20 Creepiest Kids in Horror Movies

20 Creepiest Kids in Horror Movies

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were looking at twenty of the scariest and most unsettling children in horror cinema.

#20: Alex

Weapons (2025)

When Justine Gandys entire third grade-class suddenly goes missing in the middle of the night, only one pupil turns up for school the following day: Alex. Hes elusive, mysterious, and completely wrapped up in the mystery that haunts the town. A ghastly spectre of Alex even appears in Justines dreams, reverberating through her subconscious and terrifying the audience with a crooked clown smile. As the story's heroes put the pieces together, they begin to realize something deeply unsettling is happening in Alexs house. And theyll need to work with the cursed boy if they want to find the other kids.

#19: Oliver

Bring Her Back (2025)

Its amazing how scary a character can be without speaking. Jonah Wren Phillips does not speak throughout much of the films runtime, yet he creates a deeply unsettling presence through his posture, facial expression, and eerie physicality. He commits fully to the physical demands of the immensely creepy Oliver, with his violent outbursts generating the films most visceral moments. The character and performance also eschew traditional possession tropes to focus more on ambiguous situations that keep viewers guessing and unsettled. Oliver conveys trauma, submission, and menace in equal parts, the byproduct of creative character building and sublime performance.

#18: Lonnie

Deliverance (1972)

Though it doesnt fit neatly into the genre, Deliverance can easily be considered a psychological horror film, and we learn that almost immediately through the presence of Lonnie. This kid isnt a big character, but he embodies the eerie and unsettling mood that pervades the rest of the film. Lonnie seems almost otherworldly with his silent demeanor, blank stare, and creepy banjo playing. His inexpressive face and refusal to engage in conversation also make him seem unreadable, adding to the sense of alienation the protagonists feel in the remote Appalachian setting. The iconic Dueling Banjos scene is more than just a musical performance - its a chilling cultural confrontation, a moment of unbelievable tension masked as harmless entertainment.

#17: Henry Evans

The Good Son (1993)

By 1993, Macaulay Culkin was at the height of his fame, having just come off the two Home Alone films. So some audience members expected Culkins usual charm and mischief - not psychopathic murderous intent. This clever casting subversion is highly effective, and Culkins typical cuteness only makes Henrys behavior that much more disturbing. Henry displays some hallmark traits of a sociopath or budding psychopath, including a total lack of empathy and remorse. He hurts animals, lies effortlessly, and manipulates those around him, and he proves to be a gaslighting master. This is the type of kid you never want to see - one who knows exactly what hes doing, and one who will almost certainly grow into something much worse.

#16: Umbrae & Pluto

Us (2019)

Nothing is creepier than children thatarent quite human. Enter Umbrae and Pluto, the Tethered versions of Zora and Jason. Umbraes unnerving, permanent smile and silent, predatory movements evoke a chilling sense of unnaturalness, which contrasts greatly with her human counterparts warmth. And Pluto, with his scorched face and animalistic behavior, reflects the trauma and horror of a life spent in darkness and suffering. The kids enduring silence makes them menacing, forcing viewers to focus solely on their eerie physicality and inhuman traits. But what makes them truly effective is the psychological horror they represent - the dark and unnatural versions of ourselves that result from neglect and abandonment.

#15: Samara Morgan

The Ring (2002)

Its hard to remember that the creepy TV ghost is really just a kid. Samaras long black hair helps obscure her face, which we naturally find to be a little off, and her distorted, jerky movements - not to mention her ability to, you know, emerge from TV screens - defies logic. Meanwhile, the cursed videotape, which kills its viewers in seven days, builds a lingering atmosphere of dread that lasts throughout the entire film, ensuring that Samara remains firmly in our minds, even when shes not on screen. Plus, her back story is just insanely tragic, adding depth and motivation to her murderous rampage. It all combines to create a surreal and terrifying monster - one that blurs the line between traditional ghost story and technological curse.

