10 Best Jump Scares In Sci-Fi Movie History
3. The Bus - Cat People
A horror classic from 1942, RKO’s Cat People takes the sci-fi premise of the existence of vicious feline creatures and gave it a noir spin that creates a lingering sense of tension. Despite its title suggesting a throwaway B-Movie, Cat People holds a special place in film history: it’s the first film to use a jump scare as they’ve become known today.
The iconic scene in question follows a woman, Alice (Jane Randolph), walking down a darkened street at night after having dinner with her colleague, Oliver (Kent Smith). She’s just confessed her love for him, but he’s already engaged to someone else. Unbeknownst to Alice, a woman begins to follow her. Moreover, this woman believes herself to be one of the cat people.
Alice becomes aware that she’s being followed and begins to walk faster. A fearsome growling sound disrupts the night’s eerie stillness as she stops to check whether she's safe.
The implication is that the other woman really has transformed into a cat and is about to pounce. However, this is masterful misdirection. The sound is nothing more than the engine of a bus that drives into frame as its brakes screech.
This technique is almost 80 years old, and it's as effective as ever.