Top 22 Scariest Jump Scares of Each Year (2000 - 2021)
2000: Madison’s Ghost
“What Lies Beneath”
A haunted house movie of sorts from Robert Zemeckis, “What Lies Beneath” stars Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer as Norman and Claire, a married couple with a strained relationship. Near the end of the film, Norman drugs Claire and attempts to stage her death in the bathtub. But it’s then that Norman notices a necklace belonging to Madison, a woman he killed to cover up their affair. Just as he inspects the necklace, Claire’s face transforms into the decaying face of Madison, and it’s accompanied by that typical jump scare shriek. It’s an effective sequence, blending a disturbing visual with an uncomfortable noise. Harrison Ford speaks for us all when he screams and pinwheels back in shock.
2001: The Ring Takes Bilbo
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“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”
This is the face that has permanently traumatized millions of people around the world. While in Rivendell, the elderly Bilbo catches a glimpse of the One Ring around Frodo’s neck. Unable to resist the temptation, Bilbo reaches for it and his face briefly morphs into that of a grotesque creature. Accompanying the nightmarish face is an inhuman growl, almost as if the ring is turning Bilbo into a Gollum-like monster. The lunge comes out of nowhere, and the combination of visuals, sound, and music makes for a compelling jump scare. Who knew “The Lord of the Rings” would have the most effective jump scare of 2001? Heck, maybe the most effective jump scare ever.
2002: Her Face
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“The Ring”
A remake of the Japanese original, “The Ring” made a huge impression on moviegoers in 2002, earning strong reviews and grossing nearly $250 million. Its success can largely be attributed to its oppressive atmosphere, not to mention its effective scares. During the funeral of Katie Embry, Katie’s mother tells Rachel that she found her daughter’s body. The film then smash-cuts to the mother’s perspective, opening the closet door and discovering the horrifically deformed Katie. It’s a terrific bit of editing and sound design. It works with contrast, going from beautiful mother to disfigured daughter and the pin-drop silence of the kitchen to the bone-chilling shriek. The contrast effectively creates one of the best jump scares of the century.
2003: Leatherface Pounces
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“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
This remake of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” recreates the iconic final chase of the original, with Leatherface pursuing Erin through the woods. She eventually comes across a slaughterhouse and runs inside, barring the gates behind her. Unfortunately, she’s cornered by an impenetrable door, and it’s here that Leatherface pounces. He comes out of nowhere and with no warning whatsoever, and his presence is accompanied by a shrieking jump scare noise. It’s a perfect example of the remake’s style. Whereas the original film favors silence and atmosphere, the remake emphasizes loud noises and sudden jump scares. Both are equally effective.
2004: Kayako in the Attic (KYE-AH-koh / KYA-koh)
“The Grudge”
By 2004, America was in the midst of a J-horror craze. Following the wild success of “The Ring,” it was “The Grudge’s” turn to be remade. This remake contains some iconic horror imagery, including the ghostly face of Kayako. In the movie’s scariest sequence, care worker Yoko Sekine (seh-kee-NEH) hears creepy noises coming from the attic and goes to investigate. Which, you know, is always a great idea. She climbs her way into the darkened attic, flicks a lighter, and encounters the disturbing sight of Kayako’s face - only inches away from her own. We all know that a jump scare is coming, but it’s still startlingly effective. Ghostly faces will do that.
2005: Encountering the Crawlers
“The Descent”
This movie from Neil Marshall is wonderfully structured. The first act plays out with a more realistic tone, as a group of spelunkers get lost in a cave. That’s one kind of horror, and it works perfectly. But then the movie pulls a fast one on its unsuspecting viewers and introduces cave-dwelling monsters into the mix. These “crawlers” are introduced in a thrilling fashion. The group encounters a mound of animal bones and begins panicking. As the camera operator pans between the arguing women, a pale crawler suddenly appears behind one of them before scurrying away. It’s a great visual scare, and it effectively transitions the spelunking drama into a bloody slasher.
2006: The Dog
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“Slither”
James Gunn’s “Slither” doesn’t take itself very seriously, playing out much like a cheesy B-movie from the ‘80s. Starla’s husband Grant begins acting suspiciously, so Starla investigates the basement. She’s immediately hit with a rancid stench and buzzing flies, so it’s obvious that something is, you know, dead. She discovers what in just a few seconds when a dog falls from the ceiling directly into her face. It’s a good jump scare, complete with a nasty visual and a loud shriek from the soundtrack. It also serves as the catalyst for an even freakier sight - the entire basement covered in blood and the remnants of animals. So, yes, Grant has definitely been up to something.
