The Art of the Jump Scare

To date, and probably forever, jump scares remain one of the most vehemently scrutinized genre tropes. And why not? Jump scares are as crucial a stitch in the fabric of horror films as slashers and ridiculous sequels. But the discourse around the jump scare can get a little ugly, from critics citing an over-reliance on them as a negative review point, to audiences rolling their eyes at a silly trope. So it’s only fair that we spend some time looking at what makes the good jump scares great.

To do so, we have to say there are spoilers ahead, so here’s your spoiler alert. We’ll be breaking down the incredible found footage zombie movie [REC], jump scare master Wes Craven and the opening sequence from Scream and everything else from classics like Carrie from Stephen King to The Conjuring to Paranormal Activity to scary as hell international cinema fare from Argentina. The point is, Ghostface is just one in a long line of jump scaring horror icons.

This video was written by Matt Donato and edited by Casey Redmon.

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Gremlins, the French extremity movement and the Top 10 Christmas Horror Movies of All Time - https://youtu.be/1jbkjsyhmMg

Get Out, Nope: Jordan Peele and the Horrifying History of Close Ups - https://youtu.be/tbO3BOsFacc

The Fly, an exploding head in Scanners and 5 Brilliant Moments of Body Horror from David Cronenberg - https://youtu.be/ii4gUB3-dZo

Halloween, Black Christmas, Friday the 13th and a History of Slasher Movies - https://youtu.be/b1vUEI_2aBY