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Jumpscares: Cheap or Strategic?
A Discussion on Thrills and Chills.
Look at the image above. What other images does it bring to mind? What feelings come to light? Will you find a masked killer waiting through the door ready to pounce? Perhaps. One might also find nothing but a dilapidated room.
Scenes similar to the image above have been put to screen ever since the emergence of horror cinema. For example, Count Orlok lurking in the doorway of Thomas Hutter’s room in ‘Nosferatu’ (1922, dir. F. W. Murnau).
The image of the tall, imposing Count standing there in wait, watching as Hutter cowers bleeds into the minds of the audience members. Now tell me, if you were in Hutter’s position, what would be scarier; having the Count stand there and watch you with his gaze all night, or having him suddenly glide towards you with outstretched arms?
That is the question I hope to shed light on in this article.
What is a Jumpscare?
To put it simply, a Jumpscare is a sudden jolt of terror that startles you. Typically, there is either no build-up or a false build-up to this event. You are either eased into…
