I think it’s common knowledge that I adore horror films. It’s definitely my favourite film genre. The adrenaline rush I get is something that can’t be rivalled, and that particularly happens with jump scares.
Jump scares are a technique used in media to illicit a fright, such as with an abrupt scare through changes in imagery or sound. Today I want to share ten of my favourites with you all. Let’s get to it!
REC
This film seems like one big jump scare but the standout to me is the sudden fall from a staircase. The sound design for this particular scene is incredible.
Paranormal Activity 2
The kitchen scene terrifies me every time I watch this film. The fact it happens during the day makes this jump scare even more successful.
Jaws
The scene when Gardner’s corpse is discovered is genuinely terrifying. The fact that Spielberg spent so much time perfecting this jump scare is incredible.
Smile
I was miserable the entire time I was watching this film, for all of the right reasons. The scene where she’s listening to an audio recording on her laptop only for the scare to come from behind was horrible to watch in the cinema.
Insidious
When I saw the demon behind Josh for the first time, I genuinely yelped. It was so unexpected.
Sinister
This film has so many jump scares but the one that always stands out to me is the lawnmower scene. I really like the sound design in that scene as it really adds to the effectiveness of the scare.
The Haunting of Hill House
The Haunting of Hill House is one of my favourite tv shows of all time and there is a brilliant jump scare involving a sudden shout and scare in a car. I also yelped when I first saw this scene.
The Descent
The Descent is one of the best horror films post 2000. Like Smile, I was miserable watching this film due to the overwhelming sense of claustrophobia. The scene when we are introduced to the crawlers the first time is so scary.
The Conjuring
The clapping scene in the Conjuring is such a simple jump scare but I think it’s so effective. It basically makes a simple thing like clapping so frightening.
And that’s it! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to read this post and I will see you soon for another one!
Beth
Beth Olivia 