Jumpscares are a common technique used in horror films, TV shows, video games, and other media to startle and frighten the audience. A jumpscare typically involves something frightening or disturbing suddenly popping up on screen with a loud noise. Jumpscares get their name from the reaction they are designed to elicit – making the audience literally “jump” out of their seats in fear. When effective, a jumpscare can get the heart racing and cause a real physiological reaction. However, jumpscares have also been criticized as a cheap gimmick that provides easy scares without real atmosphere or suspense. Determining the “scariest” jumpscare is subjective, but there are some standouts that have become iconic in the horror genre.
What Makes a Jumpscare Effective?
There are a few key factors that make for an effective and scary jumpscare:
Surprise/Shock Value
The jumpscare needs to happen suddenly without warning, taking both the character and audience by surprise. This is why they often happen after a period of calm or silence, lulling the audience into a false sense of security before unleashing the fright.
Disturbing Visuals
Often a monster, villain, or disturbing image will flash up on screen just as the scare sound effect plays. The more unsettling the visual, the better. Ghosts, demons, zombies, and figures with haunting facial distortions or movements tend to work best.
Loud, Jarring Sounds
The auditory component of the jumpscare is key. A loud, abrasive scream, crash, bang, or other noise synchronizes with the visual scare event, further amplifying the effect.
Musical Stings
Sudden bursts of loud music at key moments can also complement visual and sound-effect scares. Rustic sounding violin screeches are very common.
Vulnerable Characters
Jumpscares tend to be more effective when the character is in a vulnerable state, such as unarmed, alone, or completely unaware of any danger. This helps the audience better immerse in the fear.
Most Iconic Jumpscares in Media
Here are some of the most memorable and frightening jumpscares that have appeared on screens over the years:
The Exorcist (1973)
One of the earliest iconic jumpscares comes from The Exorcist, when Father Merrin first arrives at the MacNeil house during a lightning storm. As he walks up to the front door, the demonic face of Pazuzu suddenly flashes on screen behind him accompanied by disturbing sound effects and loud orchestral music. This scare really caught early audiences off guard and helped cement The Exorcist as a quintessential horror film.
Friday the 13th (1980)
Towards the end of this slasher classic, Alice is relaxing in a canoe on Crystal Lake when the rotting corpse of Jason Voorhees suddenly jumps out of the water and grabs her. The abrupt surprise appearance of the presumed-dead killer remains one of the film’s most memorable scenes. Jason’s various hockey mask jumpscares throughout the franchise are also considered classics.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Freddy Krueger’s ultimate jumpscare reveal occurs when Nancy spins around in her backyard only to see the scarred dream stalker inches from her face accompanied by a cacophony of sound effects. Robert Englund’s masterful creepy facial expressions and the surreal visual of the killer popping up out of nowhere still unsettle viewers today.
Poltergeist (1982)
In an early scene, young Carol Anne communicates with the spirits haunting her family’s home through a static-filled television set. When the ghosts respond “YES!” in an aggressive, demonic voice, it makes both Carol Anne and the audience leap out of their seats. The suddenness of the loud vocal reply brings an excellent scare.
Alien (1979)
During their initial exploration of the alien spacecraft, Navigator Lambert is inspecting the lower levels when the xenomorph suddenly stands up behind her and screeches aggressively. The combination of H.R. Giger’s chilling creature design and the shock surprise reveal provides one of the movie’s biggest scares.
The Descent (2005)
In this claustrophobic thriller, the main characters are exploring an underground cave system when Sarah gets separated from the group. As she squeezes through a tight tunnel using her camera light, a night vision pale creature dashes towards her and screams viciously, delivering an unexpected jolt.
The Ring (2002)
No discussion of iconic jumpscares is complete without mentioning the seven-day tape from The Ring. After the phone rings, signaling the end of the seven days, Noah’s distorted dead face appears on the TV screen accompanied by a burst of static noise and a flash of Samara crawling out of the well.
Insidious (2010)
Insidious utilizes an old-school red demon face as its primary jumpscare image. During a tense scene where Josh is investigating supernatural occurrences in his attic, the demon suddenly appears behind him to the sounds of a screeching violin, a moment that has become one of the most famous modern jumpscares.
Most Startling Video Game Jumpscares
Video games allow jumpscares to be even more immersive and interactive than film. Here are some of the scariest scares to come out of video games:
Resident Evil Dogs (1996)
The original Resident Evil featured plenty of shocks, but none more memorable than when zombie dogs come crashing through the mansion’s windows. Many gamers cite this as the moment that gave them the most jumps during their childhood.
