Have no fear, little one: It's only 14 of horror’s most miserable little children

What happened to our sweet little girl? One day she’s playing with her imaginary friend, Captain Howdy, the next, she’s telling a priest that his mother sucks what in where? In William Friedkin’s Oscar-winning classic , Linda Blair pulls double duty as the lovable 14-year-old Regan and the possessing demon Pazuzu—with an assist from voice actor Mercedes McCambridge—in a role that seemed as miserable for the actor as the character. Once possessed, Regan’s misery becomes her household’s as she begins urinating at dinner parties, masturbating with a crucifix, and running the air conditioner at ungodly low temperatures. But it’s a misery that couldn’t be quelled. in Exorcist II: The Heretic. Her mother didn’t fare much better. 30 years later, Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) paid penance for Regan’s crimes by suffering through the series’ legacy sequel, . [Matt Schimkowitz]

wastes no time letting us know that Michael Myers, a mere six-year-old child, is unhinged. The movie starts with him murdering his sister and her boyfriend while they’re having sex in one of the coolest, freakiest opening scenes ever. It’s an instant shocker, but it also perfectly sets up a killer who would go on to become one of the greatest horror movie villains of all time. The franchise gradually reveals that Michael isn’t just suffering trauma, but there’s clearly some sort of unkillable evil inside of him. He was bound to be vile and wretched—talk about fate. He goes on to mindlessly kill numerous people and chase after Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) in various movies, reboots, continuations, etc. But never forget it all started because he was, and will always remain, one of the most contempt-worthy horror movie kids. [Saloni Gajjar]

Every parent wants a better life for their child, but unfortunately, some of those parents don’t know they’re in an Ari Aster movie. Aster’s aim is true in his 2018 breakthrough, , locking family trauma in his crosshairs and firing off two miserable childhoods. Aster has long zeroed in on the damage parents do to their children with extreme prejudice. opens with just about the worst family game night in history, and the less said about Beau’s mother, the better. But few children have had it worse than Hereditary’s Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro). Between the peanut allergies and a clicking tongue habit, Charlie’s childhood was already pretty awful, but it only gets worse when she’s decapitated moments after going into anaphylactic shock and ruining a party. Is there anything worse? Yes, being the brother charged with looking after her. But while he might not ever get another babysitting job, at least Peter has the opportunity to reinvent himself as king of a coven. [Matt Schimkowitz]

Alice (Paula E. Sheppard) doesn’t deserve the hardship that befalls her in this seminal Garden State slasher. First, her sister is Brooke Sheilds, which can’t be easy because, obviously, she’s going to get all the attention. Then, she’s pinned for her sister’s murder! The hits keep coming as Alice’s abusive aunt moves in, bodies start piling up, and Alice must share space with her lecherous landlord. is a religious terror for the viewer, but no one has it worse than the 12-year-old girl at the center of it. Unfortunately, the end doesn’t offer salvation, as the film’s ambiguous conclusion teases a murderous future for sweet Alice. [Matt Schimkowitz]

No one writes a mean child as well as Stephen King—which is probably why he’s so well represented in this Inventory. The bullies in King’s work are some of the most repugnant, remorseless, and despicable youths in literature, and those bad vibes translate to the screen. Regardless of the version, the sociopathic teen and Bowers Gang leader, Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton, 2017; Jarred Blanchard, 1991), from is a miserable hang. As is the case elsewhere, it’s not entirely his fault. Like many of our miserable kids, he has a horribly abusive father and an inability to express himself—well, outside of violence (this kid should try boxing or something). Still, we’re not sure if growing up in an abusive household absolves him of attempting to carve his name into Ben’s stomach. In the book, he goes even further, killing Mike’s dog. Now, that is some next-level bullying. [Matt Schimkowitz]

The monkey’s paw sure did curl for young Claudia (Kirstin Dunst) in . Transformed into a vampiric terror before she even entered middle school, she would’ve died had Lestat not sunk his teeth into her. Doomed to walk the rest of her days as a miserable little child, she doesn’t stay silent about her body image issues, frequently criticizing her master Lestat (Tom Cruise) and eventually attempting to murder him. Nevertheless, the life of a child vampire never gets any less complicated, and she lives on for decades in her tiny frame. Everyone wants eternal youth. Few want to be that young when they receive it. [Matt Schimkowitz]

Listen, if you could see dead people, you’d probably be pretty miserable, too. Even when bullies aren’t locking Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) in ghost-infested closets in , the apparitions are still there, wandering around, totally oblivious that they’re dead. Director M. Night Shyamalan, despite his frequently heavy-handed style (Cole’s last name is just a touch on the nose, huh?), has a remarkable skill in his ability to write child characters with care and compassion, and it’s on full display here. The Sixth Sense is remembered most for its twist ending, but it’s Osment’s haunting, haunted portrayal of Cole that carries the whole movie. He makes it easy to imagine what it would be like to have a supernatural ability—and it doesn’t seem particularly pleasant, even after he learns how to live with the dead. [Jen Lennon]