Horror films with child protagonists
March 23, 2022 1:55 PM Subscribe
Can you recommend horror films with very young child protagonists? Less interested in examples with supernatural stuff than in children in peril from a killer/monster/psycho. Little kids, not teens. Like, single digit ages, generally.
It's okay if the kid/s is/are part of a family, as long as they spend much/most of the movie as the most active character. For example, John and Pearl in The Night of the Hunter have a mom and a grandma, but the kids are the POV characters and are definitely the heroes of the story. I'm looking for the dynamic where kids do not have grown-up level skills/faculties or the support systems that adults have of peers/authority figures who will respond to them but they still have to fight for their lives.
My kiddo and I are watching the Child's Play series and they asked how often very young kids are the leads in horror movies. I couldn't think of many, so that's where you come in.
It's okay if the kid/s is/are part of a family, as long as they spend much/most of the movie as the most active character. For example, John and Pearl in The Night of the Hunter have a mom and a grandma, but the kids are the POV characters and are definitely the heroes of the story. I'm looking for the dynamic where kids do not have grown-up level skills/faculties or the support systems that adults have of peers/authority figures who will respond to them but they still have to fight for their lives.
My kiddo and I are watching the Child's Play series and they asked how often very young kids are the leads in horror movies. I couldn't think of many, so that's where you come in.
Would the 1984 adaptation of Firestarter count? I don't know how old Drew Barrymore's character is, but it can't be older than ten, and is likely younger.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:59 PM on March 23, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:59 PM on March 23, 2022 [3 favorites]
The Omen - but maybe not what you’re looking for since the child isn’t the hero?
posted by Sassyfras at 2:05 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Sassyfras at 2:05 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
Mama
Annabelle: Creation (which was much better than a prequel's prequel should have been imo)
posted by phunniemee at 2:09 PM on March 23, 2022
Annabelle: Creation (which was much better than a prequel's prequel should have been imo)
posted by phunniemee at 2:09 PM on March 23, 2022
According to wikipedia the kids in The Gate are supposed to be 12, so a little older than you are looking for, but it's a pretty badass movie and your kid would probably really enjoy it.
The two-part IT adaptation that came out in the last few year is really fun, and the fact that adults rarely believe kids or take them seriously is a big part of the whole story.
Found is a stunner of a movie about a young boy realizing his brother is a serial killer, but it is extremely not for kids (I don't say this lightly!).
posted by cakelite at 2:09 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
The two-part IT adaptation that came out in the last few year is really fun, and the fact that adults rarely believe kids or take them seriously is a big part of the whole story.
Found is a stunner of a movie about a young boy realizing his brother is a serial killer, but it is extremely not for kids (I don't say this lightly!).
posted by cakelite at 2:09 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
Two more! Lady in White is an eighties classic. It's heavier on ghosts than psycho killers, but might still be a fun watch.
Goodnight Mommy is a creepy one about twin boys who decide that an imposter is impersonating their mom. I would not show this to a kid.
posted by cakelite at 2:14 PM on March 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
Goodnight Mommy is a creepy one about twin boys who decide that an imposter is impersonating their mom. I would not show this to a kid.
posted by cakelite at 2:14 PM on March 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
The Sixth Sense is supernatural, obviously, but one reason I really love this movie is because Cole is shown to be totally alone, with no adults on his side, no-one who understands him (apart from Bruce Willis who is, obviously, besides the point/part of the problem) and he has to be so brave and courageous all on his own even though he is scared to death and very much is fighting for his life.
posted by Balthamos at 2:20 PM on March 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Balthamos at 2:20 PM on March 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
The Babadook, The Omen, Poltergeist, and The Shining are all mostly stories told from the perspectives of the kid's parents. The son isn't the main character in The Babadook, the mother is. The kids in Poltergeist get a lot of screentime, but the movie is more about the parents fighting to save their family. There are a LOT of horror movies like these, but not as many that fit DirtyOldTown's intriguing parameters.
posted by cakelite at 2:29 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by cakelite at 2:29 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
The main character in Let The Right One In is apparently twelve, but I remembered him as seeming younger than that. Terrifying, incredible movie, and it’s very much from the kid’s perspective.
posted by Mizu at 2:33 PM on March 23, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by Mizu at 2:33 PM on March 23, 2022 [8 favorites]
Response by poster: cakelite is on the right track. I'm less interested in horror movies with kids than horror movies with kids as the main characters, particularly/especially struggling with uniquely kid-centric challenges.
