15 Best Jump Scares In Movie History

5. The Demon Appears - Insidious

Yep, James Wan sure knows how to deliver intense, expectation-defying jump scares alright. This classic from his 2011 hit Insidious occurs when Josh's (Patrick Wilson) mother Lorraine (Barbara Hershey) visits and tells Josh of a dream she had, where the demonic entity terrorising the family claims that it wants Josh's son Dalton (Ty Simpkins).

As Wan focuses the shot on Lorraine, an unsettling clicking noise can be heard, and as she looks over at Josh, the demon, complete with red and black facepaint, can briefly be seen grimacing behind an unaware Josh's head.

Wan performs a clever act of misdirection here. His constant lingering on Lorraine makes it seem like something might jump into the shot of her, but instead, the demon emerges during the cut to Josh.

Yes, Wan makes use of a loud tension chord, but the overall visceral impact of the jump makes it a brilliant scare all the same.