10 Most Shocking Jump Cuts In Film History
7. Charlie's Head - Hereditary
Ari Aster's Hereditary is one of the most haunting and expertly composed horror films of the decade, if not the entire 21st century. And its brilliance is really defined by one spectacularly executed sequence mid-way through the film.
After Annie's (Toni Collette) daughter Charlie (Milly Shapiro) is decapitated in a traffic accident involving her son Peter (Alex Wolff), a traumatised Peter drives the car home, with his sister's headless corpse inside, parks it up and climbs into bed.
Aster then focuses on Peter as he stares into the distance at the precise moment that Annie can be heard wailing in anguish, having discovered Charlie's body in the garage.
Aster then jump cuts directly from Peter's face to Charlie's severed, mutilated head on the side of the road as it's being consumed by ants, all while Annie's screaming can still be heard.
Aster then cuts back to the house, but this time we're focused on Annie as she sobs uncontrollably at her daughter's death.
It's one of the most startling and genuinely disturbing jump cuts in recent memory, and one that certainly earns its shockingly detailed display of gore.