10 Horror Movie Cliches That Need To Die
2. The Sequel-Baiting Final Jump Scare
Because so many horror films are produced as franchise-baiting commodities rather than restrained one-offs, it's little surprise that many end on one final jump scare to assure audiences that, no, the evil hasn't gone anywhere.
Basically all of the major horror franchises have done it at one point or another, to start setting the table for the next inevitable sequel, and ensure that teenagers the world over are left squealing as they exit the cinema.
In fact, it's such an expected part of any studio-produced horror movie that it's a genuine surprise when it doesn't happen: The Conjuring famously trolled audiences by setting up a jump scare ending only to conclude on nothing but eerie quiet instead.
Despite how utterly formulaic and predictable it is, the "one final scare" probably isn't going anywhere anytime soon, sadly.
Examples: A Nightmare On Elm Street, Halloween: Resurrection, Paranormal Activity, Sinister, Unfriended.