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How do you feel about jump scares in movies?
- Thread starter Officer Big Mac
- Start date
The jumpscare in The Haunting of Hill House is one of the few good jumpscares that I didn't see coming
I don't mind them but if they're overused then the movie isn't scary, it's jumpy. You'll get startled but it won't be a memorable scene or movie.
If they're only used once or twice in the entire movie/series then they're probably going to be well done (Look at Haunting of Hill House).
Amazon Video users should check out Lake Mungo, no jump scares, still scary.
If they're only used once or twice in the entire movie/series then they're probably going to be well done (Look at Haunting of Hill House).
Amazon Video users should check out Lake Mungo, no jump scares, still scary.
The best jump scare basically happens once, and then never again. It gets you good, and it's smart and creative to boot. It also leaves you tense for the ones that do not come.
You make your movie about jump scares and it becomes a dumb guessing game.
You make your movie about jump scares and it becomes a dumb guessing game.
I don't mind them if they are put to good use. I'm definitely more into psychological horror and enjoy stuff like hidden figures/ghosts in background shots. When done effectively that sort of stuff seriously gives me chills. I literally just watched Lake Mungo and fuck me man, that movie absolutely creeped me the hell out. I still have goosebumps lol
I love a good, effective jump scare. Something that, when the tension is high, catches you completely by surprise, in a really good way. The best example I can think of comes from The Conjuring.
But when they're overdone, they are absolutely trash. Movies that depend on jump scares for horror aren't good horror movies. That's why the entire Paranormal Activity franchise is trash.
But when they're overdone, they are absolutely trash. Movies that depend on jump scares for horror aren't good horror movies. That's why the entire Paranormal Activity franchise is trash.
Lake Mungo really sticks with you. I still think about that scene and get creeped out.
Well that's because Mike Flanagan is a horror savant and makes excellent media in the genre.
Anyway - I don't hate jump scares. I absolutely loathe false jump scares, where a noise is the signal to react and not what's actually onscreen.
I like when Insidious does it once when
the family is talking, in broad daylight, on a table and then BAM! Demon face behind the father.
Came to post thisThe really good ones are rare but effective.
Exorcist 3:
The bane of modern horror movies is ambiguious monsters or killers with no explained motive. Way too many modern horror films have undeveloped stories and motives and rely on ambiguity to build tension. Often at the end of modern horror films i am now left asking "why?".
Granted a reveal can sometimes be clumsy or overexplained, but at least with a reveal there is an attempt to give a complete story. Its way more satisying than a "just because" or "use your imagination" ending.
OP
OP
This. I like creepy atmospheres and when I actually see a horror film that doesn't rely on jump scares (The Shining comes to mind) I do enjoy them. But jump scares? I just hate them. And as the quoted person said, jump scares are the main reason why I don't watch horror films.
I would take a movie underexplaining something every day of the week to it over explaining. I'm totally fine with movies letting you fill in the gaps.
i appreciate clever usage... i agree it's all about the set-up. but if they're just constant piercing music and jarring cuts then fuck that shit
something like the grudge uses a lot of them, but they're well-done. one of those movies that will always creep me the hell out.
otherwise, a lot of modern horror overuses them and they're not at all scary.
something like the grudge uses a lot of them, but they're well-done. one of those movies that will always creep me the hell out.
otherwise, a lot of modern horror overuses them and they're not at all scary.
This scene in Signs wasnt exactly a jump scare but it was so much better than one. It did scare me but it unnerved me. I felt like at that moment the movie turned on its side and pulled me in further. At that moment the threat became real. We saw enough but not all of it where we could begin to pick the CGI apart.
Came to post this. It's as close to a jump scare that I will ever actually appreciate.
I was backing up like Joaquin Phoenix when I first saw it!
I'm always kinda disappointed by them. Mostly because the anticipation and tension really get me, and then the scare happens and it's always just wayyyy tamer than whatever I built up in my head. I also don't get people actually jolting and jumping at surprises like that. I do feel the scare, but my reaction is mostly internal, at most I kinda widen my eyes and my neck sorta flexes a bit.
The anticipation though...I'm not ashamed to say I'll straight up quit a game, or pause a movie.
This is a good example of what I mean when I say disappointing. Like the build-up is amazing, but then....it's just a clap. In was ready for my eyes to explode whenever the jumpscare finally came and then it was just... that.
