20 Horror Movies That Will Give You the Biggest Jump Scares (2024)

A defining component of the cinematic horror experience is the immediate, heart-pounding fright that only a great jump scare can provide. The abrupt onslaught on the senses can sometimes be viewed as a cheap trick to startle viewers, but they can also be used to enhance truly great scary movies and leave lasting impressions on audiences, with such genre classics as The Conjuring and A Quiet Place among the many horror movies with jump scares which have excelled as respected, must-watch films.

Appearing in everything from psychological thrillers to horror comedies, slasher flicks, and even PG-13-rated scary movies, jump scares are a prolific feature of horror cinema due to not only their effectiveness, but their versatility. These 15 scary movies, ranging from old classics to modern masterpieces, are among the best when it comes to an effective, rewarding, and frequent use of jump scares.

20 'Hell Fest' (2018)

Directed by Gregory Plotkin

While it may not be the most celebrated or critically acclaimed horror movie ever made, Hell Fest does excel as an effective slasher that is absolutely loaded with jump scares for horror fans in need of a momentary fright. It focuses on three young couples who go to a ghoulishly scary traveling carnival to celebrate Halloween together. However, they get more thrills than they bargained for when a masked serial killer makes the amusem*nt park his own nightmarish playpen and begins hunting the teens.

Granted, Hell Fest won’t be making any ‘scariest movies of all time’ lists anytime soon and its execution is hardly original, but it does contain some respectably creepy visuals and is nothing if not dedicated to frightful jump scares. Some are nasty, most are silly, but Hell Fest is harmless and fun genre fare perfect for horror hounds who want to get their hearts racing without being plagued by nightmares for weeks afterward.

Hell Fest

R

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Release Date

September 27, 2018

Director

Gregory Plotkin

Cast

Bex Taylor-Klaus , Reign A'Rei Edwards , Amy Forsyth , Tony Todd , Christian James , Courtney Dietz

Runtime

89

19 'The Messengers' (2007)

Directed by Oxide Pang Chun & Danny Pang Phat

Another hammed-up and clichéd horror that coasts by on genre convention while offering jump scares aplenty, The Messengers is a comfy run-of-the-mill haunted house flick that sees Sam Raimi serve as a co-producer. The Solomon family gives up life in the big city and moves into a rundown farmhouse where Jess (Kristen Stewart) begins experiencing terrifying visions and endures attacks from a supernatural entity along with her younger brother. The teenage girl must convince her disbelieving family of the dangers of the house before it is too late.

In addition to generating a plethora of jump scares – many of them even effective ones at that – The Messengers also builds an eerie and immersive atmosphere. While there is an inescapable feeling of it being derivative of the hundreds of haunted house horrors that have come before it, it is still effective as a startling scary movie, even if not a masterpiece of the genre.

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18 'Banshee Chapter' (2013)

Directed by Blair Erikson

A loose adaptation of H. P. Lovecraft’s short story "From Beyond," Banshee Chapter weaves together elements from sci-fi, horror, and mystery to present an intriguing viewing experience that divided fans and critics. Investigative journalist Anna Roland (Katia Winter) searches for answers concerning her missing friend who was last seen looking into government experiments. Anna’s efforts lead her to a secret government chemical, a mysterious phantom radio broadcast, and a disturbing world of monstrous mayhem.

While its found-footage foundations are largely derivative of earlier films, Banshee Chapter still manages to thrive as an intriguing conspiracy mystery that dabbles with cosmic horror and the unnerving eeriness of the unknown. A triumph of low-budget horror film-making, it succeeds in being atmospheric and haunting while using jolting jump scares to great effect plenty of times throughout.

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17 'Brightburn' (2019)

Directed by David Yarovesky

An interesting film for the landscape of modern cinema, Brightburn runs with the basic premise that Superman is raised on Earth only to become evil. It follows aspiring parents struggling to conceive whose deepest desire comes to fruition when they discover a mysterious baby boy on their land and raise him as their own. However, when the alien child nears puberty and begins to understand the might of his powers, he uses them to exact his darkest and most sinister urges, placing his family in grave danger.

