Top 10 Most Evil Parents in Horror Movies

“Psycho” franchise (1960-)
In the original film, it wasn’t abundantly clear what the past relationship between Norman and his mother was while she was alive. However, through sequels and a TV show, more information was revealed. Norman’s mother Norma was herself a victim of a troubled childhood. Her bad upbringing unfortunately led her to mistreat her son, continuously put him in inappropriate situations and harshly punish him for any lewd thoughts. Instead of driving her son away, Norma’s behavior resulted in the mother and son becoming very close. Norman even believed his only friend in the world was his mother. However, he eventually took his mother’s life and mimicked her personality. It’s safe to say Norma Bates never merited a “Mother of the Year” coffee mug.

“The Witch” (2015)
After being forced to leave their original village, William and Catherine move their children into a forest home. But the new home proves to be quite problematic when a witch from the woods begins to curse the family with her misdeeds. William accuses his own daughter Thomasin of witchcraft and threatens her with a trial. Additionally, Catherine accuses her daughter when her son Caleb goes missing after a trek into the woods with his sister. And to top it all off, William seals his children inside a barn with a demonic goat at one point. We understand that he and his family were put into a bad situation. However, we still feel William and Catherine could’ve been much better parents throughout the ordeal.

“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” franchise (1974-)
Although the lore surrounding this franchise can get hard to understand, there’s one version of the timeline where Drayton Sawyer is the patriarch of one horrific Texas family. He lives with his relatives in an isolated house. Not only is the family highly dysfunctional, but they like to munch on anyone unlucky enough to end up in their neck of the woods. Drayton is basically the family cook, and even becomes a chili contest winner in the second film. His dietary choices and unhinged violence haven’t exactly set the best example for his family members. And even if he were more fatherly, it would still be disturbing to see Drayton playing catch with Leatherface in the backyard.

“Hereditary” (2018)
Have you ever wondered if your parents were harboring some secrets? In “Hereditary”, Annie discovers something particularly heinous about her mother, Ellen. It turns out that her mom was a cult leader who tried to summon a demon into a male member of her family. When this failed, she guided it into her granddaughter Charlie. Unfortunately, this decision leads to pure chaos after the young host dies in an accident. The family is tormented by nightmarish visions and suffers in various ways. Eventually, only her grandson Peter Graham is left alive…before he becomes possessed by Paimon. Most people’s grandmothers bake muffins and give hugs. But Ellen was all about handing a demon to anyone who was eligible.

“The Grudge” (2004)
In every version of “The Grudge”, Takeo stands out as an unequivocally terrible father. This extremely jealous husband got extremely angry when he discovered his wife had feelings for his son’s teacher. Instead of going down to the courthouse and getting divorce papers,Takeo decided to brutally take the life of his wife before he ends up dying via supernatural causes. What this heinous man ultimately does to his son Toshio depends on the version. WhileTakeo straight up abandons his offspring in some versions, in some stories the man takes more violent measures. The way this dad reacts to the mere possibility of his wife being unfaithful makes him grossly unfit to care for anyone.

“Friday the 13th” (1980)
Everyone grieves in their own way. Some cry, some meditate, and some eliminate camp counselors in an attempt to avenge the deceased. Pamela Voorhees chose the third option after losing her son Jason. When she discovered he was born with a medical condition known as hydrocephalus, she decided to keep him by her side as much as she could. Pamela even brought him along when she got a job at a summer camp. After failing to fit in, Jason wanted to improve his reputation amongst his peers by swimming. Unfortunately, he seemingly lost his life while the camp counselors were slacking off. Pamela’s rage about this incident later led her to cruelly take the lives of innocent counselors who had nothing to do with Jason.

“Carrie” (1976)
In the 1976 classic horror film “Carrie”, we meet Carrie’s mother Margaret. The matriarch is a prude woman who constantly mistreats her daughter. Margaret mainly justified her actions by saying she was saving Carrie from a life of sin. Throughout the movie, the bad mom is seen getting angry at her daughter for normal bodily functions and forcing Carrie to stay in a closet. Margaret really goes overboard after she discovers her daughter has developed strong telekinetic abilities. At one point, the mom even attempts to take out her own daughter. This…doesn’t quite go as she planned. Ultimately, the mother of the year award goes to… not Margaret White.

“Scream 2” (1997)
In “Scream 2”, we see the return of our old friend Ghostface. Taking a page from the book of Pamela Voorhees, Mrs. Loomis has taken it upon herself to avenge her twisted son Billy’s death. He was originally slain by his ex-girlfriend Sidney after he went on a violent spree and tried to take her out. Despite not being close to her son, Mrs. Vorhees is so set on getting away with her revenge that she brings in an accomplice named Mickey to help her pull off the crimes. Eventually, she betrays him and tries to complete her scheme. Fortunately, the heroes are able to stop Loomis before she takes Sidney’s life.

“Get Out” (2017)
Any parents who encourage their kids to lure people into an unsuspecting trap definitely deserve to be kicked out of the PTA. In “Get Out”, Chris Washington meets his girlfriend Rose’s parents, Dean and Missy Armitage. It doesn’t take long for him to figure out that something isn’t quite right about them. He later discovers the Armitage duo helps people who want to live longer or gain physical skills transfer their minds into the bodies of innocent victims. Before Dean and Missy try to fully bring Chris through the process, we see the horrifying results of their work on other people. The fact that the Armitage parents got their entire family in on their schemes makes them a truly despicable pair.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Vera Cosgrove, “Braindead” [aka “Dead Alive”] (1992)
She’s a Terrible Mother as a Human & as a Zombie

Chucky & Tiffany, “Seed of Chucky” (2004)
You Don’t Want to Go Near This Violent Pair of Doll Parents

Grace Stewart, “The Others” (2001)
She Seems Nice Until It’s Revealed What She Did to Her Offspring

The Robesons, “The People Under The Stairs” (1991)
“Mommy” & “Daddy” Did Too Many Terrible Things to Their Offspring to Name

The Mother , “Goodnight Mommy” (2014)
A Frightening & Deeply Troubled Mother You Don’t Want to Mess With

“The Shining” (1980)
Even before Jack Torrance goes to the creepy Overlook Hotel, it’s obvious he wasn’t a great dad to begin with. He once harmed his own son after losing control of his drinking. Any hope that Jack will improve evaporates once he gets into the hotel. After moving into the isolated mountain resort for the winter, Jack’s behavior worsens and he becomes more unhinged. He becomes so mentally unstable that he attempts to eliminate his own wife and son. Fortunately, they are able to get away from the twisted patriarch. Ultimately, Jack ends up dying alone and with his family thoroughly afraid of him. It’s safe to say he’s one of the worst fathers in horror history.