Horror Films for Children

Horror can offer a lot of perspective to a young mind. If approached with adult guidance, a stark introduction to the difference between reality and fiction is possible. This can be exciting and even relatively interactive (to the degree a viewer can interact with film). Interesting conversation is sure to follow any child's experience in dealing with fear - but safely, at home. Such discussion may stir the otherwise thickened imagination of child and adult alike. The one thing to remember is that horror is more fear and menace than violence. Consider this article on horror movies and young children before introducing Freddy Krueger or Dead Alive.

Every Halloween newspapers and other media provide the world with chintzy, ill-researched lists of family Halloween films. Mainly these consist of light-hearted comedies that we can't quite call horror: Ghostbusters, Adams Family, Arachnophobia, The Burbs, and even The Wizard of Oz (Return to Oz is undoubtedly the better choice). A Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Edward Scissorhands, The Witches, and Beetlejuice are other safe bets for toddlers and comedy-seekers.

But while these are decent films that the kiddies ought to see, they're not quite the same as serious horror. If we tighten the belt one notch, we come to films like Poltergeist 1 or 2, Gremlins, Monster Squad (though you'll have to explain what a virgin is), The Frighteners, or any television series along the lines of Twilight Zone (and Twilight Zone: The Movie). Very easy horrors, minimally violent, maybe with a few laughs sneaking in. I've seen the film Tremors on at least one other family-horror-films list - really no more violence in this choice than in Jurassic Park. For the most part, monster films are probably as safe a choice as any of the above.

Getting a little more serious, we come to horrors made before about the 1960s. The best part about considering these is that, if you can find them, they're probably classics ...and for a reason. Many modern horror enthusiasts don't give themselves the opportunity to become acquainted with the classics and they don't know what they're missing. The Universal horrors in particular are wonderful for this. Powerful imagery and themes, with little enough violence you can watch them with an eight-year-old. A film like The Haunting may be a bit heady, but the House on Haunted Hill or The Old Dark House have some scenes that still work. Many family Halloween horror lists include Hitchcock's The Birds or even Psycho. I'd disagree as these are more talking heads and kids may not have the attention span to sit through an hour of dialogue they don't fully understand. Better to go with The Mummy or Dracula or Bride of Frankenstein. All have massive entertainment potential if approached correctly.

Fairy tales offer another perspective here. They gush with darkness and doom, so it's no surprise that horror-film versions of Snow White: A Tale of Terror, Pinocchio, The Brothers Grimm, and Hansel and Gretel (South Korea, 2007) are probably too much for the tykes. My personal favorite example of this is Klaus Kinski's anguished performance in Fairy Tale Theatre's Beauty and the Beast. His screaming is maniacal and bloodcurdling and I have witnessed firsthand that this confuses a child more used to Disney-level emotion in their programming. Of course, for exactly that reason it might be a perfect choice for any child. Something Wicked This Way Comes, written by the great Ray Bradbury, is a near-morality play on giving in to desire and overflowing in horror archetypes. Other folk and fairy tale horrors on the edge might include Pan's Labyrinth, Sleepy Hollow, or Troll. The films produced by Full Moon, particularly the Puppet Master series, offer more possibilities.

A few more ideas for horror films worth considering for an eight-year-old include the original Stepford Wives, The Omen films, or Invasion of Body Snatchers (1956, maybe 1978 ...but not 2007's The Invasion). Again, these will work best for patient, heady children. Mid-level-attention children could probably handle M. Night Shyamalan's films or The Others, or even The Orphanage or The Devil's Backbone if they could be found non-subtitles. For kids needing to really be walked through, try The Gate or Neon Maniacs or The Stuff.

Everybody recalls some of the first scary cinema they saw. For me, specific scenes from Cujo, Christine, and Invasion of Body Snatchers (1978) come to mind. Doubtful they altered me in any way but for a few lessons: don't forget that animals are always animals, don't be a bully, and things are not always as they seem. Ghosts, monsters, boogeymen and magic are part of every human culture. It makes no sense to deprive a child of these concepts - especially in a world in which reality and virtuality are getting more blurry by the moment and critical analysis is in danger of becoming a lost art.