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Suffer the Little Children: Killer Kids on Film

If horror films have taught us anything, it would be that children are secretly homicidal, sadistic little bastards. A quick glance at your local playground should make this clear enough, as the little monsters taunt and push each other around. In all seriousness, though, horror films have a long tradition of corrupting all that we perceive as innocent and good, so it is no surprise that time and again, filmmakers turn to children as their villain.

Children in horror are led to kill by a variety of sources. Be it posseson, deluon, extra terrestrial parentage, religious corruption or even a fluke solar eclipse, killer kids remain horrifying no matter the impetus for their violence. Below I’ve compiled a list of who I conder to be the most memorable killer kids every put to film; who are YOUR favorites?

1. Rhoda Penmark; The Bad Seed (1956 / 1985)

The Bad Seed was first put to film in 1956, two years after the novel of the same title was first published and then adapted for the stage. The story centers around little Rhoda, a charmingly manipulative eight year old whose selfishness and cold, callous behavior soon lead to murder. The death of a boy in her class at school first arouses her mother’s suspicions into the child’s murderous intent and, as the story progresses, more suspicious deaths make it all too clear. The go-to story of a killer kid, The Bad Seed is probably the best known example of a murdering child on film. The novel was adapted again for a made for televion film in 1985 in which the child’s name is ‘updated’ to Rachel, though it is widely agreed that the original film

is far better than this later remake. Still, strangely enough, the 1985 veron seems to get much more airplay than the original.

2. Mikey; Mikey (1992)

Though far from being the best killer kid on film, Mikey is memorable not only for its UK banning, but also for its young star, Brian Bonsall of Family Ties fame. Known primarily for the wholesome, family-friendly role he portrayed on the clasc tcom, Bonsall taking such a dark turn came as something of a surprise as he portrayed the title character Mikey, who moved from family to family, eliminating anyone who got in his way - or really, got on his nerves. One particularly memorable scene involves a bathtub and a hair dryer - electrifying! The film was banned from release in the UK due to unfortunate timing; at the time of the prospective release, a two year old boy was abducted and brutally abused and murder by children of an age milar to the film’s Mikey, leading to concern over public reaction to the film. The brutal murder of the child, James Bulger, is so struck into the collective psyche of UK audiences that the film remains banned in the UK to this day.

3. The Children of Gatlin; Children of the Corn (1984)

Based on a short story by horror favorite Stephen King, Children of the Corn tells the tale of a rural Nebraska town overtaken by its own children, caught in the thrall of a dark entity that lives in the corn fields. Whipped into a religious fervor and led by the uber-creepy Isaac, the children systematically murder any adult who comes their way, down to their own parents. When lost road-trippers Burt and Vicky stumble across the horror in Gatlin, they become caught up in a struggle for the very souls of the murderous children. Though it went on to spur several (terrible) sequels, the film remains one of the best depictions of kids gone bad on film. Strange fact: John Franklin, the actor who portrayed Isaac, went on to play Coun Itt in the Addams Family films. Slightly unnerving to think of creepy Isaac hiding under all that hair!

4. Curtis, Debbie & Steven; Bloody Birthday (1981)

With the vaguely convoluted backstory of an eclipse blocking out planets controlling emotion during the birth of three children, Bloody Birthday tells the tale of these three kids and their subsequent murder spree. Seemingly normal, Curtis, Debbie and Steven share a birthday and grow up as friends before embarking on the emotionless murders of classmates, blings and other locals. The film is notable for an appearance by Julie Brown of MTV fame and an influx of clearly clueless adults - including a mother who mistakes blood on a carpet for spilled nail polish!

5. Gage Creed; Pet Sematary (1989) One more from the mind of Stephen King! Based on the novel of the same title, 1986’s Pet Semetary features a chilling performance by three year old Miko Hughes as the reanimated corpse of young Gage Creed. Left heavy with grief and guilt following the accidental death of his son, Louis Creed ignores warnings and reburies his dead son in tainted ground, leading the child to return from the dead with murderous intent. Never before on film had such a young child been quite so nister; to this day, Pet Semetary remains a fan favorite, due in no small part to this creeper killer kid. Who doesn’t wince at the achilles’ slice delivered to the elder Herman Munster?

Honorable Mentions: + Henry Evans (Macaulay Culkin) in The Good Son; but who wouldn’t look evil next to baby Frodo? + The Baby in Hush Little Baby (2007); Funny, yes, but also slightly unnerving to see a newborn offing people left and right.

What about Village of the Damned? Case 39? The god-like kid from The Twilight Zone? :P I agree though. Kids can be portrayed as total demonic little shytes.

What about Village of the Damned? Case 39? The god-like kid from The Twilight Zone? :P I agree though. Kids can be portrayed as total demonic little shytes.

I had actually forgotten about the kid from the Twilight Zone, good call! Though that one kind of makes you wonder, is he evil so much as a kid with too much power, who doesn't really know what he's doing? I suppose being over the clinical age of reason and all... but who knows!

But yeah, this is an opinion piece so I'd love to see your add-ons and why you think they should be included!

...Come to think of it, those weird kids from In the Mouth of Madness could rate too!

Some of my favorite killer kid movies: The Godsend 1988, The Children 1980, The Children 2010, Who Can Kill A Child, Zombie Child

Almost forgot Damien from "The Omen". What a twisted little bastard HE was!

good picks

I'd add Damian from Omen, the kids in The Children (sadistic but fun for me), Esther from Orphan (technically not really a kid, but you see where I'm going there lol).

Good piece here.

The two little brats from Home Movie Macaulay Culkin in The Good Son

Tomas from The Orphanage

i find this one to be terrifying

Home Movie, definitely.

That film is perfect birth control :)

Has anyone seen "Devil Times Five"? It's a 1974 flick that also goes under the title "Peopletoys". It came up when I was doing a bit of research and it sounds... interesting. Runs along the same theme as all of the above mentioned films.