It is quite the tragedy that Brightburn wasn’t able to capitalize on its premise and marry superhero cinema and contemplative horror together as seamlessly as possible, but it still excels as an intriguing and shocking picture. It isn’t shy about using jump scares either, primarily implementing them to give young Brandon’s (Jackson A. Dunn) dark turn a startling and frightful emphasis that keeps viewers nervously on edge every time he is on screen.

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16 'It Follows' (2014)

Directed by David Robert Mitchell

Only getting better with age, It Follows is one of the defining highlights of 2010s horror cinema. Maika Monroe stars as Jay Height, a teenage girl who is haunted by an ominous, shape-shifting entity following a sexual encounter with her new boyfriend. Warned that the entity will kill her if it catches her, Jay and her friends try to figure out a way to eliminate the monster.

Thriving more so because of its suspenseful build-up, intriguing narrative, and its engrossing atmospheric intensity, It Follows doesn’t rely on jump scares to impact viewers. In fact, it uses the technique incredibly sparingly. However, jump scares in the movie are used to maximum effect, as anyone who has seen the harrowing scene with the tall man in the hallway will be able to testify. It Follows masters several key elements of horror cinema, with its striking jump scares emblematic of its brilliance.

It Follows

R

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Release Date

March 15, 2015

Director

David Robert Mitchell

Cast

Bailey Spry , Carollette Phillips , Loren Bass , Keir Gilchrist , Maika Monroe , Lili Sepe

Runtime

100 minutes

15 'The Descent' (2005)

Directed by Neil Marshall

An underrated horror cult classic of the 2000s, The Descent is a claustrophobic, cave-dwelling film that infiltrates its audiences' minds by implementing tricks like jump scares with intelligence and precise execution. The film follows a group of women as they travel to North Carolina to embark on a cave expedition. However, when they find themselves trapped inside, they discover they are being hunted by a mystifying and haunting breed of bloodthirsty predators.

With copious amounts of blood and gore clashing with heart-stopping suspense and a taut horror story, The Descent is an effective and arresting example of simple horror cinema at its most pure. It contains several jump scares capable of truly rattling viewers, not only presenting an immediate and jarring shock, but hooking audiences deeper into the narrative as well.

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14 'Scream' (1996)

Directed by Wes Craven

Scream is one of the most famous titles in 90s horror and in the history of horror cinema as well, thriving as Wes Craven’s playful and refreshing spin on slasher movies and the genre at large. It centers on Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), a teenager who is targeted by a sad*stic serial killer on the one-year anniversary of her mother’s horrific murder. As she is stalked by the murderer who continues to kill, she begins to realize the culprit may be someone close to her.

The film’s eagerness to engage with its own genre and address the tropes of slasher cinema is what has made it such an enduring icon, but its penchant for excellent and effective jump scares and memorable death scenes remains just as defining of Scream’s brilliance. It jampacks well over a dozen striking jump scares into its run.

Scream

R

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Release Date

December 20, 1996

Director

Wes Craven

Cast

Drew Barrymore , Neve Campbell , Skeet Ulrich , Matthew Lillard , Jamie Kennedy , Rose McGowan

Runtime

111 minutes

13 'It' (2017)

Directed by Andy Muschetti

Recent years have seen horror movies surge back into mainstream popularity, with everything from psychological thrillers to monster flicks becoming landmark cultural triumphs. One of the biggest films the genre has seen in that time is 2017’s It, an adaptation of Stephen King’s esteemed novel that follows a group of outcast kids as they are tormented by a monstrous killer clown that preys on children.

With its engrossing narrative and its incredible young cast, It is among the best of the many film adaptations of King’s work as it modernized the tale for contemporary viewers while still amplifying the central themes the story explored. Using suspense and jump scares to enhance the viewing experience and strengthen the frightful tone, It is at the pinnacle of modern horror as a blend of compelling narrative and horror filmmaking techniques.

