In terms of classics, the severed head in Jaws still gets me every time, even though I know it's coming and I set myself for it.
-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
-
We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.
What Do You Consider The Best Jump Scare of All Time?
- Thread starter TheGreatDirector
- Start date
This was so well executedHill House had one that legit made me and my husband scream 😂
It's scary as shit but I don't get what it's holding - big scissors? Big knife?
One that really got me as a kid is from Independence Day. When they're dissecting the alien, cutting his face and then it suddenly splits open.
Also, the birthday party scene in Signs when the alien comes out of the bushes.
Also, the birthday party scene in Signs when the alien comes out of the bushes.
I was going to go with the Conjuring jump scare, but I think this works best. Why? Because Pee-Wee's Big Adventure is not a horror movie, so it's even less expected.
I mean dude looks like if Darth Maul was part of an early 2000's screamo band. Lmao.
It's poor quality, but I remember this jump scare from The Conjuring pretty effective when I saw it in theaters. I think what makes it powerful is the reveal through what's just a fairly subtle tilt of the camera:
This one's great, too because it utilizes no cuts and never obscures the source of the scare - that ramp-up in speed is enough to elicit an "Oh, shit!"
Mama
This one's great, too because it utilizes no cuts and never obscures the source of the scare - that ramp-up in speed is enough to elicit an "Oh, shit!"
I guess the internet ruined the surprise for this but I finally got around to seeing it but was never scared by this scene.
And I guess, unsurprisingly, while all of the scares posted here so far are good, they're not scary when viewed through slowed down gifs, no sound or music, poorly compressed videos, and without the benefit of the long build-up of dread you experience over the course of the film leading up to these moments. :p
Mulholland Drive
These 2 easily. They always work even when you expect them.
This year's invisible man also had a couple effective scenes.
Ending of prince of darkness too.
Last edited:
Objectively, it's probably one of the ones from movies that people have mentioned in this thread. For me personally, it's probably something similar to this post.
First thing that came to mind. The build up is so perfect.
Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive
Yep, this one got me real bad one time and I was watching the movie a second or third time.
I agree as well, the whole truck ride is unsettling.
I'm surprised nobody mentioned Mann's failed docking scene in Interstellar. It's not a horror film but seeing that in theatres was like holeee shit.
Annabelle would go on to jack this scareShock (1977)
woman and son's house haunted by spirit of abusive husband/father
This image alone makes makes my skin crawl.
Mulholland Drive
I'll never forget seeing that one for the first time, really fucked me up.
Yep.
Exorcist III.
Works so well, and it isn't a cheap jump in your face type.
Big surgical shears. They come up in the movie but aren't a real implement.
The first Amnesia jumpscare. It builds up the tension for so long, you are in the light (which makes you feel "safe") it's really well done.
(timestamped for 0:40)
I can't find any good videos on it. It's also hard to explain since the magic of games is that they are interactive, making you SO MUCH MORE engrained with what is going on.
(timestamped for 0:40)
I can't find any good videos on it. It's also hard to explain since the magic of games is that they are interactive, making you SO MUCH MORE engrained with what is going on.
The blood test in The Thing.
These are the ones I thought of from the thread title.
I like Mulholland Drive but the diner scene never got me. I did feel the tension though, I just wouldn't call it a jumpscare.
This is it for me.
I fell into it by my friend and he made me wear headphones and he was like wait turn the volume up. God what an idiot I was, so gullible.
I threw the headphones at the monitor lol
But then I watched as another friends mom came down and did it, and laughed at her being scared by it lol
In Rivendell you mean? That's like middle of the movie isn't it
Came to post this.Hill House had one that legit made me and my husband scream 😂
Mulholland Drive
That's the first one to come to mind. It's no longer scary for me but it is still very unsettling. I remember watching Mulholland Drive with my sister and this scene fucked her up big time.
Argento's Deep Red has a pretty good one with a doll or something. It's been a while, I should revisit it.
Was just watching this the other day, that scene always fucking gets me