Top 20 Creepiest Child Performances in Horror Movies

“M3GAN” (2022)
The most recent entry on this list proves that there’s always room for new creative ground to be broken within the realm of creepy movie kids. That’s because Amie Donald’s physical performance as the titular M3GAN is truly something else to behold. The actor didn’t handle the voice of M3GAN in this 2022 film (that honor belonged to Jenna Davis), but the physicality that Donald brought to the role gave the AI-powered doll an uncanny and unsettling aura. The strange dance performed by M3GAN in the movie’s trailer was probably all that anyone needed to show them how creepy the doll was, but Donald’s creativity brought the performance to another level.

“Pet Sematary” (1989)
It should be said that Miko Hughes’s performance as Gage Creed in the original “Pet Sematary” doesn’t start out creepy at all. Instead, Hughes is genuinely cute and endearing, which makes his fatal accident about halfway through the film that much more tragic. However, the undead version of Gage is the exact opposite: understated and somber, yet with a believable menace. The phrase “sometimes dead is better” comes up often within the running time of “Pet Sematary,” but we can’t help but be floored by the duality of Hughes’s performance, even at his astonishingly young age.

“The Babadook” (2014)
There are a lot of strengths to be lauded within 2014’s “The Babadook.” The stop-motion and practical effects of the monster are great, but the real heart lies within the performances of Essie Davis as Amelia Vanek and Noah Wiseman as her son, Sam. The latter role in particular serves to juxtapose themes of mental and behavioral struggles against a familial backdrop and setting. As a result, Wiseman vacillates between a troubled, but sweet child, and the sort of unsettled creepiness that we expect from a horror movie. In this way, “The Babadook” succeeds in being both original and rewatchable, which is no mean feat in the world of modern horror.

“Salem’s Lot” (1979)
It’s the scene that haunted the nightmares of many children, and even some adults. It’s Ronnie Scribner’s turn as Ralphie Glick in the 1979 TV adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, “‘Salem’s Lot.” The image of the vampiric Ralphie slowly floating in front of his brother’s bedroom window is haunting. It’s slow and deliberate, with Ralphie’s whitened eyes and scary smile stark against the night fog. The atmospheric score by Harry Sukman gradually swells, as Ralphie’s brother lets him into the house. It’s surprisingly scary stuff for a movie developed for television back in the late seventies, a moment that helped turn “Salem’s Lot” into a household horror name.

“Village of the Damned” (1960)
It’s difficult to narrow down a standout from the cast of 1960’s “Village of the Damned.” The entire ensemble of young actors truly sell the malevolence at play. Additionally, there’s a juxtaposition of youth and perceived innocence against what these morally bankrupt and telepathic children are capable of doing. The glowing eyes and collective thought is terrifying, and the cast does a great job at projecting it all on screen. This applies not only to this 1960 original, but also the 1995 remake from director John Carpenter.

“Night of the Living Dead” (1968)
She’s one of the OG “Living Dead Girls,” a testament to the evocative filmmaking of George A. Romero and “Night of the Living Dead.” The 1968 original has tons of memorable sequences to its credit, but Kyra Schon’s portrayal of the doomed Karen Cooper has to serve as one of the film’s most iconic images. Karen is already mortally wounded when she first appears, but takes almost the entirety of her running time to finally turn into the undead. It is worth the wait, however, as Schon rises and stares down the camera lens with a morbid, captivating gaze. And, in that instant, a horror movie legend was born.

“The Good Son” (1993)
It doesn’t seem unfair to label 1993’s “The Good Son” as a means for child actor Macaulay Culkin to stretch his creative legs. The hopes were probably that Culkin could both capitalize and distance himself from the fame he earned from 1990’s “Home Alone.” It was a gamble, and critics weren’t exactly kind to “The Good Son” upon its release. Modern reappraisal is a bit different, however, with many fans pointing to exactly how legitimately scary and menacing Culkin feels as Henry. This is a traumatized character, reacting in the worst possible way. Although we feel for him, his reprehensible behavior ultimately leads to his downfall. And it’s Culkin’s performance that allows us to feel this conflicted.

