Creepy Children at Play in Horror Movies

Children are meant to epitomize innocence. The horror genre has taken this theme and distorted it to the point that children double as the personification of evil itself. The fact is it is very easy to transmute innocence into malevolence, and filmmakers love to abuse this. "Dream House" is the latest horror movie to follow this trend. Is it successful? That's a matter of opinion. While some have found it to generate some genuine nightmare fuel, others are much less impressed.

At its best, this tactic can make an already frightening movie even more disturbing and memorable. At its worst, you end up with a kid that's a mix of creepy and annoying. Below you'll find some of the best and worst examples of this horror movie technique. "Dream House" might be the most recent example, but it certainly isn't the most significant.

"The Shining" is one of the most well-known early examples of this terror tactic. A pair of ghost girls is left to haunt the halls of an isolated hotel after being savagely murdered by their mother. The filmmakers didn't try to over compensate with the twins; they simply appear together now and then with little indication of their ethereal nature. They aren't transparent, they aren't decked out in chains -- they're just two creepy little girls who just don't belong. This subtly has been what made them so memorable. It is also worth mentioning that the possessed son of the family is given this treatment as well, albeit to lesser success.

The fact is, creepy little girls make much more of an impact on viewers than their male counterparts. It is unclear if this is due to some innate trait or filmmakers simply doing greater justice to females in the role. Films like "The Good Son" and "Dark City" tend to do a poor job portraying evil little boys. The common error is they are given a vicious spin as opposed to letting them remain stoic and eerie like their female rivals. This discrepancy could also be attributed to the common association with boys and mischief as opposed to young girls and their perceived innocence.

"The Exorcist" can also be credited with pioneering the tactic. There is something truly terrifying about seeing the gradual descent into wickedness that befalls Regan. This case of cinematic demonic possession would cement children as star antagonists in the horror genre. "The Ring" would later try to emulate this formula to great success. Of course, "The Ring" inspired a whole slew of copycats trying to cash in on the resurgence of wicked child horror.

Some horror films simply struggle with the formula. "Bloody Birthday" was released the same year as "The Shining" but didn't garner anywhere near the same amount of success. The film makes a critical error that many such movies make. Rather than letting the viewers' psyche conclude that the children onscreen are evil, the film forces it on you.

This lack of subtly diminishes the fear induced and usually makes for a forgettable experience. This ineffectual method is at the very heart of the 2007 remake "Halloween." If the child is creepy enough, we'll be afraid. There's no need to show him brutally murdering cats when you can have him flying a kite at night. Now that's unwholesome.

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