I don't get it. Is it good cause it's not loud or over the top?
The anticipation though...I'm not ashamed to say I'll straight up quit a game, or pause a movie.
This is a good example of what I mean when I say disappointing. Like the build-up is amazing, but then....it's just a clap. In was ready for my eyes to explode whenever the jumpscare finally came and then it was just... that.
I don't get it. Is it good cause it's not loud or over the top?
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A well placed jump scare can add so much. They're used quite often as a crutch though. Where they are accentuated with an overly loud sound cue, and often for something as mundane as a new character entering the frame. The filmmakers that use them correctly understand that there should be dynamics involved. They tell a story unto itself. Volume plays a key role where silence can be as important as a loud bang.
The two films I often bring up for comparison are Halloween and Halloween: H20. The former executes its jump scare excellently and they are sequenced in the film perfectly to get the desired effect. Like having no music when Laurie bumps into the sheriff, but later on going all out on the closet ambush. H20 though, is about as scary as an episode of Sesame Street. The scares happen to frequently and are at the same level of intensity which desensitizes the viewer for the moments that should be the most effective.
The two films I often bring up for comparison are Halloween and Halloween: H20. The former executes its jump scare excellently and they are sequenced in the film perfectly to get the desired effect. Like having no music when Laurie bumps into the sheriff, but later on going all out on the closet ambush. H20 though, is about as scary as an episode of Sesame Street. The scares happen to frequently and are at the same level of intensity which desensitizes the viewer for the moments that should be the most effective.
I like their use in Hereditary, it basically happens once and it's very light but it totally works
Its lazy and feels cheap. A film that relies on it solely has to do so because it has no actual substance to be scary.
Came in here to say the exact same thing. My god it was such a good jumpscare.
I love a good cheesy jump scare. They're fun, especially when you know they're coming but they still fuck you up.
Yep, it's like they took the good ones in 80s movies as the only scary things in them
This is my main issue with jump scares nowadays.
It isn't usually anything built around tension or an increasingly atmospheric scenario, it is just 'something happens on screen' + 'an unnecessarily loud noise' = a very, very cheap and unrewarding jump scare.
The new Child's Play film (with Mark Hamill voicing Chucky) is especially terrible for this...
Jump scares are usually a lazy substitute for good craft. Any director who can't use them in moderation should not use them at all.
My favorite kinds of horror movies use atmosphere, implication, and the unknown to create suspense. A movie that can do that well is entitled to a few jump scares.
For example, take the Alien scene where the facehugger is somewhere in the medical bay. The scene evokes the relatable experience of looking for a mouse or a spider in a room. Every dark corner and concealed nook is filled with dreadful possibility. The tension builds as we quietly scan the room. Only after the suspense reaches unbearable intensity do we get the release of a jump scare, which turns out to be a red herring to set us up for a second scare before we're ready for it.
Another example, from The Witch, is the ever-present woods next to the family's house. We're shown early on that the woods contain a nasty threat. With that setup, every scene shows its border or lingers on the wall of trees had a sinister air. The movie doesn't have to constantly throw startling moments in our faces to keep us tense.
My favorite kinds of horror movies use atmosphere, implication, and the unknown to create suspense. A movie that can do that well is entitled to a few jump scares.
For example, take the Alien scene where the facehugger is somewhere in the medical bay. The scene evokes the relatable experience of looking for a mouse or a spider in a room. Every dark corner and concealed nook is filled with dreadful possibility. The tension builds as we quietly scan the room. Only after the suspense reaches unbearable intensity do we get the release of a jump scare, which turns out to be a red herring to set us up for a second scare before we're ready for it.
Another example, from The Witch, is the ever-present woods next to the family's house. We're shown early on that the woods contain a nasty threat. With that setup, every scene shows its border or lingers on the wall of trees had a sinister air. The movie doesn't have to constantly throw startling moments in our faces to keep us tense.
At least the one in the OP involves the monster. I hate those, for example in paranormal activity, in which a cat just jumps at the camera for no reason and is accompanied by a loud noise coming from no one knows where.
As a nervous person I always fall for every jump scare even when I see them coming from a mile.
As a nervous person I always fall for every jump scare even when I see them coming from a mile.