Top 10 Horror Movies with Creepy Child Performances
Horror movies have a unique knack for getting a lot of mileage out of children. They can either be the relatable, terrified heroes of the story or the creepy, malevolent villains who drive the entire narrative. Some of the best child performances in movie history come from the horror genre, which seems to excel at utilizing young actors to their fullest potential. Our list of the Top 10 Horror Movies with Creepy Child Performances explores the full spectrum of these frightening roles.
Kids often make for compelling horror protagonists because of the sense of isolation and helplessness that is so often a part of childhood. They are forced to confront terrifying situations on their own, with no one to believe them. Of course, they are just as effective as antagonists. Some of the creepiest kids in movies and TV hail from the horror genre.
10. Weapons (2025)
The sophomore horror effort from rising star Zach Cregger, Weapons has made a massive impact in a short amount of time due to the critical acclaim it has accumulated. The story centers on a classroom full of children in a typical American suburb who mysteriously disappear, getting up in the middle of the night and running out of their homes into the darkness.
The mystery behind the disappearances drives the eerie story for the majority of its fragmented narrative. When the perspective finally shifts to the lone survivor, Alex, the movie endears viewers to one of the best child horror protagonists ever written, a character who survives his miserable circumstances through his own wit alone.
9. Goodnight Mommy (2022)
Typically, when a child appears in a substantial role in a horror movie, they’re either the hero or the villain. Yet the German horror-thriller Goodnight Mommy plays with this convention, focusing on a pair of brothers who are convinced their mother has been replaced by an imposter when she returns from treatment for a horrible accident, her face covered in bandages.
For most of the movie, the viewer is kept uncertain as to whether the mother is a home invader or if the kids’ vivid imaginations and understandable fears are to blame for the chaos. The ghastly twist leaves a lasting impression, making Goodnight Mommy one of the most frightening movies to ever feature children.
8. It (2017)
One of the most iconic movie adaptations of Stephen King’s work, the first part of the It duology is a classic for 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 feeds on fear.
Many of Stephen King’s projects feature children, but It is able to faithfully transport the audience back to their childhood selves with its realistic depiction of growing up. The adolescent heroes are put through the wringer by Pennywise’s terrifying manifestations and hauntingly accurate depictions of abuse, making this coming-of-age horror story a true masterpiece.
7. The Shining (1980)
Another Stephen King adaptation to feature a child protagonist, The Shining is widely considered one of the greatest movies ever made, let alone one of the greatest horror movies. When struggling writer and alcoholic Jack Torrance takes a job watching the Overlook Hotel 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 Hotel. This is one of the best examples of scary movies with children as protagonists.
6. The Exorcist (1973)
As one of the most iconic horror movies of all time, and the movie that revolutionized the possession genre, The Exorcist needs little introduction. When the young Regan’s body becomes completely possessed by a horrible demon, a lone priest must expel the profane force from the young woman’s body before it kills her.
It’s amazing just how deep 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 thanks to the striking, low-light cinematography. Despite being released in 1973, The Exorcist is every bit as scary today as when it first came out.
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5. The Omen (1976)
Another case of a demonic child, The Omen goes one step further by suggesting that an evil child isn’t merely possessed by a demon—he is the literal reincarnation of the antichrist himself. Damien is a boy who is constantly followed by trouble, though it soon becomes apparent that his own machinations are to blame for the deaths that happen around him.
Anyone who spends time with kids knows how cruel they can be, but Damien embodies the early developmental lack of empathy to an uncanny degree. The chilling final image of the movie seems to suggest that there is no escape from his terrible plans once they are set in motion. This movie is a prime example of the terrifying subgenre of horror movies with child actors.
4. The Ring (2002)
American remakes of Japanese horror classics rarely go well, but the stunning 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 movie, she is one of the most iconic images in supernatural horror as she crawls through the television, her long, dark hair obscuring her frightful visage. Watching the movie, it’s hard not to feel like you could be next on her list of victims, another viewer to hunt down and scare to death.
3. Them (2006)
Also known by its alternate French title, 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 harassed by mysterious assailants, captured and tortured for no discernible reason.
This premise is scary enough on its own, but the reveal that the hooded attackers are actually children aged 10 to 15 is truly chilling. The only explanation given for the group’s motivations is that they simply wanted to “play,” showing extra disdain to their victims who refused. Them taps into the unknowable cruelty that even incredibly young humans are capable of. This is one of the definitive horror movies featuring creepy children.
2. We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)
Speaking of psychopathic children, We Need To Talk About Kevin is a haunting drama that delves into the psychological profile of a child who was 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 movie skips back and forth in time, detailing the slow onset and worsening of Kevin’s symptoms as he drives 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 movies, 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.
Things go from bad to worse when the two find a mysterious baby, given instructions to raise it by their unseen captors. The child grows into a terrifying nonhuman imposter in record time, presenting a nerve-shattering horror movie that plays on the idea of human cuckoo birds practicing brood parasitism. This movie is the ultimate entry on our list of the best horror movies with kids.
This list proves that whether they are heroes or villains, creepy kids in horror movies have a way of getting under our skin unlike anything else. What did you think of the movies on this list? Did we miss any of your favorites? Share your thoughts in the comments below!