10 Of the Best Jump Scare Films to Watch This Halloween (And Where to Stream Them)
Say what you want about horror; traditionally a source of fear and panic, a recent report now suggests that horror movies may actually improve your mental health…
Over the last five years, we have seen some impeccable horror movies from both new and revived franchises as well as a new era of horror.
With this in mind, we were curious to investigate which horror movies are the best to watch this Halloween, by uncovering which makes us jump the most! To do this, we looked at horror releases of the last five years to reveal the jumpiest movies… and it’s not what you’d think.
Top 10 jumpiest movies of the last 5 years
| Film | Year | Jump Scares | Where To Stream? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Don’t Listen | 2020 | 27 | Netflix |
| =2 | It Chapter Two | 2019 | 24 | Prime Video |
| =2 | Ghost Lab | 2021 | 24 | Netflix |
| 4 | Host | 2020 | 23 | BBC iPlayer |
| =5 | Scream 5 | 2022 | 22 | Prime Video |
| =5 | Halloween Kills | 2021 | 22 | Netflix |
| 7 | Werewolves Within | 2021 | 21 | Netflix |
| =8 | Annabelle Comes Home | 2019 | 20 | Prime Video |
| =8 | Brightburn | 2019 | 20 | Netflix |
| =8 | The Curse of La Llorona | 2019 | 20 | Prime Video |
*= is a joint ranking.
The jumpiest film of the last five years is Don’t Listen. Released in 2020 and with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 63%, this horror follows the strange death of a man’s son in his new home as he begins to hear a ghostly plea for help, spurring him to seek out a renowned paranormal expert. You can stream Don’t Listen on Netflix.
Taking joint second place is 2021’s Ghost Lab and 2019’s It Chapter Two.
Ghost Lab follows the story of two doctors who become dangerously obsessed with obtaining scientific proof that ghosts exist.
It Chapter Two is the second instalment of the It franchise that follows the Losers Club 27 years later as they return to Derry to reunite and end Pennywise the evil clown – the first jump scare doesn’t happen until 19 minutes in. You can stream It Chapter Two on Prime Video and Ghost Lab on Netflix.
The fourth movie with the most jump scares in the last five years is Host. Released at the end of 2020, Host follows six friends that accidentally invite the attention of a demonic presence during an online séance. You can currently stream Host on BBC iPlayer.
Interesting to note, it was uncovered the rate of jump scares has decreased over the years, with no films from 2023 making the top 10.