As examples... Andy, in Child's Play 2 knows exactly what is going on, but has even less success in finding help than his mom did in the first film, because who would believe this story coming from a child? Oskar in Let the Right One In is adrift in that kind of all-kids phase of late childhood where it doesn't even occur to him to ask an adult about what is happening and that's why he is in danger. For very practical problems specific to kids, in The Boy Behind the Door, Bobby could have ended the movie early if he was comfortable using a rotary phone or giving directions or if he knew how to drive a stick shift.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:37 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
As examples... Andy, in Child's Play 2 knows exactly what is going on, but has even less success in finding help than his mom did in the first film, because who would believe this story coming from a child? Oskar in Let the Right One In is adrift in that kind of all-kids phase of late childhood where it doesn't even occur to him to ask an adult about what is happening and that's why he is in danger. For very practical problems specific to kids, in The Boy Behind the Door, Bobby could have ended the movie early if he was comfortable using a rotary phone or giving directions or if he knew how to drive a stick shift.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:37 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
The Boy Behind the Door was one I watched recently on Shudder. BIG OL content warning for child abduction and (assumed) sexual assault. I thought it did a really great job of making the boys seem like actual children (they are apparently "tweens"), lacking in some of the critical thinking and experience that an adult would bring to the situation. At the same time, you're rooting for them and the movie maintains the scary and tense aspects of horror that make it...I hesitate to say "fun" but like, the experience a good horror movie should give you, without veering into despair or depravity.
On edit: It's definitely more of a thriller (no supernatural, otherwordly elements). This review does a better job than I did of explaining what I enjoyed about it.
posted by a.steele at 2:43 PM on March 23, 2022
On edit: It's definitely more of a thriller (no supernatural, otherwordly elements). This review does a better job than I did of explaining what I enjoyed about it.
posted by a.steele at 2:43 PM on March 23, 2022
Response by poster: It's a good example, for sure. That's why I mentioned it myself above :)
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:47 PM on March 23, 2022
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:47 PM on March 23, 2022
I'm not sure whether it counts as a horror movie or not (but its Wikipedia entry describes it as one, so let's go with it): Coraline has an 11-year-old protagonist.
posted by phoenixy at 2:47 PM on March 23, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by phoenixy at 2:47 PM on March 23, 2022 [3 favorites]
Locke & Key, a Netflix show based on a comic. Protagonist is a young kid.
posted by Grandysaur at 2:48 PM on March 23, 2022
posted by Grandysaur at 2:48 PM on March 23, 2022
The Bad Seed, maybe? Haven’t seen it in years, however.
posted by sucre at 3:08 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by sucre at 3:08 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
The Exorcist--but how old is your kid? That would scare the bejesus out of my 12 year old...
posted by Morpeth at 3:16 PM on March 23, 2022
posted by Morpeth at 3:16 PM on March 23, 2022
Pan's Labyrinth
posted by zeptoweasel at 3:22 PM on March 23, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by zeptoweasel at 3:22 PM on March 23, 2022 [8 favorites]
The Djinn is told pretty much entirely from the boy's point of view. I believe he is supposed to be about 12.
posted by gudrun at 3:26 PM on March 23, 2022
posted by gudrun at 3:26 PM on March 23, 2022
How about The Reflecting Skin?
posted by praemunire at 3:26 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by praemunire at 3:26 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
Parents! Nearly wore out the VHS on this one in high school. Bizarre, but good bizarre.
posted by Shepherd at 3:56 PM on March 23, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by Shepherd at 3:56 PM on March 23, 2022 [4 favorites]
Stretching a bit, because the real protagonist is a cat, but the third segment of Stephen King horror anthology Cat’s Eye is very much centered on 9-year-old Drew Barrymore’s character.