#14: Gage Creed

Pet Sematary (1989)

For 90% of this movies runtime, Gage Creed is just a cute and normal kid. But those last 10% - whoo boy. Following his tragic death, Gage is resurrected by supernatural forces in the cursed pet sematary and returns not as the sweet toddler he once was, but as a malevolent and murderous demonthing. The contrast between his innocent appearance and his violent actions - like murdering his own mother - creates a super unsettling dissonance that is hard to shake. And the idea of a small toddler embodying death itself taps into some deep psychological fears that, frankly, we dont really want to explore! Theres a reason Stephen King called this his scariest story

#13: The Midwich Children

Village of the Damned (1960)

With their identical blonde hair, glowing eyes, and emotionless expressions, the children of Midwich visually resemble adorable children, but their cold logic, telepathic powers, and lack of empathy reveal an unsettling truth. The kids hive-mind communication and eerie calmness often results in incredible tension, as they manipulate and control the adults around them with literally inhuman precision. The metaphor is also just as creepy as the kids themselves, with the film playing on deep psychological fears of the unknown, the loss of parental control, and an invasion by the other. The children dont scream or rage - they calmly force people to harm themselves through some type of weird alien hivemind power, and that is way scarier than any screaming could ever hope to be.

#12: Claudia

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Kirsten Dunst burst onto the scene playing Claudia, and its no wonder she became a huge star, as she gives one heck of a performance. Turned into a vampire as a young girl, Claudia is physically frozen in childhood, but her mind matures over decades, leading to a disturbing disconnect between her innocent appearance and her increasingly violent and manipulative behavior. Dunst delivers a performance far beyond her twelve years, conveying Claudias hunger for control with chilling intensity. Her eerie elegance also combines with that signature cold and calculating gaze, horrifically blurring the line between child and monster. Shes one of the creepiest figures in vampire cinema, and the young Dunst easily holds her own next to cinema legends like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.

#11: Isaac Chroner

Children of the Corn (1984)

Masterfully played by John Franklin, Isaac is a child preacher with an unnaturally authoritative presence, speaking in archaic, fire-and-brimstone language that is naturally unsettling coming from a young child. His piercing stare, eerie calmness, and fanatical devotion to a mysterious deity known as He Who Walks Behind the Rows creates a powerful sense of unease. Meanwhile, the idea of a child leading a murderous cult subverts reality and societal expectations, as we are conditioned to think of children as victims, not rulers. Franklins performance also amplifies the horror, as his unnaturally mature voice and physical stillness make Isaac seem less like a child and more like a demonic prophet. It probably helps that he was actually 24 when the movie came out

#10: Esther

Orphan (2009)

Though this supernatural horror film received mixed reviews, its at times generic scares and formulaic plot are saved by one thing: Isabelle Fuhrmans performance. As Esther, a nine-year-old child adopted by the Coleman family, Fuhrman is absolutely captivating. She is sweet and charismatic one moment, but capable of turning into a menacing and volatile little creature the next. Many critics pointed to Fuhrmans performance as a highlight of the film, comparing it to some other child horror icons that well be talking about later in the list. If you skipped this film when it came out in 2009, give it a try - Esther makes it worth a watch.

#9: Rhoda Penmark

The Bad Seed (1956)

The performances that Isabelle Fuhrmans Esther drew comparisons to? This is one of them. It might be an oldie, but this 1956 psychological horror-thriller managed to get under the skin of viewers with the precision of a scalpel. Eight-year-old Rhoda Penmark is the apple of her parents eye. Unfortunately, when a schoolmate of Rhodas dies mysteriously, Rhodas behavior, both past and present, comes under scrutiny. Patty McCormack commands the screen as the young Rhoda, and as old family secrets are revealed, she unravels her characters true nature in delightfully twisted fashion. Rarely has a child so convincingly conveyed pure evil.

#8: Eli

"Let the Right One In (2008)

Every now and then, a film comes along that is hard to pin down; a movie truly unlike any other. This 2008 Swedish romantic horror is just such a film, blurring the lines between genres in ways that make any sort of categorization feel inaccurate. And at the very heart of this critically acclaimed movie is the undead vampire Eli, as played by Lina Leandersson. A relative unknown at the time, Leandersson landed the role of Eli after applying online. Only 11 when cast, she would go on to be nominated for and win numerous awards for the performance, which was praised as being nuanced, compelling, and complex beyond her years.