“Child’s Play” (1988)
It’s totally natural for young children to tell stories. But what if they’re not faking? We, the audience, may know that Alex Vincent’s Andy Barclay is telling the truth, but the fictional characters don’t possess that luxury. As a result, it’s easy to view Vincent’s performance as creepy, since the original “Child’s Play” actually takes its time with that initial Chucky reveal. Andy is presented as perhaps possessing some deep-seeded issues, to the point where he’s passing along a lot of his emotional state onto an inanimate doll. Sure, everyone is eventually made privy to the fact that serial killer Charles Lee Ray has sent his spirit into a “Good Guy” doll, but up until that point? It is tense and scary stuff.

“Firestarter” (1984)
Drew Barrymore’s Charlie McGee is another character that’s too young for the situation that’s thrust upon her. She’s given pyrokinetic powers in vitro, thanks to the abilities awoken by her parents during hallucinogenic testing when they were young. Charlie is never given a choice, and this is compounded by her mother’s murder and Charlie’s own abduction by a government agency that wants to control her power. Barrymore’s character is barely allowed to have a proper childhood, and all of this trauma is cycled into the instability of her powers. This “Firestarter” is going through so much, and we the audience see just what happens when all of this chaos affects Charlie’s ability to handle her gifts.

“Interview with the Vampire” (1994)
There is a lot to unpack with the character of Claudia from the original adaptation of “Interview with the Vampire” from 1994. Neil Jordan’s take on the Anne Rice series of novels is sumptuous and gothic, and Dunst’s character is, at first, enamored of her new, undead life. Yet, the question of consent soon comes up, this stunting of emotional growth, told against a fantasy backdrop of vampirism. Additionally, Claudia will never grow old, yet Dunst is required to display physical and psychological urges in an adult way, despite being a child actor. The end results are beyond compelling, but worth discussing with a modern lens, as well.

“The Ring” (2002)
Daveigh Chase was required to do one, specific thing when portraying Samara Morgan in 2002’s “The Ring:” be as absolutely scary as possible. She definitely succeeded, and Samara’s first emergence from that haunted video screen is an image that helped define early millennial horror. There’s a physicality to Chase’s performance that feels labored, as if Samara is struggling to pull herself through the television. Additionally, the sound design of Samara’s soaking wet footsteps just makes our collective skin crawl. Seriously, all of the flowers need to be laid at Chase’s feet for this performance.

“Orphan” (2009)
Though this supernatural horror film received mixed reviews, its at times generic scares and formulaic plot are saved by one thing: Isabelle Fuhrman’s 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 Fuhrman’s performance as a highlight of the film, comparing it to some other child horror icons that we’ll 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.

“The Bad Seed” (1956)
The performances that Isabelle Fuhrman’s 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 Rhoda’s dies mysteriously, Rhoda’s 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 character’s true nature in delightfully twisted fashion. Rarely has a child so convincingly conveyed pure evil.

“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 eleven 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.

“Hereditary” (2018)
Folks, we would like to officially welcome a new addition to the horror hall of fame: Milly Shapiro. “Hereditary” was Shapiro’s 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 thirteen-year-old Charlie Graham, and while we don’t want to give too much away, let’s just say that Shapiro’s performance will burn itself into your memory in a way that won’t soon fade. We can’t wait to see what she does next!

“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, we’re glad that director Tobe Hooper suggested that it be reworked as a supernatural tale. We can’t imagine Heather O’Rourke’s performance being nearly as compelling in a sci-fi context. In the film, O’Rourke 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 she’s trapped on the other side of the portal, her voice acting is chill-inducing.

“The Omen” (1976)
If there’s a child in film that makes us rethink having kids (second only to Rosemary’s titular baby, Adrian) it’s 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 don’t realize he is in fact the son of Satan. Actor Harvey Stephens doesn’t have much in the way of dialogue, but that’s 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.

“The Shining” (1980)
Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of Stephen King’s 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 it’s 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.

“The Sixth Sense” (1999)
It’s been estimated that roughly 45% of Americans believe in ghosts. After seeing M. Night Shyamalan’s 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.

“The Exorcist” (1973)
This 1973 classic is counted among the scariest, greatest, and most influential films in the horror genre. But it’s 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, it’s ultimately Blair’s 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, it’s safe to say she pulled it off and then some, even earning an Academy Award nomination.