A girl crying with the other half of her face like a skeleton

With spooky season approaching fast, the list of horror films to watch can be extensive, and overwhelming. From killer clowns, evil spirits, or even a villainous Winnie The Pooh – there’s a type of horror for everyone this Halloween. A great troupe used in horror films is the use of subversion – whereby something perceived as innocent, such as a doll, suddenly becomes a murderous villain that stops at nothing for the kill (we’ve all seen Chucky, and we do not want to play).


RELATED:All The New Horror Movies Coming To HBO Max In September 2022

A version of this in horror films is the use of children as the antagonists, often evil at the hands of some other being. There’s nothing creepier than a sweet little kid turning into a demented soul – and these child-based horror films are nature’s best form of birth control! From Orphan to The Exorcist, here are ten horrifying movies where kids go bad.

COLLIDER VIDEO OF THE DAY

‘Orphan’ (2009)

Orphan is one of the most renowned psychological horror-thrillers of the 2000s, featuring a very bad child. After Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard) miscarry their third child Jessica, they decide to fill the void by adopting a child – who happens to be nine-year-old Estonian girl Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman).

Seemingly the perfect child, Esther wins over her adopted father, while Kate, her son Daniel (Jimmy Bennett), and daughter Max (Aryana Engineer) grow suspicious of circumstances that somehow involves her. When Kate begins to uncover more of Esther’s past, Esther’s true persona reveals itself. Orphan is a must-see horror film with a (sort of) child antagonist.

‘The Omen’ (1976)

The ultimate tale of an evil child, The Omen is a supernatural horror film that follows the repercussions of Robert (Gregory Peck) secretly adopting orphaned child Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens) after his wife Kathy (Lee Remick) loses her child after birth.

RELATED:’Orphan: First Kill’ Ending Explained

After a string of unfortunate events surround the Thorn family, Robert ventures out to understand the origins of his misbehaving child alongside photographer Keith (David Warner) in Rome, after being warned by Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton) that Damien may not be all human. Concerned with the notion of the Antichrist, the film has a sense of urgency to save the world from the potentially lethal doings of Damien, where The Omen stands out in the 70s trend of devilish horror.

‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (1968)

In this 1968 film, evil reigns as early as the conception, where pregnant woman Rosemary (Mia Farrow) gradually becomes more gauntly and sick, suffering from weight loss and severe abdominal pain. After moving to an apartment in New York City, Rosemary and her husband Guy (John Cassavetes) soon become close to their neighbors Minnie (Ruth Gordon) and Roman (Sidney Blacker); who become increasingly controlling when Rosemary reveals her pregnancy.

Insisting she see Dr. Sapirstein (Ralph Bellamy), Rosemary suspects there is more to her neighbors’ involvement in her pregnancy. Notably one of the first films revolving around an evil child, Rosemary’s Baby gave inspiration to the plethora of horror-films in the like.

‘Case 39’ (2009)

Case 39 is a supernatural horror film that, like Orphan, follows a child taken in by a new family, only for traumatic things to happen to those closest.

RELATED:The Truth Is Scarier Than Fiction… Horror Movies Based On A True Story

Social worker Emily (Renée Zellweger) takes a case beyond what she expects when abused ten-year-old Lilith (Jodelle Ferland) moves in with her temporarily after her parents (Callum Keith Rennie and Kerry O’Malley) attempt to incinerate her in their oven. When the vulnerable girl shows disturbing links to murders, Emily realizes that her case notes don’t tell the full story.

‘Children of the Corn’ (1984)

Stephen King is well, the king, of horror films, and his child-centric 1984 film, Children of the Corn, is as thrilling as expected. The supernatural slasher is set in a small country town, where a murderous gang of children have rendered adults extinct under the instruction of a mysterious deity, known as ‘He Who Walks Behind The Rows’, in hopes of a successful crop reap.

Children of the Corn is a horror movie with not just one killer child, but many involved in a corn-obsessed cult led by a doom-enthused Isaac (John Franklin) and bloodthirsty side-kick Malachi (Courtney Gains).

