Ah, the dreaded “jump scare.” A staple of the horror genre almost since its inception, the jump scare mechanic is a simple and effective way of jolting an audience into staying engaged and in suspense of what’s around the corner. Throughout the history of horror, the jump scare has been done and redone a million times.
When a trope is used as much as the jump scare, it only makes sense that some of the most notable examples might have lost their effectiveness over the years. Whether it’s through the unfortunate consequence of being knocked off or spoiled or the gimmick just doesn’t work anymore, some jump scares still work today and others have more than lost their magic.
Worst: The Birds (1963) – Phone Booth Scene
Alfred Hitchcock largely remains the “Master of Suspense.” However, perhaps one of his most popular films, The Birds, has aged the worst. While still a fun and entertaining Mother Nature-strikes-back romp, with typically beautiful cinematography, the film simply isn’t scary or suspenseful in the slightest.
One could certainly envision the infamous “phonebooth sequence” garnering quite a reaction in 1963, especially at its apex, when Tippi Hedren opens the door to be slammed with a bird-from-nowhere attempting to get in. But the birds simply don’t look real, which renders the sequence, unfortunately, ineffective.
Best: Saw (2004) – Adam’s Apartment Abduction
No, Saw isn’t a masterpiece, but it is still a classic of the genre for its gritty and twist-heavy take on the crime horror subgenre. Though some of the film has certainly aged poorly, the most effective jump scare in the film still works spectacularly.
After the protagonist Adam wakes up in his apartment with all the power turned off, he uses the flash on his camera to see his way around. Of course, he eventually comes face to face with the nightmarish pig-faced intruder. The way director James Wan utilizes the power of the build-up to achieve maximum tension before the actual scare is the reason it still shocks every time.
Worst: Halloween (1978) – Who’s In The Closet?
There are numerous jump scares throughout John Carpenter’s original slasher masterpiece, and in the larger context, many of them are smart and scary in theory. Unfortunately, time has brought an infinite amount of copycats that have rendered much of the original’s jump scare value moot.
The greatest victim is the scene where Bob, the dumb boyfriend, is surprised by Michael Myers as he jumps out of a closet/pantry. To a modern viewer, the set-up is too transparent, therefore the scare is predictable. Though the film’s atmosphere can never be diluted, the same cannot be said for the bulk of the film’s scares.
Best: Candyman (1992) – Medicine Cabinet Visitor
Candyman derives most of its power and horror from three primary elements — Tony Todd’s diabolical villain, an eerie atmosphere throughout, and finally, a subversion of typical slasher tropes. One such example of the film toying with expectations comes with a bait-and-switch jump scare midway through the film.
When Helen Lyle returns home from her first encounter with the titular villain, she looks at herself in the mirror. Just when the audience expects a jump scare, it doesn’t come. Only after she opens the medicine cabinet does the scare come in the form of a grisly hook bursting through the wall.
Worst: Friday The 13th (1980) – The Final ‘Gotcha’
In general, Friday the 13th has aged fairly poorly. Never known for being very scary, just campy and gory fun, the series has since dwindled into utter nonsense. That being said, one does get the sensation that the final jump scare is genuinely designed to shock and surprise.
In 1980, the ‘gotcha’ likely was successful in giving audiences one last rush before the credits. However, in 2020 the filming of the scare in slow motion, mixed with the immediate revelation that it was likely a dream, entirely neuters its effect.
Best: The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005) – Dorm Room Scare
Most people have forgotten The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Released in the midst of an influx of possession and demonic entity related films, the film was generally received warmly by audiences and critics, though not enough to cement its place in pop culture as a horror classic.
However, the film contains one of horror cinema’s quietest and scariest jump scare/jump cuts ever. After a male companion wakes up in the middle of the night to see that Emily is not in bed, the camera cuts quickly to a shot of her contorted on the floor, staring blankly into the boy’s eyes. It is spine-tingling every single time.
Worst: The House On Haunted Hill (1959) – Hideous Old Woman
Camp wizard William Castle made what just might be his best film in 1959 when he once again teamed up with Vincent Price for House on Haunted Hill, a genuine masterpiece of campy horror.
Perhaps one of the film’s funniest or creepiest moments, depending on your age, is the jump scare that occurs when a woman bends down to look at something and when she returns upright, she is confronted with this gnarled old woman who glides off as though on air. Terrifying for kids, hysterical for everyone else.
Best: Audition (1999) – What’s In The Bag?
Takashi Miike’s freakshow, Audition remains the prolific auteur’s most known project and for good reason. The film itself is a bit of a trick that lures the viewer into a relationship drama/meditation on grief, only to flip it as the film becomes an all-out extreme horror flick.
One of the most disturbing moments in the film comes when the film crosscuts our protagonist attempting to contact his new girlfriend, the villain. As she ignores his calls, the audience sees a large brown bag in the background. Tension rises until the bag suddenly lurches forward and starts rolling around. It is beyond unsettling stuff and a great scare.
Worst: Paranormal Activity (2009) – Throw Scare
There was a time when the Paranormal Activity series was the hottest Halloween commodity on the horror film market. The series became notable for its extremely low budgets and extremely profitable returns. For a certain group of filmgoers, the films, especially the first one, were truly frightening and vessels for a unique mythology that evolved. However, for everyone else, they were nothing more than cheap jump scare compilations.
The main offender of the original title is the ending, where the possessed woman owner of the house attacks the male owner offscreen before chucking his body at the camera. Many felt that it was lame then, and it is now.
Best: Wait Until Dark (1967) – The Literal Jump Scare
Terence Young’s thriller is one of the best examples in film history of how to maintain constant dread and suspense, thanks, in part, to a spectacular performance from Audrey Hepburn as a blind woman who becomes the target for a group of malicious thieves.
The film’s climax can still make palms sweat and the film’s infamous jump scare that has Alan Arkin’s thief literally jumping out of the darkness towards Hepburn is still masterfully executed and one of, if not, the best of all time.
