It’s one of the most well-worn tricks in the horror handbook: An innocent victim is minding their own business, nothing happening, and then…something happens to make the watcher’s heart skip a beat.

As Halloween approaches, it’s getting scary out there. But, surprisingly, it’s not as jump-scary as it used to be. Since 2014, the number of jump scares cranked out by Hollywood has fallen ...

A defining component of the cinematic horror experience is the immediate, heart-pounding fright that only a great jump scare can provide. The abrupt onslaught on the senses can sometimes be viewed as ...