In horror fandom circles, movies with a lot of jump scares are often sneered at. Some consider jump scares a cheap way to make viewers feel fear, and many modern horrors have spurred the practice in favor of installing dread via atmosphere building. But I still think jump scares have their place, and it’s always fun to watch your friends/family leap out of their seats in surprise.
Over on Netflix, there are plenty of horror options that are laced with jump scares. The types of movies that will have you spilling your popcorn all over the place. However, there’s no denying that some horrors do lean on the method as a crutch. That’s why I delved deep into Netflix’s movie library to pick out the best movies that offer jump scares and plenty more as well.
If you’re putting together a Halloween film marathon right now, these are the five best Netflix movies with jump scares that you should consider adding to your watchlist this year. Just don't say I didn't warn you ...
‘Smile’ (2022)
“Smile’s” poster, which depicts a close-up shot of a woman’s face smiling unnervingly, is enough to send a shiver down my spine, and the actual movie itself is just as freaky as its promotional materials. One of the breakout horror hits of the 2020s, “Smile” is a supernatural horror that mixes in psychological terror, but it’s certainly not above making viewers shriek with a well-timed jump scare. The sequel is also great, but sadly, it’s over on Prime Video.
Therapist Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) begins to experience a waking nightmare after a disturbed patient commits suicide in front of her. Haunted by violent visions and constantly seeing people wearing the same eerie smile that her patient wore moments before ending her life, Rose starts to lose her grip on reality. To rid herself of the sinister presence terrorizing her, she must investigate a curse that has been passed down a chain of innocent victims.
Watch "Smile" on Netflix now
‘The Ritual’ (2018)
![The Ritual | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Vfugwq2uoa0/maxresdefault.jpg)
I’m not much of a hiker in general, but even the most passionate mountaineer might have second thoughts about trekking out into the wilderness after watching “The Ritual.” This horror incorporates folk legend, psychological shocks and plenty of jump scares to keep you glued to the screen (but watching from behind your sofa). Its sense of dread is almost oppressive, which means that I don’t recommend it for the easily spooked.
After the death of a close friend during a robbery turned murder, four old pals reunite for an excursion into the Scandinavian forest to honor his memory. When they get lost in the thick green maze of towering trees, they get the uncomfortable sense they’re being watched, and it’s not long before they’re face-to-face with an ancient evil. Starring Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier and Sam Troughton, “The Ritual” is a chilling trek into terror.
Watch "The Ritual" on Netflix now
‘Sinister’ (2012)
Director Scott Derrickson’s “The Black Phone 2” is currently in cinemas (and included in my roundup of the best new horror movies to watch this year), but I don’t think he has managed to surpass “Sinister” when it comes to sheer scariness. The creative use of Super 8 found footage is particularly effective, and while the tension is high throughout, the heart-pounding ending really brings it home in a way that ensures “Sinister” is burned into your psyche for weeks to come.
In “Sinister,” a true-crime novelist struggling with writer’s block moves into a new home with his family, and while unpacking, discovers a box of film reels in the attic. The footage contains grisly acts of murder, and while Ellison (Ethan Hawke) is repulsed, he’s also drawn into the mystery, believing he could have just stumbled on the material for a new bestseller. However, he’s melding with horrors he doesn’t understand, and darker forces are at play.
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‘The Strangers’ (2008)
To be clear, “The Strangers” I’m talking about here is the 2008 original, not last year’s reboot “The Strangers - Chapter 1, which, to be blunt, is among the worst horrors I’ve seen in recent years (and this year’s sequel was equally dire). So, while the “good-name” of the “The Strangers” has been sullied in the 2020s, the first remains a genuinely frightening chronicles of two unfortunate souls who end up being the wrong people in the wrong place.
Inspired by the Mason family murders, Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) are regular folk, set for a weekend away at an isolated summer house. But this trip is anything but relaxing when a trio of masked strangers knocks on the door and begins toying with the couple. Their motivations aren’t personal to these psychotic strangers; it’s all just a game. Word of warning, don’t watch this one alone, or you’ll never get to sleep afterwards. If you’re desperate for more, the first sequel, “Prey at Night,” is okay, just avoid the new reboot series.
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‘The Wretched’ (2020)
Horror movies centered on teenagers get a bad rap, and it’s not always unfair. When Netflix is offering subscribers subpar teen-centric efforts like “Until Dawn,” and the new “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” it can seem like any horror focused on a group of high-school adolescents is a recipe for a forgettable watch. But “The Wretched” proves there’s still good mileage to be gleaned from a horror movie with a younger cast of characters at its core.
One of the few movies released in theatres in the spring of 2020, “The Wretched” topped the box office for six consecutive weekends. While that was undoubtedly due to a lack of options at the time, it wasn’t totally unworthy of such a feat. In this supernatural chiller, a teenage boy (Ben Shaw) is grappling with his parents’ impending divorce, and if that wasn’t enough to cope with, he also has to face off against a centuries-old witch posing as his neighbor.
Watch "The Wretched" on Netflix now
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