movies

Often, I'm in the same boat as you. For example, Skinamarink is one of the worst offenders I've seen in recent years. If a movie does it once or twice, I don't mind it, as it can soften you up to allow more clever scares to get further under your skin, or have you on edge whenever the score cuts out. But doing it too much ruins the effect.

There are ones I think are genuinely good, though. Ones without that loud audio stab, or where it comes slightly delayed such that the image already spooked me and the noise hits it home, work for me. I think of a moment in Hereditary when you all of a sudden see movement over a character's shoulder in a darkened room that had appeared empty (avoiding details for spoilers). It's more earned, because the terror spreads like a wave through the audience as people realize it at different times, as the movie doesn't call attention to it, but if you're watching the screen, you'll see it eventually.

I'm with you on this one. Definitely feels cheap to me.

I've heard Jordan Crucchiola argue for what she calls "a well-crafted" jump scare, but I haven't heard them actually describe what that is or provide a solid example of one.

Depending on the taxonomy of scares and what technically does and doesn't quality as a "jump" scare, two of my favorites come from early M. Night Shyamalan.

From The Sixth Sense..,

More-so that many other jump-scares I've seen, those felt earned. The framing was creative. You recognize that there's something scary coming up, but the plot is shaped such that you don't know what you're about to see. The expectation and the not-knowing are far far more important to the scare than simply the virtual invasion-of-space and sharp orchestra sting.

I get mad at jump scares. Like, how dare you (the thing doing the jump scare), how fucking dare you do that. So rude! Brains are a silly place.