The Growing Trend of Creepy Kids In Horror Movies (1 Viewer)

[Gary->dee]

It seems like every week now there's a new horror movie coming out that features some evil looking little boy or girl. Granted that might be a slight exaggeration, maybe it's every month. At any rate, the newest one seems to be Boogeyman, the commercial to which features yet another creepy looking kid scaring an adult(seems it's never a kid scaring another kid, but then again I haven't seen any of these movies). I think The Sixth Sense sparked this latest trend, even though I'm aware that using the formula of young children in horror movies goes back to movies such as Village of the Damned, The Omen, and so on.

I can't remember how many recent movies have come out that feature kids scaring people(maybe someone can list them off), but they all seem to be copying off of each other.

Do you think this trend is going to end some time soon or will we continue to see grungy, dark looking movies with creepy looking kids scaring people in them?

It's getting old ain't it?

 

[Rob Bartlett]

The Sixth Sense popularized for the new millenium, but it something that's been going on since ebfore many of us were born.

 

[Greg_S_H]

I think Ringu sparked the current craze. It's going into video games, too. There's a FPS coming out called F.E.A.R., about a strike force team clearing out a skyscraper a la Die Hard. Mixed in is a creepy little girl who seems to be killing people left and right, walking through walls, things like that.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Yeah, i've noticed this too, however, IMO, the films i've seen recently have used the kids to great effect. I loved The Ring and i've never jumped so many times in a horror film before I saw The Grudge.

I think that there is something inherantly sinister about the idea of children, who are supposed to be innocent and good, being corrupted by evil and depicted in such vicious ways.

When it stops being effective for me, then i'll complain, but i'm enjoying it so far. And i'd love to see F.E.A.R made into a film!

 

[Gary->dee]

I should mention that currently a movie called Hide and Seek is the top grosser(no pun intended) at the box office. I think it involves a creepy little girl with a creepy imaginary friend. Stars Robert DeNiro interestingly enough. Even some A list actors are attracted to this genre. And in a way I do consider it a different genre than horror movies, kinda like an off-shoot of horror movies that involve creepy kids. Nicole Kidman starred in one too, although the name of the movie escapes me. The Shining is another movie featuring a creepy kid.

 

[Adam Portrais]

The Others.

 

[Holadem]

The Shining was a book before it was a movie. Quite a few other Stephen King's books feature kids, creepy or not.

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H

 

[Haggai]

The Exorcist is another obvious entry in this genre.

 

[chris winters]

One of the main traits is not just that the kids are creepy, but troubled and ultra-aware or sensative. They whisper their lines in a monotone manner while starring downward or into space. These are direct rip-offs of The Sixth Sense, and big name actors are into it becuase they think it could be another Sixth Sense style hit. The ring 2 features this prominently as well.

Whats so funny about Hide and seek is the obvious make-up job on Dakota Fanning. A dark hair die job or wig and black mascara. Her delivery in the trailer is hilarious with one monotone one-liner after another like punch lines.

 

[Brad E]

I don't think it's a new trend. Exorcist and The Shining have already been mentioned. Then there's Poltergeist, Children of the Corn, Nightmare on Elm Street and Pet Cemetery.
This is just off the top of my head. I'm sure there are many more and probably much older too.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

I think he's speaking of the fact that most of these movies revolve around creepy, wide eyed, monotone speaking, evil children.

Having children BE in a horror film is much different than having a movie center around one of the previously mentioned kids.