‘The Prodigy’ (2019)

The supernatural horror film, The Prodigy, centers around an unusually smart child, who exhibits disturbed behaviors beyond comprehension. Miles (Jackson Robert Scott) is a young boy who is both above-average and delayed; worrying his mother Sarah (Taylor Schilling) when his behavior changes upon his eighth birthday.

Consulting psychiatrist Arthur (Colm Feore), who has a special interest in reincarnation, Sarah delves into the twisted tale of who Miles has really become.

‘The Good Son’ (1993)

In The Good Son, Henry (Macaulay Culkin) is far from a good boy when his cousin Mark (Elijah Wood) comes to stay after the death of his mother. The Home Alone star works as a child sadist with an unsettling fascination with death, showing his more juvenile cousin his dark side as the two explore around town.

RELATED:

The Scariest Stephen King Movies, Ranked From Creepy To Downright Terrifying

Mark quickly realizes that there’s more to his cousin than meets the eye, but is unable to convince his Aunt Susan (Wendy Crewson) and Uncle Wallace (Daniel Hugh Kelly) that their son is dangerous, until Henry takes his terror too far. While not particularly scary in a traditional sense, The Good Son is a film that is downright creepy, thanks to the innocent-looking child actors who end up in serious situations.

‘Pet Sematary’ (2019)

Dead for good, or the dead is up to no good: the thriller that is the second remake of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary warns of venturing beyond the graveyard. When emergency doctor Louis (Jason Clarke) moves his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz), and children Ellie (Jete Laurence) and Gage (Hugo and Lucas Lavoie) to Ludlow, they did not expect to reside in a grim environment.

Yet, not far from their home, lay a cemetery that houses dead pets; and beyond that, an ancient burial ground. Louis learns that sometimes dead is better, but it may be a lesson learned too late.

‘Village Of The Damned’ (1960)

Like Children Of The Corn, Village Of The Damned showcases a freaky brood of children who stick together to create trouble. The science-fiction horror film is set in the British village of Midwich, which experiences a supernatural phenomenon when the whole village suddenly falls unconscious.

Months later, it is discovered that every woman of child-bearing age is pregnant, and give birth at the same time. The new inhabitants of Midwich are strikingly similar: with platinum blonde hair and cold eyes, they age well beyond the natural rate of maturity, and communicate with each other via telepathy. However, the creepiness continues when the children learn to read minds and force actions upon their victims against their free will.

‘The Exorcist’ (1973)

*The* movie every spooky-loving viewer should see, The Exorcist remains a quintessential horror film, featuring a controversial but effective role by child actor Linda Blair. The basis of the film seems basic enough: young girl Regan (Blair) becomes gradually more violent, and her dismayed mother Chris (Ellen Burstyn) sends her off for medical testing to get to the root of her problems. Father Karras (Jason Miller) becomes involved and suggests an exorcism to rid Regan of the devilish spirit that inhabits her body.

Yet, it is the finer details and special effects that separate The Exorcist from other horror films; and the controversially brazen scenes that Linda Blair films that gives her a creepiness like no other. Known as the film that kick-started the cinematic trend of evil children, The Exorcist features the scariest, baddest kid on the block.

NEXT:Korean Horror: Where To Start If You’re New To The Genre

You May Also Like

Too Hot to Handle Seb Melrose age, Instagram, job, and more

Racecar driver Seb Melrose joins the cast of Too Hot to Handle…

‘The Muppets Mayhem’ Brings It With This Key Franchise Staple

With the new Disney+ series The Muppets Mayhem, Disney is going all-in…

30 Best Superhero Movies of All Time, Ranked

There’s no doubt about it: superhero movies have been all the rage…

The Challenge Winner Reveals Shocking Reason Finale Scene Had To Be Reshot (SPOILERS)

Summary The winner of Squid Game: The Challenge shares behind-the-scenes details about…