They’re creepy, and they’re kooky, mysterious, and spooky. No, not The Addams Family – we’re talking Hollywood’s murderous children. Damien. Gage. Samara. The Children of the Corn. The names alone are enough to send chills down the spine of the most seasoned horror fan. These terrifying tots have been a movie staple for years, from 1956's The Bad Seed up to the recently released Orphan: First Kill, a prequel to 2009's Orphan, featuring everyone's favorite child/not-child, Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman). It's a proven genre that hasn't lost its power... and it won't end anytime soon.
The Omen (1976)
When their child dies shortly after birth, American diplomat Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) is persuaded to take in a child whose mother died during childbirth, without letting his wife Katherine (Lee Remick) know. They name the child Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens). Oh, and he just happens to be the son of Satan, the Antichrist. Soon, there are hangings, decapitations, and an aversion to entering church. Stephens is perfect, and his chilling smile into the camera at the end of the film leaves the viewer haunted (of the shot, director Richard Donner said, "The kid turned to the camera, and I said, 'Don't you dare smile. ... If you smile, I'll never talk to you.' And he fought the smile, then he smiled, and it was magic").
Children of the Corn (1984)
At the bequest of "He Who Walks Behind The Rows," the children of Gatlin, Nebraska are coerced by 12-year-old "preacher" Isaac (John Franklin) into murdering the adults of the town as human sacrifices. From that point on, any adults unlucky enough to pass through are also sacrificed. Three years later, Burt (Peter Horton) and Vicky (Linda Hamilton) - adults, of course - stop in the abandoned town and are chased by the bloodthirsty cult that Isaac has formed. When Vicky is caught by second-in-command Malachai (Courtney Gains) and is prepared for sacrifice, it sets off a chain of events that incites the demon god's wrath. The Stephen King adaptation marries murder, the supernatural, and the power of cults effortlessly.
Pet Sematary (1989)
After moving to Ludlow, Maine, the Creed family befriends their neighbor Jud Crandall (Fred Gwynne), who shows them a pet cemetery (spelled "sematary") nearby. When Church the cat is killed on the highway, Louis Creed (Dale Midkiff) is taken by Jud to an old burial ground and told to bury the cat there. The next day, kitty's back... but he isn't the same lovable pet. Alarming? Sure, but when their son Gage (Miko Hughes) is killed on the same road, Louis buries Gage there, and the next day, well, a reanimated Gage is pretty damn evil now. Hughes has to be one of the cutest child actors of all time, so it's unsettling to see his Gage so diabolical.
The Bad Seed (1956)
The earliest example on this list, The Bad Seed introduces Rhoda (Patty McCormack), who seems to be your average, sweet eight-year-old girl. Always wearing frilly dresses and perfect Cindy Brady pigtails, she may harbor some entitlement, but, hey, Rhoda's an angel. Except it becomes apparent that she killed a classmate to get a medal that she felt should have been hers... and it may not have been the first time Rhoda's done it either. Maybe it's genetics? Possibly - turns out mama was adopted and is the daughter of a serial killer. McCormack's portrayal nails the entitled, emotionless, and downright creepy Rhoda.
Wicked Little Things (2006)
In 1913, a group of children in Addytown, Pennsylvania, are buried alive in a mine after an explosion. Fast-forward to today, where Karen (Lori Heuring) and daughters Sarah (Scout Taylor-Compton) and Emma (Chloë Grace Moretz) have moved to Addytown, where - surprise! - those 1913 children aren't dead after all. It's suggested that they might want to stay indoors at night when the zombie children roam. At least Emma's making friends. Well, just one... a zombie friend, Mary (Helia Grekova). After a group of the kids eat Sarah's friends, Karen agrees to leave the town. If only Emma had told her mum she was going for a sleepover at Mary's.
The Good Son (1993)
Now, this is what you call an about-face. Macaulay Culkin ditches his lovable Kevin from Home Alone to play the malevolent Henry in The Good Son, and it works in his favor. When Mark (Elijah Wood) stays with his aunt and uncle for a time, he and his cousin Henry become fast friends. The friendship, shall we say, dissipates as Henry displays his violent and psychopathic ways more and more every day. Violent and psychopathic... not too dissimilar to Kevin McCalister if you think about it, but with consequences.
Home Movie (2008)
A found footage horror film that by most accounts should have received far more eyes on it than it did. Father David Poe (Adrian Pasdar), and his wife Clare (Cady McClain), a child psychologist, move to a remote home in New York with their twin children, Emily and Jack (real-life twins Amber Joy Williams and Austin Williams). David decides to document every life event in the home. Bad call, Dave. The camera footage captures the twins' increasing evil behavior, from throwing rocks at their father to stapling frogs to trees and crucifying cats. And, naturally, disturbingly, more. It's a movie that sticks with you, and the Williams twins are a real find.
Sinister (2012)
Like Home Movie, Sinister is another film that sticks with you, and not in a good way. True crime writer Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) moves his wife and two children into a home that, known only to Ellison, was where a family was murdered by hanging (did The Amityville Horror teach us nothing?). Ellison finds a box of Super 8 movies upstairs and plays them, each containing footage of families being murdered by someone holding the camera. Turns out, the guilty parties are all children under the influence of pagan deity Bughuul. The chill you feel when the deeds are done and the children turn towards the camera is indescribable. A personal favorite on this list.
Village of the Damned (1960)
Another early entry in the genre. Months after the entire village falls asleep for a number of hours, multiple women give birth to children that grow very fast, and have blond hair and glowing eyes. It doesn't take long before learning the 12 highly intelligent children, led by David (Martin Stephens, who is excellent), communicate telepathically and can read minds. Also fun - they can make people kill themselves by driving into a wall, shooting themselves, or setting themselves on fire. You can see its DNA in Children of the Corn, and despite its oft-parodied premise, it is still creepy as hell.
The Ring (2002)
A cursed videotape kills anyone who watches it in exactly 7 days. That's a hell of a late fee, so why wouldn't journalist Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) check it out, especially after her niece is a victim? Now with only 7 days to go, Rachel seeks out the truth, which leads her to the life of one Samara Morgan (Daveigh Chase), a girl with supernatural powers who was left to die at the bottom of a well by her mother, and is now a vengeful spirit. Doesn't ring a bell? It's the film with the infamously creepy scene where the TV turns itself on and plays the video in question, starring malefic Samara dragging her drowned body out of the well, walk towards the TV screen and crawl the f**k out of it. The best of the J-Horror remake craze of the early 2000s, easily.
Orphan (2009)
After the stillborn death of their daughter, John (Peter Sarsgaard) and Kate (Vera Farmiga) Coleman adopt Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), a 9-year-old Russian girl from a local orphanage. Their 5-year-old daughter gets along with Esther, but 12-year-old Daniel (Jimmy Bennett) does not. Good call - they learn Esther is actually 33-year-old Leena, who suffers from a hormonal dwarfism disorder and has posed as a young girl for most of her life. And killed at least seven people! Why wouldn't you lead with that? Fuhrman is, simply put, amazing, a child playing an adult playing a child, bringing a depth to her crazy that's remarkable. There is no doubt her reprisal of the role will be just as memorable.