10 Most Terrifying Jump Scares In Recent Horror Movies

10. The Magazine Rack - The Nun II (2023)

After appearing in The Conjuring 2, demonic nun Valak has become one of the most iconic figures in contemporary horror. While their first spin-off movie failed to deliver the same level of fear that this franchise is known for, 2023 sequel The Nun II was a far better outing than its predecessor.

Set four years after the events of the first film, Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) is tasked with investigating a series of murders that are believed to be committed by Valak, who's still processing Irene’s friend Maurice (Jonas Bloque) following the events of the previous film.

Her investigation takes her to France where she tracks down a young witness to one of Valak’s killings. Following the boy, Irene finds herself in a darkened alley in front of an eerily lit magazine rack. The pages begin to flutter open, forming a picture of the monstrous nun.

Tension is everything in this sequence as an offscreen noise causes the camera to slowly pan into the darkness before returning to the magazines. Irene steps closer, and as the lights flicker Valak manifests from the pages and attacks her.

While this series' scares are known to follow a similar formula, this sequence's pitch-perfect tension and timing reminded viewers how effective these jump scares can be.