It (2017)

R

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Release Date

September 6, 2017

Director

Andres Muschietti

Cast

Bill Skarsgard , Finn Wolfhard , Jaeden Martell , Javier Botet , Sophia Lillis , Owen Teague

Runtime

135 minutes

12 'The Beyond' (1981)

Directed by Lucio Fulci

Despite being met with critical disapproval upon release, The Beyond has come to be viewed as a cult classic of 80s horror and has developed a devoted following in the decades since it was made. The Lucio Fulci horror has also developed a reputation for its style – being a surrealist, Southern Gothic, and supernatural film that incorporated aesthetic ideas from giallo horror cinema – as well as its penchant for jump scares.

The premise follows a young woman who inherits an abandoned hotel in Louisiana and moves from New York City to refurbish the establishment, a plan that is thwarted as the hotel was originally built over an entrance to hell. A great movie for true horror fanatics, The Beyond thrives off the back of its hellish atmosphere and its many jump scares which keep viewers on the edge of their seats throughout the 87-minute runtime.

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11 'Talk to Me' (2023)

Directed by Danny and Michael Phillippou

Over the course of the past decade, A24 has made itself one of the most recognizable and captivating brands in modern horror cinema. That startling reputation was only enhanced with the release of Talk to Me, an Australian possession horror film that was a hit at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and has become an instant horror classic following a group of friends as their toying with an embalmed, spirit-conjuring hand leads to a terrifying supernatural force being unleashed.

It marked a very impressive directorial debut from Danny and Michael Phillipou, the twin brothers behind the hit YouTube channel RackaRacka. Talk to Me was heralded by critics, filmmakers, and fans as being one of the best horror movies the industry has seen in years and is loaded with jump scares which not only excel at frightening the audience, but add to the terror and drama of the story as well.

Talk to Me

R

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Release Date

July 28, 2023

Director

Danny Philippou , Michael Philippou

Cast

Sophie Wilde , Joe Bird , Alexandra Jensen , Otis Dhanji

Runtime

94 minutes

10 'Evil Dead II' (1987)

Directed by Sam Raimi

Even more so than its famous predecessor, Evil Dead II has come to be remembered for the perfection with which it meshed effects-driven visual horror with hilarious slapstick comedy and a tonally perfect lead performance from Bruce Campbell. However, it should not be forgotten how effective Sam Raimi could be with a great jump scare, which is something this iconic sequel shows in spades throughout its runtime.

Serving as both a sequel and partial remake of 1981's The Evil Dead, it follows Ash (Campbell) in his battle against the deadites as he finds himself holed up in a cabin with a group of strangers. Evil Dead II has 27 jumpy moments jammed into its snappy 85-minute runtime, making it one of the best jump scare movies in the history of horror cinema.

Evil Dead 2

R

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Release Date

March 13, 1987

Director

Sam Raimi

Cast

Bruce Campbell , Sarah Berry , Dan Hicks , Kassie Wesley DePaiva , Ted Raimi , Denise Bixler

Runtime

84 minutes

9 'Candyman' (1992)

Directed by Bernard Rose

Starring one of the all-time great yet criminally underrated horror movie actors in Tony Todd, the 1992 hit Candyman became a cult classic slasher sensation. The film follows a Chicago graduate student who decides to write her folklore and urban legends thesis about a ghost known as the Candyman, the knife-wielding spirit of a slave's son who some believe is responsible for a recent murder in the Cabrini-Green Homes public housing project.

The urban legend horror film has come to be celebrated in the horror genre due to Candyman's mounting sense of dread, its gory effects, its iconic titular character, and its penchant for great jump scares. One particular jump scare, involving a medicine cabinet, has never lost its edge and can still make audiences scream aloud today.

