Published May 11, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT

This terrifying film packs in leap-off-the-couch jump scares

Image: Shudder

A woman walking down the street alone at night realizes she’s being followed. As her stalker draws closer, the clicking of high heels on the city street builds the tension to a breaking point, until suddenly… a startling hiss comes from just off-screen. But it's only a bus, which pulls up next to her, and the woman steps inside to safety.

In that scene from 1942’s Cat People , director Jacques Tourneur invented the “jump scare” through clever editing. The scene was on the cutting edge of horror cinema, terrifying the audiences of its era, and perplexing critics who responded with mixed reviews.…