a jump every three minutes. If you have a weak ticker, you may want to stay away from this one.