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8 'The Conjuring' (2013)

Directed by James Wan

The paranormal investigations conducted by Ed and Lorraine Warren have inspired films such as The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun, and more which take place within The Conjuring Universe. Staring with The Conjuring, the story follows Roger and Carolyn Perron (Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor), along with their five daughters and a dog, who move to a farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island. Within the first few nights of staying in the farmhouse, the Perron family experiences strange and disturbing encounters, such as finding their dog Sadie dead one morning.

The Warrens (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), who are asked to come to the house, later conclude that the spirit of Bathsheba haunts the house. Though The Conjuring consists of many well-executed and timed jump scares, the reveal of the evil entity of Bathsheba is considered one of the film’s most effective scares.

The Conjuring

R

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Release Date

March 20, 2013

Director

James Wan

Cast

Vera Farmiga , Patrick Wilson , Lili Taylor , Ron Livingston , Shanley Caswell , Hayley McFarland

Runtime

112

7 'Sinister' (2012)

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Sinister follows a true crime writer Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke), who moves his family to the fictional town of Chatford into a home which, unbeknownst to his wife and kids, was where the Stevenson family was killed by hanging. Ellison's plans to use the grisly history of the house to relaunch his career as a best-selling author quickly turns sour when he discovers a hidden stash of home videos that reveal the cursed truth of the past family's demise.

While Sinister 2 did have more jump scares throughout, the original film made more of an impression on audiences with its gripping intensity. In 2020, Broadband Choices conducted a study where it sampled 50 of the highest-rated horror movies based on sites such as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes and measured the participants’ heart rates while watching the said films. The study deemed Sinister as the scariest movie ever made.

Sinister

R

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Release Date

March 29, 2012

Director

Scott Derrickson

Cast

Ethan Hawke , Juliet Rylance , Fred Dalton Thompson , James Ransone , Michael Hall D'Addario , Clare Foley ll

Runtime

110

6 'A Quiet Place' (2018)

Directed by John Krasinski

So often, the worst part about a jump scare isn't so much the loud bang that frightens you, but the lingering, dreadful silence which precedes it. With its unique premise ensuring characters need to stay completely silent in order to survive, A Quiet Place thrived as a masterpiece in tension-building and effective, well-earned jump scares. It follows a family struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by vicious monsters that hunt through sound.

With a deaf daughter, the family had the unlikely advantage of being able to communicate effectively using ALS, while they also took measures to ensure their survival, such as laying out paths of sand to avoid making noise. A stunning directorial debut from John Krasinski, A Quiet Place had minimal dialogue and instead used noise as a terrifying catalyst for attacks and mixed its sharp, dramatic narrative with plenty of heart-stopping scares.

A Quiet Place

PG-13

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Release Date

April 3, 2018

Director

John Krasinski

Cast

Emily Blunt , John Krasinski , Millie Simmonds , Noah Jupe , Cade Woodward , Leon Russom

Runtime

95 minutes

5 'Insidious' (2010)

Directed by James Wan

From legendary horror director James Wan, Insidious was a heart-pounding success following a family whose move to a new house for a fresh start is disrupted when their son falls into a coma and a series of bizarre paranormal events begin to transpire. After months with no improvement in their son's state, Renai (Rose Byrne) and Josh (Patrick Wilson) enlist the help of paranormal investigators who reveal that the child has the ability to "astral travel" and has ventured into a hellish realm called "The Further" where the tortured souls of the dead reside.

As the family experiences many frightening supernatural encounters in the house, there are many intense jump scares throughout Insidious. Insidious has earned a reputation as one of the movies with the best and most unpredictable jump scares in the history of horror.

Insidious

PG-13

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Release Date

April 1, 2011

Director

James Wan

Cast

Patrick Wilson , Rose Byrne , Ty Simpkins , Andrew Astor , Lin Shaye , Leigh Whannell

Runtime

103 minutes

4 'Drag Me to Hell' (2009)

Directed by Sam Raimi

While Sam Raimi made his name and secured his legacy in horror with his efforts on The Evil Dead and its sequels, 2009's equally frightening Drag Me to Hell re-affirmed the filmmaker as a master at blending horror and comedy, and consolidated his claim as the king of the jump scare. It follows Christine (Alison Lohman), a loan officer who has a curse placed upon her when she evicts an old lady from her home. Desperate to be freed from the threat of eternal damnation, she and her boyfriend visit a seer to figure out how to break the curse.

