Over the years, Hollywood has made several scary kids’ movies that turned out to be terrifying, traumatizing kids as much as they entertained them. These films range from straight young adult horror movies to animated releases, and even some that might not even pá´€ss the test today for advertising to kids.
There are entire generations of adults who still hold a spot in their hearts for the movies that terrified them as children. People who grew up in the 1980s still talk fondly about how fantasy films like The Dark Crystal gave them nightmares for years. These movies mostly all stand up today, and are as scary now as they ever were.
The House With a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
Released in 2018, The House With a Clock in Its Walls doesn’t seem like a movie made for kids, given the talent behind the camera. Eli Roth, the king of graphic horror cinema, directed the film. However, this was clearly made for younger kids, with a child star and his attempts to survive the world of the supernatural.
The movie is also based on the kids’ mystery novel by John Bellairs, and it was a popular book for school-aged kids. However, the studio knew what it was doing when it made the movie, and the theatrical release even opened with the re-release of the classic Michael Jackson music video for “Thriller,” which was scary enough on its own.
The House With a Clock in Its Walls tells the story of a witch (Cate Blanchett) and a wizard (Jack Black) who take the young Lewis into their home when his parents die. The film then puts the child into terrifying situations with evil witches who want to destroy the world. The imagery is frightening, and the film delivered some great scares.
The Monster Squad (1987)
The Monster Squad might be more fun than scary, but it has moments that definitely scared younger kids in the 1980s. Directed by Fred Dekker, who co-wrote the script with Shane Black (Lethal Weapon), Monster Squad was a love letter to Universal Horror monsters and brought them into the modern day to confront some kids.
This includes the best of the best of classic horror monsters, with Dracula, the Wolf-Man, the Mummy, and the Gill-Man as the villains, while Frankenstein’s Monster took on the role of protector, helping the kids. The kids were also great, and there were some terrifying moments of the kids in danger when the monsters closed in.
This movie also deserves a lot of credit for becoming a cult classic that people of a certain age still look back on fondly. There was even a fantastic documentary from 2018 that fans need to search out called Wolfman’s Got Nards, which examines the incredible legacy of this scary horror movie for kids.
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
Released in 1983, Something Wicked This Way Comes is best known for the fact that the iconic Ray Bradbury wrote the script. The film was based on Bradbury’s 1962 novel of the same name about two 13-year-old boys who experience a nightmare when a traveling carnival arrives in their Midwestern hometown.
The cast was incredible, with names like Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, Diane Ladd, and Pam Grier in the lead roles, while the two child actors held their own alongside them. The film then does something interesting by mixing the kids’ coming-of-age story with terrifying adult horror scenes.
Interestingly, Something Wicked This Way Comes was lost for several years and has finally returned with an exciting release on Disney+. While this is a film of its time, the story is still solid, and the scares are top-notch, making it a very scary movie for kids, though it might be better for people who grew up with 80s movies.
Goosebumps (2015)
For many years, there wasn’t a scarier television series for kids than Goosebumps. These were live-action horror episodes that delivered big scares and even some shocking moments, given the age group they were made for. It was also based on the R.L. Stine novel series, which was also geared to scare kids.
In 2015, Goosebumps came to the big screen with Jack Black playing R.L. Stine and the hook being that his stories were based on real monsters that he kept trapped in his locked books. This allowed for some scary moments, especially for kids watching the movie. Of course, Slappy might be one of R.L. Stine’s scariest creations.
There were several other scares in the movie, from the werewolf to the idea that the kids could be sucked into the book, making it a nice addition to the kids’ horror movie genre. The ending was also disconcerting, delivering a different type of scary moment with Stine’s “daughter.”
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
The Spiderwick Chronicles is a young adult adaptation based on the novels by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi. They tell the story of a mother, Helen (Mary-Louise Parker), and her kids, twins Jared and Simon (both played by Freddie Highmore), and her daughter, Mallory (Sarah Bolger). They soon discover a supernatural world.
The film had some genuinely scary scenes, especially when the mythical creatures began appearing, which the kids could only see with a special device. The Seth Rogen-voiced hobgoblin Hogsqueal was terrifying, even as one of the heroes, seeking revenge against an evil ogre who killed his family.
