Creepy Kids in Horror Movies

Forget Freddy, Jason and Michael Myers. These aren’t the scariest horror movie antagonists by a longshot. The real scares come not from our beloved horror movie icons but from creepy kids.

Let’s take the Shining for example. Is Jack Nicholson the sole source of all the scares and horror in that movie? At first you may think so. But think about it. How did you feel the first time Danny Lloyd started speaking in that creepy-croaky voice to his imaginary friend Tony? It gives you a sense of unease. Is the kid crazy? Does Tony really exist? What does this mean for the family? This creepy little bastard is just as essential to the overall sense of fear as the rest of the protagonists. And let’s not forget one of the most iconic scenes from the movie involves two creepy twin girls and a lots and lots of blood.

Horror movie directors know kids are creepy and use this to great effect. Be it through great casting or great child-acting kids in horror movies can really deliver on the scares, chills and fear we crave for our horror-kicks.
Classics like The Omen (1976), Poltergeist (1982) and Pet Sematary (1989) all demonstrate the effectiveness of using creepy kids to elicit fear, unease and tension in the viewer.

We’ve got creepy kids to thank for titles like Children of the Corn (1984) and Village of the Damned (1995). Both showing the utter fear creepy kids impose on the viewer does not diminish with numbers; more creepy kids equals more creepiness.

Eden Lake (2008) demonstrated just how f*cking scary kids can be. Even to supposedly capable adults. Watching these kids spiral out of control due to lack of boundaries, peer pressure and bravado is chilling and terrifying in equal measures.

Most recently The Babadook (2014) has given us one of the most believable and creepiest kids in a long time. At first he is off-putting. You know there is just something not quite right with him. You empathize with his mother. Again, great writing, great casting and a solid performance has given us yet another creepy kids to keep us up at night.

Check out our complete list of creepy kids in horror movies and lets us know if you think we’ve missed one. And remember, if you’ve seen a movie, rate it!