Top 10 Most Creative Movie Jump Scares

Top 10 Most Creative Jump Scares

These jump scares are so inventive, we’re almost more amazed than scared. Almost. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Most Creative Jump Scares.

For this list, we’ll be looking at horror movie jump scares than go beyond the normal routine of something jumping out and going ‘boo’ by cleverly subverting our expectations or using the craft of filmmaking in interesting and inventive ways. After all, jump scares don’t have to be cheap.

#10: The Demon Revealed

“Insidious” (2010)
Often, jump scares centered on a monster or baddie will involve them suddenly entering the shot, arriving with a start to menace the other characters. This entry goes a different route, though, by skipping the arrival. The scene begins as a simple conversation between homeowner Josh and paranormal investigator Elise. As the two converse, the camera cuts back and forth between shots of the two in an age-old technique called shot/reverse-shot. We cut to one, then the other, back and forth as they speak. But a wrench is suddenly thrown into the works when we cut back to Josh, and the demonic entity is now crouched right behind him. It’s simple, effective and comes right out of nowhere.

#9: From the Doorway

“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2” (1986)
A chainsaw-wielding maniac in a mask made out of human skin suddenly bursting from the shadows is never not gonna be startling. Thus that callback to Leatherface’s debut in the original “Texas Chainsaw” really ups the ante. The tension is already high when a radio station employee finds herself seemingly alone with Chop Top, one of Leatherface’s family. The two wind up on either side of a door opening onto a darkened room, when the lights suddenly come up to reveal Leatherface ready to do his thing. It’s the framing that makes this one special, with the villain suddenly appearing without so much as a cut or camera movement.

#8: The Hallway

“Shock” (1977)
This movie from horror legend Mario Bava follows a woman who becomes convinced that the ghost of her abusive husband is haunting her and their son. In one sequence, the son runs down a hallway to embrace his mother, only to suddenly transform into his departed father. The effect is done entirely in-camera, using a very simple filmmaking trick commonly called a Texas Switch. The technique involves one performer very briefly leaving the sight of the audience, only for another to pop up in their place. Usually this is used to replace a stunt man with an actor or vice-versa, but in Bava’s hands it becomes something else entirely.

#7: The Bus

“Cat People” (1942)
Sound is one of the most important tools in a filmmaker’s arsenal, and even the most simple sound effect can be used to create tension and suspense. Take this scene from a true horror classic, in which a woman is stalked on a deserted street. The sound of clacking footfalls seems to follow her, but then suddenly stops. Is she safe? Or still in danger? After a prolonged silence dripping with tension, a bus suddenly pulls up to the corner with a startling hiss, breaking the silence with a start that definitely left some audience members gasping. This is also one of, if not the, first jump scares in cinema history.

#6: The Mirror

“Repulsion” (1965)
Sometimes, you just gotta go the subtle route. In this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scare, protagonist Carol is seemingly alone in her sister’s apartment. She spends some time rifling through the closet before closing the mirrored closet door. As the door swings shut, the figure of a man can be seen for a split second behind Carol, silently watching her. It goes by so quickly that unless you can rewind the movie, you might doubt that you even saw it were it not for a sudden music cue. This is another entry that proves that sometimes the simplest techniques and visuals can be the most effective.

#5: Clap Clap

“The Conjuring” (2013)
James Wan’s first entry in the epic “Conjuring” franchise capitalized on the age-old fear of spooky basements with this clever jump scare, and it still creeps us out. After investigating noises down in the basement of her new home, Carolyn becomes trapped down there. A voice asks if she wants to play ‘hide and clap,’ a game her children play. Before poor Carolyn can answer, a pair of hands emerge from the darkness next to her head to deliver the scariest claps in movie history. As if a demonic presence suddenly appearing on top of a wardrobe wasn’t bad enough!

#4: Out of the Cabinet

“Candyman” (1992)
The title character of this horror classic has a tendency towards appearing behind people looking into mirrors, a pattern the film then brilliantly subverts with this incredible moment. Well aware that closing her bathroom cupboard may lead to a terrifying encounter, Helen takes a look behind her to make sure the coast is clear first. Everything looks normal, but before she can turn back to close the mirrored cupboard, danger comes her way. This is a perfect example of a jump scare that plays on the expectations of the audience, seemingly setting up a scare that will play out in one way before flipping the script and taking a different and unexpected angle instead.

#3: The Tall Man

“It Follows” (2014)
The problem with a lot of the bad kind of jump scares comes down to presentation. A jump scare on its own can be really good, but when you add too many extra elements like a sudden loud sound effect or musical note or a jarring camera movement, it can feel cheesy and overdone. That’s why simple scares like this one work so well. In this scene from the breakout horror hit, the sinister force following a young girl emerges from a dark room behind her friend in the form of a tall man. There’s no music, no sound effect, just the sudden, jarring image of the terrifying figure approaching. No frills, all chills!

#2: Chest Chomp

“The Thing” (1982)
These days, this brilliant scare from John Carpenter’s horror masterpiece is a sight almost every horror fan knows like the back of their hand. While attempting to use a defibrillator on a seemingly dead Norris, Dr. Cooper discovers far too late that Norris is one of the Things. Now cast your mind back to the heady years of 1982 and ask yourself, really ask yourself, would you have seen that coming? The effect is so well executed and so jarring in its sudden violence that we cannot imagine a first time viewer not leaping out of their seat.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Sudden Frisbee, “Us” (2019)
For a Scare on the Beach

Back from the Grave, “Carrie” (1976)
For One Last Fright

Jason Returns, “Friday the 13th” (1980)
For Starting a Legacy

The Boy in the Attic, “REC” (2007)
For 360 Degrees of Terror

Shark Outta Nowhere, “Deep Blue Sea” (1999)
Who Would’ve Expected That to Happen to Samuel L. Jackson?!

#1: The Shears

“The Exorcist III” (1990)
While often overlooked, the third entry in the “Exorcist” franchise is absolutely worth checking out, especially for this legendary scare. The scene takes place in a quiet hospital after dark, and plays out over just a few long shots. We see the staff going about their business, with barely a hint that anything is amiss. But just as the quiet and monotony of the scene has lulled audiences into letting their guard down…. It’s the meticulously slow buildup that earns this scene the number one spot, with the long lead-up building a sense of calm and routine before the sudden, shocking reveal. Sometimes, you can get the best results by just taking it slow and steady.