There was also Thimbletack, a brownie who can change into a boggart when he gets angry, and the entire goblin army that works for the evil ogre Mulgarath (Nick Nolte). The kids are in constant danger, and Nolte is perfect as the villain who wants nothing more than to destroy this family.
Gremlins (1984)
It might be interesting to debate whether Gremlins was made for kids or just a horror-comedy that kids gravitated to. Either way, there are very few kids in the 1980s who didn’t watch this very scary, yet darkly hilarious, horror movie about a cute little creature named Gizmo who brought the terrifying monsters known as Gremlins to life.
This caused a lot of confusion when the movie was released, especially since there was a major promotional push at the time aimed at kids. Gremlins has many violent, scary scenes, and it also features dark moments of adult humor that might be too much for younger audiences. However, that didn’t stop its success.
Gremlins made $212.9 million on an $11 million budget, and this was easily Joe Dante’s most popular movie in an already impressive career. From Gizmo becoming a popular kids’ toy to the Gremlins, like Stripe, becoming horror movie icons in their own right, this was a kids’ horror movie that remains a beloved favorite four decades later.
The NeverEnding Story (1984)
Wolfgang Petersen’s 1984 fantasy masterpiece, The NeverEnding Story, is not a horror movie, but it has some of the scariest, most traumatic scenes in any kids’ movie in history. The story follows Bastian Balthazar Bux, a young boy who reads a book about a hero named Atreyu who must save the Childlike Empress.
However, Bastian soon learns he has a role to play in this story, and he has to help save the Childlike Empress to save his own world. There are so many incredible things in this film, like the fantastically majestic Luck Dragon Falkor. However, there are also terrifying things, like the wolf-like Gmork.
However, what really solidified this as one of the scariest and most traumatizing kids’ movies ever made was the moment Atreyu realized he couldn’t save his beloved horse, Artax, who sank into the swamp and died. This is one moment that gave kids all over the world nightmares for years.
The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
When released in theaters in 1939, The Wizard of Oz was advertised as a musical because the studio had no faith that movie audiences would care about a fantasy. However, it is the film’s fantasy elements that have allowed it to remain one of Hollywood’s most beloved releases of the Golden Age.
The movie has a lot of elements that were extremely frightening for kids when it was released, not the least of which were the evil Wicked Witch of the West and her terrifying Flying Winged Monkeys. While later stories like Wicked have tried to paint the Witch in a more positive light, these Monkeys are still some of the scariest creations in movies.
The fact that they were terrorizing a young teenage girl and, even more horrific, her little god Toto, made these Monkeys even scarier. The final battle between Dorothy and the Witch was also scary, and this movie doesn’t get the credit it deserves for its frightening moments.
The Black Cauldron (1985)
Disney has released some terrifying movies over its time, making animated releases. The original Disney Animated films, like Pinocchio, Bambi, and Fantasia, all featured horrific and scary moments. However, almost nothing from Disney was as terrifying for kids as its 1985 release, The Black Cauldron.
The movie was based on two books by Lloyd Alexander about a wicked emperor, the Horned King, who wants to obtain an ancient magical cauldron to conquer the world. The film then follows a small group as they set out to stop him. The result was a box-office bomb for Disney Animation, as the film never recouped its budget.
However, some critics praised the film, including Roger Ebert, who said it was “a rip-roaring tale of swords and sorcery, evil and revenge, magic and pluck and luck.” It also had very scary moments, made even better by the fact that this was Disney’s first movie to use computer animation, adding touches of flair.
The Watcher In The Woods (1980)
In 1980, a kids’ horror movie frightened an entire generation when The Watcher in the Woods hit theaters. The film had a legend in the lead role, with the iconic Bette Davis as Mrs. Aylwood, while Halloween child actor and future Real Housewives cast member Kyle Richards played one of the two kids caught in the horror.
The movie follows two sisters who move to a house in the English countryside and become involved in a mystery when a girl goes missing in the woods. The result is a supernatural tale Disney released as part of its efforts to attract young audiences to live-action adaptations, though it turned out to be a scary experience for little kids.
There was even a remake in 2017 with Anjelica Huston. Still, the original remains the superior effort and is just as scary today as it was when released over four decades ago.