posted by ejs at 5:54 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by ejs at 5:54 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
How about Cloak and Dagger? It’s more thriller than horror (more horrifying to a kid, I suppose, which is why I thought of it), and there is a bit of fantastic with the main character’s imaginary father figure/action toy hero.
posted by pepper bird at 6:01 PM on March 23, 2022
posted by pepper bird at 6:01 PM on March 23, 2022
(Although I guess you could argue that Drew is the protagonist because she telepathically summons the cat to protect her.)
posted by ejs at 6:02 PM on March 23, 2022
posted by ejs at 6:02 PM on March 23, 2022
I think the kids in Cop Car are ten or eleven, but might be slightly younger. It’s definitely non-supernatural, but I’m not sure if it isn’t more of a crime/suspense movie than a horror movie as such.
Tideland is more dark fantasy than horror, but again, not supernatural. The lead was about ten or eleven when the movie came out, but she’s playing a good bit younger, I think.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 6:16 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
Tideland is more dark fantasy than horror, but again, not supernatural. The lead was about ten or eleven when the movie came out, but she’s playing a good bit younger, I think.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 6:16 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
"The Monster Squad" has older kids in it, but also a few younger ones. I specifically remember a little kid saying "Mummy came in my house!" in the movie.
posted by tacodave at 7:10 PM on March 23, 2022
posted by tacodave at 7:10 PM on March 23, 2022
I can't believe Night of The Hunter hasn't come up. Children in peril from a terrifying Robert Mitchum.
posted by brookeb at 7:58 PM on March 23, 2022
posted by brookeb at 7:58 PM on March 23, 2022
Would Jurassic Park count? Several scenes where the kids are on their own trying to stay alive.
posted by Jane the Brown at 9:11 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Jane the Brown at 9:11 PM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
The People Under the Stairs has a couple of very young protagonists -- one of them is a child/tween, and the other is a teenager. I only saw it once during its original theatrical release when I was a tween myself, but I remember enjoying it.
posted by ambulatorybird at 9:33 PM on March 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by ambulatorybird at 9:33 PM on March 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
Do Goosebumps movies count?
I’m not sure this tendency is specific to horror. Seems like it’s uncommon for movies aimed at adults to have child protagonists regardless of genre.
posted by Comet Bug at 11:00 PM on March 23, 2022
I’m not sure this tendency is specific to horror. Seems like it’s uncommon for movies aimed at adults to have child protagonists regardless of genre.
posted by Comet Bug at 11:00 PM on March 23, 2022
I can't believe Night of The Hunter yt hasn't come up. Children in peril from a terrifying Robert Mitchum.
The OP mentioned NIGHT OF THE HUNTER in the question as being something they already thought of, that was why I didn't mention it at least.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:10 AM on March 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
The OP mentioned NIGHT OF THE HUNTER in the question as being something they already thought of, that was why I didn't mention it at least.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:10 AM on March 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
I am a fan of this theme, but they can definitely be hard to find. Casting a fairly wide net (many of these protagonists are more like preteens/11-12 year olds, and some of these are arguably not horror films), here are a few others I didn't see mentioned already:
Tigers Are Not Afraid
Vampires vs. the Bronx
Paranorman
Monster House
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The Devil's Backbone
Nightbooks
Over the Garden Wall
The Witches
Paperhouse
Martyrs Lane
Psycho Goreman
Making Contact (aka Joey)
Cameron's Closet
Game Over (aka Dial Code Santa Claus aka 3615 code Pere Noel)
Halloween 4
Invaders from Mars
posted by alyxstarr at 1:06 PM on March 30, 2022
Tigers Are Not Afraid
Vampires vs. the Bronx
Paranorman
Monster House
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The Devil's Backbone
Nightbooks
Over the Garden Wall
The Witches
Paperhouse
Martyrs Lane
Psycho Goreman
Making Contact (aka Joey)
Cameron's Closet
Game Over (aka Dial Code Santa Claus aka 3615 code Pere Noel)
Halloween 4
Invaders from Mars
posted by alyxstarr at 1:06 PM on March 30, 2022
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The Shining
posted by feistycakes at 1:58 PM on March 23, 2022 [3 favorites]