What’s the best part of a jump scare? While the actual “Boo!” moment usually gets all the attention, most longtime horror fans recognize that the key to a good jump scare is actually the buildup. Sure, there are some exceptions, like the terrifying scare from episode eight of The Haunting of Hill House (if you’ve seen it, you know exactly what I’m talking about), but most of the time, these moments are only as good as the tension that precedes them. It’s what separates the good jump scares from the cheapies, and with that in mind, I’d like to present to you an exclusive clip from the upcoming film Country of Hotels.
The clip is admittedly pretty short, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in suspense and tension. It shows a man in a hotel room trying to find the source of some mysterious whispers, and it’s pretty captivating. It draws you in and makes you anxious to learn just where those sounds are coming from, so you feel like you’re right there with the guy as he tries to figure out what the hell is going on. It makes for a masterful buildup, so if you can appreciate the anatomy of a good jump scare, I think you’re going to like this short clip from Country of Hotels.
As you might expect from the name of the film, Country of Hotels is about a mysterious haunted room in a decaying hotel and recounts the supernatural experiences of various people who stay there. Viewers will encounter a heating unit that spews out ominous whispers, a television that randomly changes channels and reveals a guest’s dark fantasies, and a bathroom mirror that will disprove one’s existence with just a single brief look.
Country of Hotels is set to hit VOD platforms on May 26.