Creepy Kids in Cinema

When are you going to have a baby? Women hear this question more often, but it’s also a question posed to newly married men. Just don’t forget that the family member, friend, or co-worker with that question on their lips won’t have to raise your bundle of joy. Before you commit to parenthood, take a look at the potential for disaster. These horror films demonstrate why the reality of parenthood doesn’t always match the expectations of first-time parents.

Carrie White - Carrie (1976)

When you think of creepy kids, Stephen King’s Carrie might not come to mind. After all, Carrie White is in high school and the actress who played her (Sissy Spacek) was 25 when she filmed the Brian De Palma adaptation. Even so, a high school student is still considered a child in strictly legal terms and Carrie White was one disturbing girl.

It’s no wonder Carrie eventually went off the rails. She spent her school days on the receiving end of relentless bullying only to return home to a mother who was fanatically religious. Together, those two aspects of Carrie’s life came together to torment her every waking moment. She may have only seemed slightly odd at the start of the film, but, by the end, she was at her wit’s end.

Sissy Spacek understood her assignment. In preparing for the role, she kept her distance from the rest of the cast. Instead of socializing during downtime, Sissy studied a bible illustrated by Gustave Dore. Her dressing room was adorned with Catholic iconography to help the actress immerse herself in the role.

Damien Thorn - The Omen (1976)

When Katherine Thorn (Lee Remick) delivers an apparently stillborn baby, her husband is beside himself. Rather than letting his beloved wife grieve the loss, Gregory Thorn (Gregory Peck) makes a deal with a priest for a secret adoption. As Gregory, Katherine, and the audience soon discover, this adopted baby is no ordinary child.

When the Jews return to Zion

And a comet rips the sky

And the Holy Roman Empire rises,

Then You and I must die.

From the eternal sea he rises,

Creating armies on either shore,

Turning man against his brother

'Til man exists no more.

Those verses, recited by Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton), reveal that a series of cosmic events preceded the birth of the antichrist, Damien Thorn (Harvey Stephens). Even before Brennan confronts Thorn, there are signs that there’s something different about this young boy. Most animals dislike him…except for a rather brutish dog. Damien has an intense hatred of churches. And he doesn’t seem capable of bonding with Katherine Thorn.

Fans of The Omen might wonder how Harvey Stephens won the role from dozens of other young boys. During the casting call, Richard Donner asked all of the boys to attack him in a manner similar to the way he wanted Damien Thorn to attack Katherine during the car ride to the church. Harvey Stephens’ attack was particularly vicious. He scratched and bit Donner, clinging to him tightly. After having the boy removed, The Omen director hired Stephens and had his blonde hair dyed black for the role.

Isaac & Malachai - Children of the Corn (1984)

Fans of Stephen King know he has taken more than a few shots at organized religion, but Children of the Corn might be his most obvious attack. After murdering all of the adults in town, the children adopt an altered religious text as the guide for their lives. They only answer to He Who Walks Behind the Rows and offer Sacrifices to this mysterious God. In later sequels, He Who Walks Behind the Rows takes on a more supernatural presence, but this first installment keeps the entity’s identity as mysterious as possible.

The plot focuses on Burt (Peter Gorton) and Vicky (Linda Hamilton) as they find themselves stranded in this town during a doomed road trip. They soon discover that the town isn’t as deserted as they at first surmised. While most of the children in town are eager to slay the outlanders, the couple does befriend two children who have resisted the cult’s teachings.

Children of the Corn spawned the most sequels out of any other Stephen King adaptation. In addition, the film had a profound effect on moviegoers. While dining out with friends, John Franklin (Isaac) revealed that a woman at a nearby table recognized him. She screamed and immediately ran out of the restaurant.

Pet Sematary (1989)

We all know the line.

“Sometimes dead is better.”

Unfortunately, Louis Creed (Dale Midkiff) doesn’t listen when Jud Crandall (Fred Gwynne) offers this advice. Instead, he turns one tragedy into a massacre by burying his son in Pet Sematary. When Gage Creed (Miko Hughes) returns, it quickly becomes obvious that he came back wrong. This is no longer the adorable child that gave the Creeds so much joy. Now, Gage is a malevolent entity built on killing everyone in his path.

Few lines in horror cinema are as creepy as this young boy shouting: I want to play with you!

Through the first act, Louis’ wife Rachel (Denise Crosby) is unlikeable. When she’s not nagging at Louis, she’s making demands that make her seem almost mean to her entire family. She comes through in the end as she rushes to save Louis, but Crosby’s early scenes don’t exactly do any favors for her character’s plight. This is an intentional evolution for the character as demonstrated through flashbacks of Rachel and her sister, Zelda.

Although Zelda is a 13-year-old girl with spinal meningitis, Pet Sematary director Mary Lambert doubted she could find a girl capable of frightening audiences. Instead, she cast Andrew Hubatsek in the role. Heavy makeup and low lighting helped to convince audiences that the Zelda character was played by a female performer.

The Ring (2002)

When The Ring premiered in theaters 23 years ago, it rapidly became a cultural phenomenon. Samara (Daveigh Chase) and her “seven days” mantra quickly became pure nightmare fuel. Certainly, Samara and her dark story were frightening, but she wasn’t the only unnerving child in this film.

Looking back on it more than 20 years later, it’s difficult to not feel more than a little disturbed by Aiden (David Dorfman) and his peculiar behavior. The film presents him as an independent child, almost like a miniature man. In itself, that’s eerie enough. Before long, he seems to exhibit insights that almost seem supernatural. He chooses dresses for his mother, Rachel (Naomi Watts), recognizes a father he couldn’t possibly remember, and seems overly wise for his age.

Proving demonic books aren’t the only cause of mayhem in horror movies, The Ring uses video as a plot device. Once the videotape enters the picture and Samara makes herself known, Aiden’s abilities seem magnified. He quickly develops a bond with the antagonist by watching the mysterious video. Even though Rachel also watched the tape and Noah (Martin Henderson) subsequently viewed the tape, Aiden seems to understand more than both of them.

It’s possible that Samara could burn her thoughts into the minds of her victims just as she burned them onto film. This would explain the connection shared with her victims through the seven-day period. In Japanese culture, Nensha is the practice of burning images onto a surface entirely through thought. It’s similar to some types of spirit photography in Western culture. The film hints that Samara took Nensha a step further when she mentions that the Morgans suffered bad visions and nightmares. She may have gotten better with this talent over time, perfecting it with Aiden.

What’s Your Favorite Horror Film with Creepy Kids?

This horror list isn’t exhaustive. In fact, there are many more films that feature creepy, demonic, or evil children as the primary protagonists. Do you have a favorite on this list? Is your favorite film missing? Leave a comment with your favorite creepy kid in horror.