Creepy kids are a common trope in horror that has been explored in various forms of entertainment. Creepy children may be depicted as sweet, innocent, or angelic, but as the story progresses, there’s something not quite right about them. They’re too calm, too knowing. They aren’t really children any longer, not at heart. Children should be innocent and in need of adult protection. By inverting this, the trope arouses deep-rooted fears.
Creepy children can be both male and female and can take on many different forms. They can be a Robot Girl, a changeling, a Waif Prophet, or just plain evil.
Cody Meirick on November 2, 2023