Forget bloodthirsty monsters or unstoppable serial killers, it’s children that are the real stars of horror films.
Why? Because nothing unnerves you more than a creepy kid. They’re supposed to be angelic and cute, not the stuff of pure evil ? that is unless you have them, of course.
To think of them as evil twists our ideas of childhood innocence. It’s like petting a fluffy dog and then realising it has some sort of flesh-eating disease. Of course, we’ve all had bad experiences with creepy children. They’re the ones at school even the geeks and dorks wouldn’t hang around with. In fact, the only thing they usually played with was their own shit.
To be honest, even thinking up this list has got us on edge, so let’s cut to the chase.
10. Banjo-playing kid
Film: Deliverance (1972)
The horror of being hunted by gun-toting rednecks is nothing compared to the result of six generations of inbreeding. Forget the ‘squeal like a pig’ moment, his face is enough to ensure you’ll never leave the city again.
9. Cole Sear
Film: Sixth Sense (1999)
You can see dead people, can you? Yeah, right! Bit of a conversation-stopper in the playground that one. Let’s face it, even if you found out he was telling the truth, you still wouldn’t have invited him round your house for jelly and ice cream.
8. Sack boy
Film: The Orphanage (2008)
We’re so freaked out by the picture of him, we don’t even want to go and see the film.
7. Regan MacNeil
Film: The Exorcist (1973)
She’d be your worst nightmare as an attention-seeking little sister. “Look at me mum, I can turn my head all the way around. Look at me dad, I can spew from one side of my bedroom to the other. Look at me, I can get a crucifix?” OK, so maybe that’s taking it too far.
6. Girls skipping
Film: Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
The grotesquely-disfigured maniac with knives on the end of his fingers is not the scariest bit in the film. It’s the skipping girls who sing that horrible “Freddie’s coming for you” song. They remind us of the really creepy twins in The Simpsons.
5. Toshio
Film: Ju-On,The Grudge (2003)
What is about Japanese kids that makes them so scary?
4. Homer
Film: Near Dark (1987)
He was turned into a vampire when he was kid and is essentially an adult trapped in a kid’s body. Need convincing? Well, he wanted to make a ‘playmate’ out of the main character’s little sister. She’s about nine, for God’s sake. OK, well he freaked us out.
3. Young Sadako
Films: Ring Trilogy (1998-2000)
You don’t really see her much until later in the series, but despite being terrorised by her older self for most of the series you start to crave her return. She can kill people by just thinking about it. A handy trick.
2. Twins
Film: The Shining (1980)
Jack Nicholson as an axe-wielding maniac is light relief compared to this terrible twosome. “Come play with us.” Sod that!
1. Damien Thorn
Film: The Omen (1976)
How many of you have wondered whether your child was actually the son of the Devil? Seriously!
Christie Jordan says
Don’t forget the kid in “The Tin Drum.”
shawna says
The kids in Village of the Damned….
But definitely the twins in the Shining… very creepy
carmela says
I love Dave’s lists!
and i hate kids! what a perfect combination
Jade says
The girl from The Ring should definitely be number 1 !!
Claire says
Also Ester from Orphan and Anna from The Uninvited they were CREEPERS lol :) but kool post :D
dawn says
hello!? what about the child in the devils backbone that spanish movie is scarring
http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111103015753/residentevil/images/3/3f/Have-you-cine-the-devils-backbone.jpg