Horror movies know how to get mileage out of kids, whether they’re making them the relatable, terrified protagonist of their stories or turning them into creepy villains that dominate the narrative. Some of the best child performances ever come from horror films, which seem to have a knack for utilizing child actors to the best of their ability.

Kids make for great horror movie heroes due to the sense of isolation and helplessness that often comes with childhood, forced to face whatever terrors they uncover on their own. Of course, they’re just as good as antagonists, with some of the creepiest kids in movies and TV hailing from the horror genre.

10

Weapons (2025)

The sophomore horror effort of rising star Zach Cregger, Weapons has made a mᴀssive impact in a short amount of time with the level of critical acclaim it has been able to accumulate. The story centers on a missing classroom full of kids in a typical American suburb who suddenly go missing, getting up in the middle of the night and running out of their homes and into the darkness.

The mystery behind Weapons‘ child disappearances drives the eerie story for the majority of its fragmented narrative. When the perspective finally shifts to the lone survivor of the disappearances, Alex, the film manages to endear viewers to one of the best child horror protagonists ever written, surviving his miserable circumstances through his own wit alone.

9

Goodnight Mommy (2022)

Usually, when a child appears in a horror movie in a substantial role, they’re either the hero or the villain. Yet the German horror-thriller Goodnight Mommy toys with this convention, centering on a pair of brothers who are convinced their mother has been replaced by an imposter when she returns from treatment for a horrible accident covered in facial bandages.

For most of the film, the viewer is kept uncertain as to whether the mother in question is a home invader or if the kids’ vivid imaginations and understandable fears of their mom’s new condition are to blame for the chaos. The ghastly twist leaves a lasting impression, making Goodnight Mommy one of the most frightening films to utilize kids.

8

It (2017)

One of the most iconic film adaptations of Stephen King’s work ever, the first part of the It duology is a classic for a good reason. The Losers’ Club is a group of outcast kids growing up in Derry, Maine, who find themselves targeted by the Eldritch horror that is Pennywise the Clown, a shapeshifting monster who feasts on fear.

Many Stephen King projects feature kids to some degree, but It is able to faithfully transplant the audience back to their childhood selves with its realistic depiction of life growing up. The adolescent heroes are put through the ringer by Pennywise’s imagined terrors and hauntingly accurate depictions of abuse, making this coming-of-age horror story a true gold mine.

7

The Shining (1980)

Another Stephen King adaptation to feature a child protagonist, The Shining is one of the greatest films ever made, let alone one of the greatest horror movies. When struggling alcoholic and writer Jack Torrance is offered a job watching the Overlook H๏τel during its off-season, the isolation and latent madness of the place drive him to despicable acts of violence.

The young Danny maintains a dreamy determination throughout his terrifying circumstances, facing his fears as he develops his newfound gifts. The idea of having to survive a violent attack by one’s own father with no help at such a young age enhances the supernatural terror of the Overlook H๏τel.

6

The Exorcist (1973)

One of the most iconic horror movies of all time and the film to revolutionize the possession genre, The Exorcist needs little introduction. When the young Regan’s body is completely possessed by a horrible demon, it’s up to a lone priest to expel the profane force from the young woman’s body before it kills her.

It’s amazing just how far into hell Linda Blair can drag the viewer as she effortlessly shifts from Regan McNeil to the insidious Pazuzu. Her menacing grin covered in ghastly makeup is still a haunting visage through the striking, low-light cinematography. Despite being filmed in 1973, The Exorcist is every bit as scary today as when it came out.

5

The Omen (1976)

Another case of a demonic child, The Omen goes one step further by supposing that an evil child isn’t merely possessed by a demon, but is the literal reincarnation of the antichrist himself. Damien is a boy who is followed by trouble, though it soon becomes apparent that the lad’s own machinations are to blame for the deaths around him.

Anyone who spends time with kids can attest to just how cruel they can be, but Damien embodies the early developmental lack of empathy ᴀssociated with young children to an uncanny degree. The chilling final image of The Omen seems to suggest that there is no escape from his terrible plans once set into motion.

4

The Ring (2002)

American remakes of Japanese horror classics rarely go well, but the success of The Ring makes it easy to see why so many attempts were made. Gore Verbinski’s startling horror thriller centers on the search for answers regarding a cursed videotape that kills anyone who views its contents in seven days, marked by an ominous phone call.

Though Samara Morgan’s backstory isn’t elaborated on until later in the film, she’s one of the most iconic images in supernatural horror as she crawls through the TV, dark hair obscuring her frightful visage. Watching the film, it’s hard not to feel like one isn’t next on her list of victims, another viewer to hunt down and scare to death.

3

Them (2006)

Also known by its alternate тιтle in its native French, Ils, Them is a little-known, but criminally underseen European horror collaboration between France and Romania. When a young couple moves to the Romanian countryside, they soon find themselves harᴀssed by mysterious ᴀssailants, captured and tortured for no discernible reason.

This premise is scary enough without the reveal that the hooded attackers are actually children aged 10 to 15. The only explanation given to the group’s motivations is that they wanted to “play”, showing extra disdain to their victims who refuse. Them taps into the unknowable cruelty that even incredibly young humans are capable of.

2

We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)

Speaking of psychopathic children and teenagers, We Need To Talk About Kevin is a haunting drama that delves further into the psychological profile of kids who were simply seemingly born rotten. Tilda Swinton plays a reluctant mother whose postpartum depression is magnified by the fact that her son seems to be a hateful sociopath.

The film skips back and forth in time, detailing the slow onset and worsening of Kevin’s symptoms as driving his family apart with his malicious manipulation. In the wake of Ezra Miller’s controversial activities, their performance in We Need To Talk About Kevin is all the more chilling in retrospect.

1

Vivarium (2019)

Quietly one of the most upsetting and atmospherically bleak horror films, Vivarium offers the most horrifying take on child-rearing yet. Jesse Eisenberg stars as one half of a couple who tour a house in a cookie-cutter suburban neighborhood, only to find themselves trapped in a sprawling labyrinth of never-ending identical houses and AstroTurf.

Things go from bad to worse when the two find a mysterious baby, being given instructions to raise it by their unseen captors. The child grows into a terrifying nonhuman impostor in record time, presenting a nerve-shattering horror movie that plays on the idea of human cuckoo birds practicing brood parasitism.