Has a classic horror movie ever made you literally jump out of your seat? Have you ever spilled the popcorn because you were so shocked? In honor of all that is scary, we at Spirit Halloween have put together a list of our favorite jump scares. Whether or not you saw it coming, these Halloween horror classics are nerveracking-ly fun!  And for all the jump scare nerds, be sure to check out wheresthejump.com for an amazing jump scare database!

1. Michael Myers, Halloween

The knife-wielding madman Michael Myers always seems to be right behind the corner, waiting to pop out at any moment and brutally murder his next victim with an epic jump scare.  In the original 1978 classic flick, when Bob’s body swings from the door frame, it’s impossible not to drop the popcorn.

2. Jason Voorhees, Friday the 13th

Undead freak Jason Voorhees revolutionized the jump scare as we know it. Just when you think you are out of the woods, he comes back for more…and stabs his victim over and over again. Nobody saw it coming in the 1984 movie, when Jason murders Jimmy with the meat cleaver. The silent murderer  has a place in all of our hearts, and hopefully will never find us alone!

3. Freddy Kruger, Nightmare on Elm Street

Welcome to our nightmare… The classically evil knife-fingers villain is always waiting for us to let our guard down and maybe doze off, that’s when he makes his move! In the 1984 Wes Craven masterpiece, just when we thought we were safe…and it was nothing but a dream, the bad boy makes his move and kills Marge as his final act of vengeance!

4. Ghostface, Scream

No matter who is under the mask, when the Ghostface strikes, we always get the chills. Wes Craven again shows off his mastery with this horrific, anonymous murderer. Father Death aka The Icon of Halloween has become a centerpiece of the jump scare genre. Throughout the entire Scream series, maybe the scariest part is that we never know who is under the mask!

 

5. Leatherface, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

What is scarier than wearing your victim’s skin as a mask? Leatherface is synonymous with jump scare horror. After watching the movie, the revving of a chainsaw will always bring back jolts of fear. In the 2006 Jonathan Liebesman remake, when Erin is running through slaughterhouse and Leatherface suddenly appears, heart attacks among the audience are pretty common.

Be sure to check out all of our jump scare-worthy Animatronics at Spirit Halloween! You won’t be sorry — or will you?