As is so often the case with Raimi's horror films, Drag Me to Hell has a vibrant tone that undercuts many of its most harrowing moments with a layer of high-end entertainment value and comic punch. Brilliantly fun, genuinely scary, and running with a smart and snappy story, the film was a prime example of how effective PG-13 horror can be when executed well.

Drag Me To Hell

PG-13

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Release Date

March 15, 2009

Director

Sam Raimi

Cast

Alison Lohman , Justin Long , Lorna Raver , Dileep Rao , David Paymer , Adriana Barraza

Runtime

99

3 'Lights Out' (2016)

Directed by David F. Sandberg

A technically exemplary horror film, Lights Out was a 2016 demon possession movie that mixed fantastic thrills with strong performances and a solid story about family drama. It follows Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) as she realizes her mother has been possessed by a spiritual entity that hunts in the dark and is compelled to take action when a spree of murders unfolds and her half-brother's safety is threatened by a series of bizarre events which mimic what Rebecca endured in her youth.

With an incredibly sharp 77-minute runtime, Lights Out operates at a brisk pace which is precise in hitting all the major plot points it needs to with the reverence those moments deserve. That, of course, also entailed plenty of jump scares with Light Out's astute use of darkness and creepy imagery making for a heart-pounding viewing experience that could rattle even the most hardened horror fans.

Lights Out

PG-13

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Release Date

July 22, 2016

Director

David F. Sandberg

Cast

Teresa Palmer , Maria Bello , Billy Burke , Alicia Vela-Bailey , Emily Alyn Lind , Gabriel Bateman

Runtime

81 minutes

2 'Annabelle: Creation' (2017)

Directed by David F. Sandberg

Dolls have long been a chilling source of cinematic terror, and The Conjuring franchise's demented plaything Annabelle is one of the scariest. Her best horror movie outing came in Annabelle: Creation, the second of her title films which served as a prequel/origin story following a doll-maker and his wife as they embed the soul of their dead daughter inside the doll, a decision which has drastic consequences when they later take in a nun and six orphaned girls.

Wisely utilizing the creepy doll as the centerpiece of the film, it emits an eerie suspense that permeates throughout the film and refuses to let up, with atmospheric dread and plenty of startling jump scares defining the viewing experience. Annabelle: Creation still stands as one of the horror franchise's scariest entries and is the best film it has produced outside the two original The Conjuring movies.

Annabelle: Creation

R

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Release Date

August 3, 2017

Director

David F. Sandberg

Cast

Stephanie Sigman , Anthony LaPaglia , Miranda Otto , Alicia Vela-Bailey , Talitha Bateman , Lulu Wilson

Runtime

109

1 'The Exorcist III' (1990)

Directed by William Peter Blatty

1973's The Exorcist is rightly regarded as one of the most terrifying horror movies of all time, able to disturb viewers on a visceral level, but it didn't do so with much in the way of jump scares. Ignoring the events of the ill-fated sequel, The Exorcist III takes place in 1990 and follows a police officer investigating a serial killer known as The Gemini Killer as he is led to question the patients in a psychiatric ward where he uncovers far more than he ever thought possible.

While The Exorcist III received only mixed reviews upon release, it has come to be viewed as something of a cult classic. It also contains plenty of terrifying moments, including an eerie hallway scene that leads into one of the most devastating jump scares in horror history.

The Exorcist III

R

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Release Date

August 17, 1990

Director

William Peter Blatty

Cast

George C. Scott , Ed Flanders , Jason Miller , Scott Wilson , Nicol Williamson

Runtime

110 minutes

NEXT: The Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked