If there’s one thing that makes a horror movie even creepier, it’s the kids. Whether it be Sinister 2, in which spirits of dead children haunt a boy, or Hereditary, in which a dead 12-year-old girl ends up possessing her mother’s body after a séance went wrong. There’s just something about kids in horror movies that is scary enough to give you a heart attack. It has been rightly said, “there is no greater sound than a child’s laughter unless you’re in a horror movie”.
From William Friedkin to Richard Donner to James Wan, many major horror movie directors over the last 50 years have made their mark in this genre by making movies with creepy kids, that have gone on to win prestigious awards and nominations, including Golden Globes & Academy Awards. These movies are truly chilling, filled with an eeriness that can make you lose your night's sleep.
Here are some of the best horror movies with creepy kids, ranked.
7 The Shining (1980)
Even if you haven't seen this film, you might have come across this photo at least once in your life. The Shining follows the story of a child named Danny, who has a power of premonition, which he calls “shining”. This movie starts with him getting a vision of blood splashing from the doors of an elevator, in a closed hotel where Danny’s dad Jack, a struggling writer, got a new winter caretaker job after the previous caretaker killed his family and himself there.
Once they move in, things start going south and the dark forces eventually turn Jack homicidal. In the hotel, Danny encounters twin girls, famously known as the “Grady Twins”, holding hands in an empty hallway and looking at him, while saying the famous dialogue, "Hello Danny, Come and play with us. Come and play with us, Danny." After, Danny sees horrifying image flashes of those girls lying dead in large pools of blood. Even though the Grady Twins appear on-screen in only two scenes, those two scenes were enough to make them one of the creepiest kid characters in movie history.
6 Children Of The Corn (1984)
“And just as the blue man was offered upon to Him...so shall be the unbelievers!” Based on Stephen King’s short story of the same name, Children Of The Corn is a story about a couple, Burt and Vicky, who accidentally come across a creepy rural town in Nebraska, which appears to be only inhabited by a cult of feral children following a corn-based religion. What follows is truly a horrifying tale.
5 The Omen (1976)
Directed by legendary filmmaker Richard Donner, Academy Award-winning film The Omen is about an American diplomat Robert who secretly replaces his deceased newborn with another child, Damien, whose mother died during childbirth. Things appear to be fine until Damien turns five, and that’s when the creepiness starts kicking in full swing. Damien’s nanny is found dead hanging from the roof during his fifth birthday party, and animals start acting weird when they’re near Damien. The film reaches its climax when a priest tells Robert about Damien’s origins and claims that he is the son of Satan.
The Omen released in 1976, was a commercial success earning $60 million and was followed by three installments and a remake.
4 Let The Right One In (2008)
Let The Right One In follows the story of a bullied 12-year-old boy, Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), and his mysterious new neighbor, Eli. In the beginning, it seems like Eli doesn’t want to be Oskar’s friend, but as the film progresses they slowly start forming a close bond. What Oskar doesn’t know is that Eli is a vampire and has a gory past full of murders, that she eventually shares with him.
The Swedish film Let The Right One In went on to win 75 awards and is considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time.
3 The Grudge (2004)
A remake of Japanese horror film, Ju-On: The Grudge, is a story of a woman named Kayako and her son Toshio, who get murdered by her husband, and with their murder an endless curse is born. This curse kills everyone who encounters it and passes from victim to victim. In this movie, we see Toshio following the ghost of her mother who is determined to kill anyone who enters her house. Even though Toshio doesn’t really do much other than scare people by staring at them and making sounds, his eyes are creepy enough to scare anyone.
2 The Ring (2002)
A list of movies based on creepy kids in horror movies wouldn’t be complete without mentioning The Ring. The film follows the story of an adopted young girl named “Samara”, who had the ability to psychically carve mental images onto surfaces and into the minds of both people and animals. She attaches herself to a videotape with a curse, and whoever watches it dies within seven days.
The Ring went on to win 14 awards, including an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain & a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie - Horror/Thriller.
1 The Exorcist (1973)
Based on William Peter Blatty's 1971 novel of the same name, which included elements from the true experience of Roland Doe, The Exorcist follows the story of a young girl named Regan, who after using a Ouija Board, starts acting strange and speaking in different tongues. Regan’s mother Chris, upon witnessing her daughter’s odd behavior, seeks medical help, but is suggested by the doctors to see a priest instead. The priest tells Chris that a demon has taken over her daughter, and only an exorcism can free her from the demon now.
Until 2017, when IT was released, The Exorcist was the highest grossing R-rated horror movie of all time. Five sequels have been released so far of this horror flick, with a reboot trilogy expected to hit cinemas next year on October 13.