There is an expression, “A mother’s love is forever,” and this could not be more true. However, when looking back through our favorite horror movies, another expression comes to mind: “A face only a mother could love.”
In celebration of the upcoming film Mama, directed by Andrés Muschietti and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro, creator of Pan’s Labyrinth, we decided to take a walk down memory lane and honor the top scariest, freakiest kids in horror. And there are some real doozies out there with truly a face only a mother could love!
And now on to The Top 11 Creepiest Kids in Horror.
Tomás-The Orphanage
Since we are celebrating a new Guillermo del Toro-produced film, we’d be remiss not to mention another film he produced with a remarkably creepy kid. The Orphanage featured a deformed, sack-wearing ghost-child that was incredibly unsettling. Although small in stature, Tomás’ presence dominated this haunting film filled with mysterious deaths and disappearances, and the little guy turned out to be an incredibly effective character.
Henry Evans-The Good Son
After Macaulay Culkin finished playing Kevin McCallister in the Home Alone films, he would go on to reinvent the idea of scary, off-putting kids with his role of Henry Evans in 1993’s The Good Son. Culkin’s character was so effective that for years after the film was released, any especially devious movie kids immediately kindled references to The Good Son. Culkin was so icily remorseless that it made Gene Siskel say, “Here you have America’s favorite kid throwing a dummy off of a little bridge over a roadway, causing an accident. That scares me. I think it’s highly irresponsible to show a youngster doing something like that.” Screw Siskel; we say job well done!
Esther-Orphan
In much the same vein as The Good Son was Orphan, with Isabelle Fuhrman playing Esther, who could be called the female version of Henry, albeit with a very disturbing twist. Now you may say that twist itself disqualifies Esther from being on this list, but she was just so damn effective she had to make the cut. Devious and deadly, Esther was as mysterious as she was deceitful, and the character was played masterfully by Fuhrman. Orphan is the kind of film that sticks with the viewer long after watching, and it is completely because of one little girl. Orphan was a surprising delight to viewers, and Esther found her place in the lexicon of horror.
Claudia-Interview with the Vampire
Played by Kirsten Dunst in Interview with the Vampire, Claudia brings an interesting, and brutal, angle to the world of the vamps. Since she was turned while still a child, Claudia is trapped in that tiny body, even as she matures. Her frustration with being imprisoned in the young mortal coil and dressed like a doll becomes evident, and she grows into an extremely vicious bloodsucker, even lashing out and attempting to kill her maker, Lestat. As is the case with many of the impish ne’er-do-wells on this list, Claudia eventually gets her comeuppance, but you can’t help but sympathize with her pint-size plight.
Ethan-The Nightmare Before Christmas
Is it just me, or is this guy the creepiest inhabitant of Halloweentown? If you’re not exactly sure who Ethan is, he’s the pudgy little member of the zombie family with the Jack Sprat-esque mother and father. (You can see him hanging out in the guillotine basket about two minutes into the clip.) Oh, and he just happens to have his eyes sewn shut! Ethan does seem full of the spirit of Halloween and then Christmas (in the twisted way the Halloweentown residents celebrate), always smiling and cheering. But one cannot dispute that simply his look and the fact that he’s playing in a basket used for catching decapitated heads (and that his eyes are sewn shut!) make Ethan one of the more disturbing cinematic kids!
The Grady Sisters-The Shining
Daughters of Charles Grady, the previous caretaker of The Overlook Hotel before Jack Torrance brought his family to what would become a snowbound prison, the Grady sisters were the subject of one of the most iconic images in the history of horror. Standing side-by-side in the hallway of The Overlook, the sisters asked young Danny Torrance to “Come and play with us… for ever and ever…” while images of their butchered bodies lying in the same hallway flashed on the screen. Absolutely chilling. Sure, The Shining contains many legendary lines (“All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.” “Heeeere’s Johnny”), but it’s the sight of the Grady Sisters that’s still one of the most recognizable – and scariest – things in the movie.
Gage Creed-Pet Sematary
The youngest entrant on our list of creepy kids, Gage Creed was the victim of some horrendously bad parenting, on several occasions, during his short life. Not only was the tot allowed to chase a kite into oncoming traffic while his sister called him a dumbshit, but his father and grandfather got into a fistfight at the poor boy’s funeral, and then dad decided to bury him on sacred Native American land in the hopes that Gage would return to life. It’s no wonder he came back from the Micmac burial grounds with such a piss-poor attitude. His memorable scenes, especially with Fred Gwynne, are amazing. A sliced Achilles tendon here, a throat bit out there. Yikes! There’s nothing like a reanimated little bastard running around with a scalpel and bad intentions. That’s the stuff nightmares are made of.
Danny Glick-Salem’s Lot
While we’re rattling off films inspired by Stephen King’s writing, it only makes sense to add another of King’s young monsters to the list. Danny Glick was one of the original victims in Salem’s Lot, and his appearance hovering outside Mark Petrie’s window proved to be not only one of the most memorable scenes from the film, but one of the standout shots in the vampire sub-genre of horror. “Let me in, Mark; he commands it.” Quick thinking and a fortunately placed crucifix were able to drive the young vampire away, but things would get worse in Salem’s Lot before they got better.
Eli-Let the Right One In
Oh Eli… so powerful, yet so vulnerable. The unlikely anti-hero of the stunning Swedish vampire epic is a character so different than what we’ve come to expect that she is immediately magnetic. Viewers marvel at her strengths, but then emotionally connect with her need for companionship. The brutal cycle that we see Eli bring Oskar into has certainly been going on for years and will continue for years to come. It’s a tragic tale with memorable characters, none more so than this little vampire with the big heart.
Damien Thorn-The Omen
Has there ever been a name more synonymous with children behaving badly than Damien? The embodiment of the Antichrist himself, this little guy was powerful enough to spawn loads of sequels and a remake. Much as Jaws became the name we would give any large shark and Cujo was any big, intimidating dog, any child behaving bad enough to make others think they could be Satan’s spawn was slapped with the handle of Damien. He is the original horrific child and perhaps the worst of them all. Hell, he’s got it in his blood.
Regan MacNeil-The Exorcist
Damien may have the catchy name and the whole Antichrist thing going for him, but there is no one above Regan. The beast that young Linda Blair brought to life (with a lot of help from Mercedes McCambridge on the iconic voice work) is as powerful today as it was when released 40 years ago (and 2013 is the 40th anniversary). The Exorcist still makes a strong case for itself as the scariest film of all time, and a huge part of that is due to the character of Regan MacNeil, who is cripplingly scary. We literally see the demon sink his claws into her and drag her into Hell. Simply put, she’s the scariest child ever to grace the silver screen… hands down!
Now that we’ve enjoyed this walk down memory lane, get yourself prepared for some new tiny terrors in Guillermo del Toro’s frightening new flick Mama, which hits theaters January 18th.
Synopsis
Five years ago, sisters Victoria and Lilly vanished from their suburban neighborhood without a trace. Since then, their Uncle Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his girlfriend, Annabel (Jessica Chastain), have been madly searching for them. But when, incredibly, the kids are found alive in a decrepit cabin, the couple wonders if the girls are the only guests they have welcomed into their home.
As Annabel tries to introduce the children to a normal life, she grows convinced of an evil presence in their house. Are the sisters experiencing traumatic stress, or is a ghost coming to visit them? How did the broken girls survive those years all alone? As she answers these disturbing questions, the new mother will find that the whispers she hears at bedtime are coming from the lips of a deadly presence.
For more info visit the official Mama website, and “like” Mama on Facebook.