Movies like The Shining, The Others, The Omen, Poltergeist, The Ring and many others all center around children. Personally, this makes the movies scarier for me to watch. It always has. But kids in horror movies took on a different feel for me after I became a mom.
Before I had kids, it was more of a general creep factor. The small hands. The overall tininess. Now, it's hard for me to see anything happen to a small child. I keep thinking...that boy is so much like my son...the little girl reminds me of my daughter...what if it were one of my kids.
Good horror movies will grasp attention no matter the age or background of the audience. I suppose that's why scary movies with kids in them work so well. How about you? What's your big creep factor in a horror movie?
It's the juxtaposition of innocence and evil - eek. Too scary for me.
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteI know what you mean! Those specific movies you mention never really bothered me...if anything I would always wonder more about what it must be like to be the child actor in those roles. When my kids were younger the movies that weighed heavily on me were the ones that portrayed 'evil kids' tormenting the unsuspecting kid like The Good Son. Or those with kids who were burdened by issues kids shouldn't have to worry about like Sixth Sense. Movies like Seven kept me up for hours worrying about the psychos of the world and the future of mankind!! And books...gee...how about those books about abuse like A Child Called It?...yikes, haven't read because I just can't. It's only since my own kids have gotten older and have become fans of a good horror story and become much more independent that I'm becoming less sensitive. Heck, now I write YA...and love tackling gritty issues...LOL! .
ReplyDeleteYes, the movies you mentioned are all good too. And even though Seven didn't have kids in it, the movie did discuss bringing kids into such a world....I imagine that I will grow less sensitive to the creepy kids in movies as my own children grow older. Until then, I'll just cringe!
DeleteI agree with Mardra .. innocence and evil. I think too, when you become a parent, anything creepy about kids scares you because you think of your own kids. I think we are all viciously protective of our kids too which makes it even more scary!
ReplyDeleteA mama bear with her cubs--something primal!
DeleteI am not terribly afraid of dolls and clowns, but when the innocent (children and animals) turn creepy/evil/scary, I'm toast!
ReplyDeleteOkay, so almost as if something safe was taken and suddenly, not so safe anymore. I get that.
DeleteI like when creepy is arrived at by a clever use of 'normal'. When I am out of the film and walking through my regular world, I want look at an object I have seen a thousand times before and suddenly think, 'Holy Crap!'
ReplyDeleteA good example is feardotcom. There is a young girl (ironically) who plays with a red (if I remember correctly) ball. After I watched that movie, I would see a ball in a store or in a yard and stop. I would catch myself looking for that little girl. That is the type ofreactions I look for in a GOOD work of horror.
I like it. Something that really sticks, makes you look at something ordinary differently than you would have before.
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