10 Low Budget Horror Movies With The Best Jump Scares

Easily one of the most underrated horror films of the 2010s, Sinister follows true crime author Ellison Oswalt as he relocates his family into a new house. The twist being that a series of grisly murders had occurred in this house prior, and Ellison discovers a stash of tapes that have recordings of the murders on them.

The film has dread and tension in every aspect of its production. From the opening shot, horror fans knew they were in for something special. Due to the concept, Sinister squeezes a lot of jumps into its two-hour runtime. Each tape that Ellison views gets darker and darker, and the horror starts ramping up. This all leads to a brilliant finale in which the truth behind the murders is truly revealed.

Sinister mixes up the jump scares throughout but the best comes in the form of one of the tapes. In it we see a mysterious assailant simply mowing the lawn at night, yet they are slowly picking up speed. It is then revealed in a horrific jump scare that the killer was instead using the lawnmower as a murder weapon.

The way that Scott Derrickson directs this scene is flawless. The use of the old camera makes the tapes feel real and works so well with Ethan Hawke's acting. His reaction shot to the killing adds weight to the scene, especially as his occupation is a true crime author.

Made on a budget of $3 million, Sinister makes every dollar count. The look of the film is terrific, as is the production of the individual tapes. If you haven't seen Sinister, you must add it to your Halloween watchlist!