Anatomy of a Jump Scare
- Misa Mascovich
- Nov 12, 2023
- 5 min read
Everyone has felt it during a horror movie - that prickling feeling on the back of your neck, the ominous music starts and you just know something is behind the door, in the shadows, out of frame. Then all of your feelings of dread are fully realized with a quick cut and you’re jumping out of your seat in absolute terror.
A jump scare.
A technique of horror that defines the genre. From the shower scene in Psycho to the first glimpse of the alien in Signs, when used effectively, a jump scare sears itself in your brain. Unfortunately, what used to be a classic of the horror genre has now become a cliche. Rather than build tension to the point of no return, jump scares are such a well known trope now, that they are often used as red herrings - building the tension only to have it misdirect to something innocent. Frankly, it’s lazy and boring. So I want to go on record and make the distinction that a jump scare does not equal a cheap scare.
Luckily I was reminded of how lux a jump scare can be in both Fall of the House of Usher and The Conjuring.
In my annual tradition celebrating spooky season, I watched A LOT of scary movies this past month. You can check out the full list here. But with two, I was struck by how good a jump scare can be when done right.
Fall of the House of Usher is the newest horror miniseries by Mike Flannigan. Most famous for the Haunting of Hill House, Flannigan has made a name for himself with meditative, allegorical horror films and shows. I’m really not the biggest fan of his mostly because I find all of his work too talky and performative. It all seems much more suited for the theatre than the screen. Fall of the House of Usher is no different; there are approximately 1,000 characters and each gets a back story spanning DECADES and at least 2 monologues an episode. I don’t even think I’m exaggerating. And while I think Fall of the House of Usher is one of his more successful works - (in part because it’s based on Edgar Allen Poe’s work, and if you’re going to make a sad boi gothic dreary piece of art, Poe seems like a natural fit) - the scariest thing about the film is how realistic the Usher family is to the Sackler family.
Well, the second scariest thing is the family parallels to the Sacklers. The first scariest thing would be such a flawless jump scare it made me get out of my seat and rewind to see how he pulled it off. Let’s dissect below (spoilers ahead).
Episode 1X1, 19:37
The scene: Roderick Usher is monologuing with his old frenemy Auguste Dupin in his childhood home talking about how he’s the worst and has serious mommy issues. As he’s talking about the unresolved issues with his mother, he casually mentions his dead ghost mother is right behind Dupin watching him.
The camera does a cut to Dupin’s profile. What’s behind him? A sickly zombified woman? Or nothing? He does his own monologuing now, detailing how he doesn’t believe Roderick. Looking behind now, would be a power play and Dupin refuses to play into Usher’s mind games.
Usher then gives a tiring sigh. We’re left for a minute thinking Dupin has him figured out - he sees through Usher’s mind games and is an equal to him in this Seventh Seal type standoff. We then cut to a wider shot of Dupin where he transitions the conversation. But as he’s speaking, what used to be a shadow in the background moves, and we’re left with the realization that not only was the ghost behind him the WHOLE TIME, but the fantastical stories from Usher’s mouth are true. And now we’re reeling on our back foot at viewers; can Usher’s word actually be trusted? What other secrets are coming? What other shadows are ghosts?
This jump scare reveal happens halfway through episode one and remains the best reveal of the show. Even as the fate of each Usher house member is revealed and they all fall, there is nothing more terrifying than the silent unnerve of not knowing what’s a lie and what’s truth. Or a spooky ghost woman.
Speaking of spooky ghost women….. Have you seen The Conjuring?? This movie has it all: haunted house, victorian ghost children, creepy dolls, and Vera Farmiga giving crazy eyes. James Wan has made a name for himself as a horror movie director and it’s in part because of his handling of scenes like in The Conjuring.
Let’s set the scene:
At this point in the movie, the family who lives in the creepy old secluded house knows something is fucky. Carolyn Perron is home alone with her girls and as the clock turns to 3:07, the malevolent spirit makes itself known. It begins with the crashing of all of the family portraits on the stairwell followed by a child’s laugh.
She follows the sound of the laugh down to the basement entrance (stupid), but turns on the light and does not go any further (smart). Before she can turn around however the spirit pushes her down the stairs causing the light in the basement to go out. She lights a match in near silence where all you hear is her heavy breathing and the flames slowly dying.
The camera switches to a reverse angle shot - now we’re looking over her shoulder, or is someone else looking over it?
When the match goes out she quickly strikes another in total darkness. This is the moment that Wan plays with perceptions of a jump scare. As soon as the next match is lit, we’re expecting something to jump out - the ghost, the child, and monster. But instead, the light flickers again for a long moment - long enough to let us breathe a sigh of relief. And just as the collective exhale lets out, we’re strangled on the exhale as we hear the eerie Victorian ghost voice and two hands come out of the darkness with a clap.
The Conjuring is full of great twists and camera work that hold up on repeat viewing. I KNEW this scene was coming! And I still had to get my emotional support rabbit to get through the second half of the movie.
What makes the jump scares in both Fall of the House of Usher and The Conjuring so effective is that they play on the legacy of jump scare and expectations of timing. We know something is coming, we just don’t know when. By subverting the typical cadence of the scare, as viewers we’re caught off guard, and scared even more because of it. The best scares act as a reminder that there is an art of the jump scare. The pace, tone, music, tension, and frame need to work in harmony to suprise you. Not every jump scare has to be as tightly wound as the ones above, but if you love a good "what's behind the door" moment check out the following and remember: a good jump scare doesn't come cheap.
For your consideration:
Psycho
First ten minutes of The Ring
Signs
Host
Insidious
What Lies Beneath
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