2007: The Boy in the Attic
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“Rec”
Evidently, attics are a great place to stage jump scares. This found footage horror movie concerns a zombie outbreak inside a quarantined apartment complex. A news reporter and her camera operator make their way to the penthouse suite, which is completely bathed in darkness. Their only source of light comes from the camera, which the operator uses to explore the attic space. Like many jump scares of this type, the camera revolves around the attic before settling on the ghastly sight of a bloodied zombie boy. The visual is creepy enough, but it’s the accompanying noise that really sells the scene and makes it effective. In a movie with few “cinematic” sound effects, this one comes as quite a shock.
2008: Window Batman
“The Dark Knight”
People love to hate when non-horror movies include scary scenes. We came to “The Dark Knight” to watch Batman do his thing, not to be subjected to terrifying jump scares! Director Christopher Nolan just couldn’t help himself, though, and included a jump scare where audiences would least expect it. Gotham’s Mayor Anthony Garcia looks out his office and is met by a swinging body that slams into the window. The body quite literally comes out of nowhere, and the accompanying boom has enough power to be felt in the chest. Nolan is a masterful user of sound, and in this case, he uses it to craft one of the greatest jump scares of the decade.
2009: Not the Babysitter
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“The House of the Devil”
A little-known horror film from director Ti West (tye), “The House of the Devil” is a throwback to ‘70s horror. After dropping her friend off at a remote mansion, Megan stops in a cemetery and befriends a seemingly kind stranger. He lights her cigarette, and the two enter into a friendly but boring conversation. However, this is only meant to inspire complacency in the viewer, as the stranger soon whips out a gun and shoots Megan dead. It comes as a complete surprise, and even though the stranger lifts his hand, viewers are barely able to process what he’s doing before the shot rings out. There’s a sudden noise and a grotesque visual - one we can’t exactly show here - the perfect ingredients for a good jump scare.
2010: The Lipstick-Face Demon
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“Insidious”
This movie contains a very famous jump scare, and it comes courtesy of the bizarrely named Lipstick-Face Demon. As Lorraine is talking, the camera cuts back to Josh and a horrifying person with a red face is standing directly behind him. Many different aspects combine to make this a winning jump scare. Of course, there’s the unsettling visual itself. There’s also the terrific sound design, as the deathly quiet conversation and resulting tension is broken by the loud hiss. Finally, there’s the exceptional use of color, as the demon’s red face stands out among the blue of the painting behind Josh and his shirt. It’s easily one of the most effective, and famous, jump scares in recent memory.
2011: Title Card Jump Scare
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“The Cabin in the Woods”
Very few movies have the distinction of scaring viewers with its own title card. “The Cabin in the Woods” stands proud in that regard. In the midst of a boring conversation about house renovations, a giant red title card appears on screen accompanied by a loud scream. It’s both horrifying and hilarious. Horrifying because it unexpectedly arrives in the middle of an everyday conversation, hilarious because it’s just so silly. This is nothing but director Drew Goddard toying with his audience in the most trollish manner possible. Even though it’s funny, there’s also no denying that it works exceptionally well as an unexpected jump scare.
2012: Window Scream
“The Woman in Black”
This traditional and old-fashioned haunted house movie performed well at the box office, thanks largely to the presence of a freshly post “Harry Potter” Daniel Radcliffe. Of course, the well executed jump scares also helped. The movie is full of them, and most are accompanied by a loud music cue or a scream. In this case, it’s both. Arthur sees a handprint on the window, and he slowly extends his own hand to touch it. Just as he makes contact, a woman’s face appears in the window and screams. Everyone knew that a jump scare was coming - we just didn’t know in what fashion it would arrive. A screaming ghost face certainly works wonders.
2013: Hide & Clap
“The Conjuring”
Director James Wan continued his incredible streak with “The Conjuring,” which is arguably the most influential horror film of the 2010s. It contains the very unique and famous hide and clap sequence, which sees Carolyn chasing a clapping entity around her darkened house. The scene is slowly paced and excruciatingly drawn out, and the tension reaches a breaking point when Carolyn becomes trapped in the basement. With matches as her only light source, Carolyn is spooked by a pair of clapping hands that suddenly materialize behind her. With this scene, Wan effectively proved himself as a masterful director with full control over lighting, pacing, and sound design. All three combine to create one of the most iconic jump scares of the decade.
2014: The Tall Man
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“It Follows”
“Annabelle” continued “The Conjuring’s” legacy with a creative jump scare involving a little girl, but we have to give this spot to “It Follows.” The entity’s new victim is Jay, and it eventually breaks into her house. Jay freaks out and pleads with everyone not to open the door, which is effective at building unbearable tension. This tension is seemingly broken when Jay’s friend Yara (yawrra) arrives, but this is simply a clever misdirection. The entity suddenly appears behind Yara in the form of a tall man. It’s a brilliant utilization of lighting, as the man’s white shirt slowly materializes from the shadows. There’s no loud, jarring music cue or any other tropes of the typical jump scare, and this makes it all the more effective.