#7: Charlie Graham

Hereditary (2018)

Folks, we would like to officially welcome a new addition to the horror hall of fame: Milly Shapiro. Hereditary was Shapiros first feature film, her past experience having been on the stage. Suffice it to say, she made a massive first impression. Hereditary has been called one of the scariest films in recent years, if not all time, and it eschews the cheap jump scares so common in contemporary horror. In the film, Shapiro plays 13-year-old Charlie Graham, and while we dont want to give too much away, lets just say that Shapiros performance will burn itself into your memory in a way that wont soon fade. We cant wait to see what she does next!

#6: Carol Anne Freeling

Poltergeist (1982)

Hard as it might be to believe, Steven Spielberg originally wrote the screenplay for Poltergeist as a Close Encounters of the Third Kind sequel entitled Night Skies. Though that surely would have been interesting, were glad that director Tobe Hooper suggested that it be reworked as a supernatural tale. We cant imagine Heather O'Rourkes performance being nearly as compelling in a sci-fi context. In the film, ORourke plays Carol Anne, the young daughter and first member of the Freeling family to sense the presence of spirits in their house. Her performance manages to be both endearing and deeply unnerving as needed. Even when shes trapped on the other side of the portal, her voice acting is chill-inducing.

#5: Georgie

It (2017)

Pennywise really knows how to get under your skin - like using your dead younger brother as a hand puppet. Audiences first see Georgie as a cute and playful child, and while his brutal death early in the film is shocking, its his reappearance that truly horrifies. When Pennywise uses Georgies image to manipulate Bill, it's not just a jump scare; its an emotional gutpunch. The sight of Georgies pale and rotting corpse taps into deep fears of loss (not to mention the supernatural), and his voice, now echoing with unnatural tones, strips away any sense of warmth and nostalgia. Its not just that Georgie is dead - its that something evil is desecrating his memory and using his body as a source of trauma and fear.

#4: Damien Thorn

The Omen (1976)

If theres a child in film that makes us rethink having kids (second only to Rosemarys titular baby, Adrian) its Damien from The Omen. Directed by Richard Donner - yes, the man who gave us Superman just two years later - The Omen tells the story of Damien, a young boy being raised by adoptive parents, who dont realize that he is in fact the son of Satan. Actor Harvey Stephens doesnt have much in the way of dialogue, but thats what makes his performance all the more impressive. He manages to convey evil and menace with his every movement and stare. The performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture Male.

#3: Danny Torrance

The Shining (1980)

Stanley Kubricks 1980 adaptation of Stephen Kings novel was slow to get the credit it deserved. Polarizing though it was at the time of its release, it is regarded today as a masterpiece of the genre. And its safe to say that the performances of its cast played no small part in establishing that legacy. While Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall both turn in performances of a lifetime, it would be criminal to overlook the performance of young Danny Lloyd - who was just six years old at the time of filming. He not only nailed the emotional experience Danny Torrance goes through with subtlety and nuance, but seriously got under our skin voicing Tony, his imaginary friend.

#2: Cole Sear

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Its been estimated that roughly 45% of Americans believe in ghosts. After seeing M. Night Shyamalans breakout film, however, we suspect that pretty much every single person who left the theater kept all the lights on when they got home - at least for a few days. A terrifying supernatural horror film, The Sixth Sense hit us with a variety of disturbing spirits made even scarier because we were seeing them through the eyes of this young boy. As Cole Sear, Haley Joel Osment made us believe in every single ghost that he encountered, and we shared in his terror. Unsurprisingly, he was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award.

#1: Regan MacNeil

The Exorcist (1973)

This 1973 classic is counted amongst the scariest, greatest, and most influential films in the horror genre. But its hard to imagine it having the same legacy had it not been for the scene-stealing performance of Linda Blair. Sure, she had plenty of help from the makeup department, as well as the demonic overdubbing of Mercedes McCambridge, but all these years later, its ultimately Blairs performance that still haunts us. Many directors approached for the project were apparently scared off by the prospect of having so much relying on the performance of such a young actress. In hindsight, its safe to say she pulled it off and then some, even earning an Academy Award nomination.

Are there any other kids that creeped you out? Let us know in the comments below!