I like to think these movies manage to earn their scares, as opposed to just sucker-punching your senses for an easy reaction. With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of horror scenes that employ these short, sharp shocks in ways that have become iconic to the genre – and in some cases, they’re the first thing we associate with the movies themselves. Even legendary genre filmmaker John Carpenter, who himself has given us some of cinema’s most memorable jolts, often downplays the technique as a “cheap trick.” But he always seems to know how to make it work. Legendary director Alfred Hitchcock once famously criticized this kind of scare tactic, claiming suspense far is more effective than a sudden shock… but he’s also responsible for one of the most iconic screen jumps ever in Psycho. The term “jump scare” wasn’t commonly used to label this effect until the 21 st century, and it only really became part of popular culture after the birth of YouTube – which practically weaponized the technique with viral “screamer” videos and clip compilations.
The response is hardwired into our brains an instinctive fight-or-flight reflex when our natural defense mechanisms are rudely interrupted. Scenes like this have been making audiences soil their seats since the era of classic monster movies, and it’s not hard to see why. A sudden out-of-nowhere reveal, often accompanied by a loud noise on the soundtrack. Admit it – there’s at least one horror movie out there with a “gotcha” moment that made your heart slam against the inside of your ribcage.
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