2015: Creepy Grandma
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“The Visit”
M. Night Shyamalan enjoyed a critical resurgence with “The Visit,” a small budget horror film about two teenagers visiting their grandparents. In an odd surprise, the teens are told not to leave their room after 9:30. Concerned with both this and their grandparents’ increasingly erratic behavior, they decide to plant a camera in the living room. Unfortunately, Nana finds it in the most horrifying manner possible. She’s seen repeatedly opening and closing a door, and shortly after walking off screen, her growling face appears directly in front of the camera. It comes as quite a nasty shock, despite the sound of approaching footsteps tipping viewers off. It’s amazing how successful a primitive jump scare can be.
2016: “My House!”
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“The Conjuring 2”
James Wan returned to helm this anticipated sequel. Taking the creepy action overseas, “The Conjuring 2” tells the story of the infamous Enfield poltergeist (while also sprinkling in a bit of “Conjuring” universe lore). Janet Hodgson begins seeing an elderly man in the family’s armchair, which is eerily situated behind the couch in the corner of the living room. A perfect spot for a jump scare! The ghost begins interfering with the television, and after Janet turns to look at the armchair, the old man suddenly appears behind her shoulder. It’s a great way to pay off the scene’s escalating tension, and the sudden noise of the man’s yell has the power to send viewers jumping.
2017: Pennywise Projected
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“It: Chapter One”
While the plot of Stephen King’s novel was faithfully adapted for the 2017 film, it contains a different series of Pennywise encounters. The movie’s most creative scare comes via an old-school projector. The kids are looking at a sewer map of Derry when the projector begins to malfunction. It begins working by itself, and Pennywise shows up in a picture of Georgie. He then vanishes from the picture, only to reappear in-person as a giant version of himself. It’s a nicely-crafted jump scare, utilizing a disturbing visual, flickering lights, and a creepy musical cue to its benefit. Of all the unique sequences written specifically for the movie, “giant crawling Pennywise” is arguably the most memorable. And the most surprising.
2018: Annie Pounces
“Hereditary”
The terrifying climax of this film sees Annie staring at her son Peter from the ceiling while he looks at a naked man in the darkened doorway. Just as he’s processing this incredibly eerie sight, Annie suddenly appears from the corner of the room and gives chase. What’s exceptional about this scene is the sound design and framing. The music swells to an unbearable crescendo as Peter stares at the man before sharply cutting out when he hears a bang. Viewers are immediately set at ease by the quiet and the disappearance of ceiling Annie. Of course, she then appears from the corner with a loud music cue. It’s a great bit of misdirection, and it helps make Annie’s reveal that much scarier.
2019: The Tree
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“Crawl”
An old-fashioned creature feature, “Crawl” combines two terrifying things - floods and alligators. The story follows a father and daughter who are hunted by hungry alligators in the middle of a hurricane. The movie is filled with loud jump scares, many of which are done very well. Early on, Haley enters her family home while the storm rages outside. As she’s looking through the house, a falling tree smashes through a window and causes her to scream. Objects smashing through windows is probably the oldest trick in the book, but it still works surprisingly well. There’s something about a sudden loud noise and a randomly appearing object that really gets to people. The classics are classics for a reason.
2020: The Ending Scare
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“Host”
Despite the COVID pandemic, 2020 still contained some solid horror movies. “The Invisible Man” was released in February, and it utilizes white paint in a particularly creative jump scare. July saw the release of “Host,” which incorporates the pandemic into its story. A group of friends who hold weekly Zoom calls perform a séance and are subsequently accosted by a demonic spirit. The ending sees both Jemma and Haley being attacked by the demon, who suddenly appears out of the darkness with a shriek. Pre-credit scares are very common, and many horror films end with a similar tactic. And even though we all expect it, there’s just no bracing for a monster screaming in your face. It’s a trick that gets us all.
2021: Marcus’s Abduction
“Spiral”
The “Saw” franchise isn’t known first for its jump scares, favoring disgusting violence above all else. “Spiral” tries returning the series to the grittier atmosphere of the first movie, and that includes re-introducing jump scares. Marcus Banks tracks the killer to a warehouse, but he’s subsequently abducted in a startling jump scare. It’s aided by the scene’s great use of sound and camera movement, as both help build terrific tension. The scene is painfully quiet, and the camera fluidly tracks Marcus in a single, unbroken shot. Seasoned horror viewers know that something is coming - especially when Marcus bends down to examine the typewriter. That something does indeed come, and in the form of an unsettling screech.
