The 10 Most Cursed Horror Children to Ever Grace the Screen

Kids are fun and full of life. But sometimes they're full of the devil. Or another ancient demon hell-bent on destroying life on Earth.

Whether they're possessed by ancient demons, born the Antichrist, or simply operating on a level of unhinged malice, cursed kids are such a huge part of the horror genre.

They star in some of our favorite movies, and today, I wanted to do a post dedicated to them and the horror that surrounds them.

Let's dive in.

1. Regan MacNeil (The Exorcist, 1973)

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• Director: William Friedkin
• Writer: William Peter Blatty
• Key Cast: Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow

This is a freaky entry that had to be number one. This movie is, at its core, about a mother trying to figure out what's wrong with her daughter and confronting the fact that it may not be something under her control.

Linda Blair’s portrayal of Regan set the gold standard for movie child curses. You can't get better than this; it's a worst-case scenario.

2. Damien Thorn (The Omen, 1976)

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• Director: Richard Donner
• Writer: David Seltzer
• Key Cast: Harvey Spencer Stephens, Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, Billie Whitelaw

This is the kid you worry about as a parent. What if they come home from the playground and this is their friend; what if this winds up being your kid?

This is the literal Antichrist swapped at birth into an American diplomat’s family; that is a bad situation for everyone in it! He is cold, calculated, and terrifyingly polite. Until he kills you and takes over the world.

3. Rhoda Penmark (The Bad Seed, 1956)

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• Director: Mervyn LeRoy
• Writer: John Lee Mahin (screenplay), Maxwell Anderson (play), William March (novel)
• Key Cast: Patty McCormack, Nancy Kelly, Henry Jones, Eileen Heckart

The first of the worst. This kid was so cursed that they influenced every cursed kid after that. On the outside, Rhoda is a sweet girl in tap shoes who loves her mother. They always present one way, and then the real evil comes out.

This killer child set the standard and the trope for every movie and show that followed.

4. Gage Creed (Pet Sematary, 1989)

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• Director: Mary Lambert
• Writer: Stephen King
• Key Cast: Miko Hughes, Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, Fred Gwynne

"Sometimes dead is better."

I just don't know how a kid handles death, especially the death of a beloved family pet. This is supposed to teach them a lesson, not make them into a manifestation of pure violence with a toddler's voice.

5. Charlie Graham (Hereditary, 2018)

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• Director: Ari Aster
• Writer: Ari Aster
• Key Cast: Milly Shapiro, Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Gabriel Byrne

The absolute shock my theater experienced when this kid's head got knocked off was bonkers. I don't think I will ever get over it. All I see are telephone poles and a shudder.

Milly Shapiro deserved an Oscar. That clicking was gross and weird and also messed with me. The fallout there lasts the rest of the movie.

6. Toshio Saeki (Ju-On: The Grudge, 2002)

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• Director: Takashi Shimizu
• Writer: Takashi Shimizu
• Key Cast: Yuya Ozeki, Takashi Matsuyama, Takako Fuji, Megumi Okina

Japanese horror always takes things to the next level. This is a poor kid who is bound to the house by a curse that forces him into corners and darkness, into pictures and to kill over and over.

7. Isaac Chroner (Children of the Corn, 1984)

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• Director: Fritz Kiersch
• Writer: George Goldsmith (screenplay), Stephen King (short story)
• Key Cast: John Franklin, Courtney Gains, Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton

Bro, stay out of the corn. It's gonna get you. This is so unsettling because I grew up near so many farms, and I was always afraid these kids would waltz out of them. Again, this became a legendary band of bad kids, and if they ever remake this movie, I could see it entering another longer part of the cultural lexicon.

8. Samara Morgan (The Ring, 2002)

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• Director: Gore Verbinski
• Writer: Ehren Kruger (screenplay), Kôji Suzuki (novel)
• Key Cast: Daveigh Chase, Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, Brian Cox

"She never sleeps."

Nothing more scary than coming out of the TV and getting you. You see this kid who just wants to get her curse out there, one who will relentlessly suck your soul after seven days. Unless you duplicate her DVD.

That cold, dark well is also a terrifying place to be stuck in and conjures up all the trauma and claustrophobia that would make any sick kid kill.

9. Anthony Fremont (The Twilight Zone: "It's a Good Life", 1961)

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• Director: James Sheldon
• Writer: Rod Serling (teleplay), Jerome Bixby (short story)
• Key Cast: Bill Mumy, Cloris Leachman, John Larch, Don Keefer

A TV episode! Yes, The Twilight Zone had so much terror baked inside. Ig you haven't seen this episode, Anthony has the power to mutate reality, read minds, and transport anything (or anyone) he dislikes to "the cornfield."

So you really wanted to be nice to him!

10. The Brood / Ghoul Children (The Brood, 1979)

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• Director: David Cronenberg
• Writer: David Cronenberg
• Key Cast: Cindy Hinds, Samantha Eggar, Art Hindle, Oliver Reed

A title that makes you feel the cursed kids coming your way. These snowsuit-clad, toothless mutants work as a hive mind to get you and everyone you love. They attack first responders, teachers, friends, and foes without mercy, all to avenge Mom's whims.

Summing It All Up

Some kids on this list got a raw deal; others needed a little more parenting. But regardless, these are the ones I wouldn't want hanging out on the playground with my son.

Were there any I missed?