Fatal Frame Series (2001-2014)
Tecmo’s ghost-hunting series uses the Camera Obscura to battle spirits, but also subjects players to frequent ghostly jumpscares for additional frights. The disturbing female ghosts elicit many screams as they drift towards the screen.
Five Nights at Freddy’s (2014)
The Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise is built around jumpscares from disturbing animatronic creatures. As players monitor security cameras, the fox, bear, bunny, and chicken animatronics sneak up then abruptly lunge at the screen when caught off guard.
Outlast (2013)
The asylum horror game Outlast requires using night vision to navigate dark halls. This makes the appearances of the asylum’s crazed inmates even more shocking as they jump out of the blackness straight into the player’s face.
P.T. (2014)
The “playable teaser” for the canceled Silent Hills game excelled at psychological tension. The ghost Lisa provides the biggest scare when she appears suddenly behind the player through a reflective surface with a deafening metallic scream.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010)
In the cult horror classic Amnesia, a segment requires escaping a flooded area being chased by an invisible monster. If caught by the creature, the game zooms in on its grotesque face accompanied by a terrifying roar – enough to make anyone leap from their desk.
Scariest VR Jumpscares
Virtual reality horror experiences take jumpscares to the next level by literally surrounding players in the environment. Here are some of the biggest VR scares:
Dreadhalls (2016)
This Oculus Rift game takes place in a maze of dungeon hallways stalked by terrifying monsters. The creatures can appear suddenly right next to the player for frightening in-your-face scares in virtual reality.
Resident Evil 7 (2017)
The iconic Resident Evil franchise migrated to VR with terrifying results. The immersive perspective places players directly into the creepy Dulvey plantation where the murderous Baker family appears without warning.
Five Nights at Freddy’s VR (2019)
The animatronic jumpscare chaos of Five Nights at Freddy’s translates perfectly to VR. Fans cited the more immersive scares of the VR version as more frightening than the original flat screen games.
The Brookhaven Experiment (2016)
This zombie VR shooter arms players with weapons, but the undead hordes can still overwhelm. The jumpscares come when zombies manage to get uncomfortably close before attacking the player’s virtual body.
Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul (2017)
Based on the found-footage film franchise, this VR game captures the tense atmosphere and jump scares of the movies. The demonic entity lurking in the environment will make players jump as it charges towards them.
Scientific Explanation of Jumpscare Reactions
There is actually a scientific reason why people physically react so intensely to jumpscare moments. Here is a look at the biology behind the response:
The Startle Reflex
Jumpscares trigger the body’s automatic startle reflex, which prepares the body to respond to imminent threats. Muscles tense, heart rate elevates, and adrenaline surges to allow you to fight the threat or flee from danger.
The Amygdala
The amygdala region of the brain controls responses to fear and emotional stimuli. Studies show the amygdala activates right before a startling event happens in media, priming you to be scared.
Fight or Flight Response
The sudden adrenaline rush of the fight or flight response triggered by jumpscares manifests physically through muscle jolts, raised heart rate/blood pressure, and increased respiration.
Contagious Reflex
The startle reflex can also spread in groups through a phenomenon called contagious reflex. Seeing others scared by a jumpscare primes your body to be startled too.
Sound Stimulation
Loud sounds and crashes that coincide with jumpscares raise heart rates and respiration even further due to their jarring nature. This amplifies the physical reaction.
Criticisms of Jumpscares
While a highly effective technique for scares, jumpscares have also garnered some criticisms:
Too Predictable
Since audiences have grown accustomed to jumpscares in horror films, they can see the build up coming and know when to expect the imminent pop-out scare. This can diminish the surprise factor.
Manipulative
Some criticize jumpscares as a superficial technique to force instinctual bodily reactions without enough context or genuine suspense leading up to the scare.
Not Always Scary
For some, jumpscares don’t elicit much of an instinctual response, especially when used too frequently or the visuals are not disturbing enough. Overuse can lessen the effect.
Ruin Suspense
Too many false jumpscare teases in a film can train the audience to not feel true suspense, since they assume any building tension will be released with an inevitable jumpscare.
Cover Up Weak Stories
Some argue writers use an over-reliance on jumpscares to mask mediocre plots and distract from the lack of a well-crafted, atmospheric horror narrative.
Conclusion
When used judiciously, jumpscares can be an highly effective technique for eliciting visceral frights and thrills from an audience. Iconic jumpscares from classic horror films and video games have provided some of the genre’s most memorable scary moments. However, too much reliance on jumpscares at the expense of plot and atmosphere can make horror experiences feel cheap or formulaic. Moderation is key when utilizing scare jumps. The very best jumpscares feature disturbing imagery, perfect timing, vulnerable characters, and loud sounds to deliver a sudden physiological jolt and chill down the spine when least expected. What jump made you leap the highest out of your seat?