15 Horror Movies That Are Basically All Jump Scares

Horror movies come in all shapes and sizes. There’s psychological horror, so-called “elevated” horror, creature features, zombie features, ghost stories – you get the point. While some movies rely on atmosphere and tone to create that creeping feeling of dread, other movies utilize jump scares to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. What constitutes a jump scare? Basically, any time there’s an abrupt, hard cut and a LOUD, JARRING noise meant to startle the audience – that’s a jump scare. Sometimes it can be cheap (like the “jumping cat out of nowhere” cliché, or relying on non-diegetic music cues to startle the audience), but if used properly by a director who knows what they’re doing, jump scares can be wildly effective (like the birthday party scene in Signs – you know the one).

​ If you’re looking for horror movies that will get your blood pumping and heart racing, here’s a list of ten films with a ton of jump scares.