Emily (Hide And Seek)
The Spooky Kid: Understandably traumatised by her mum’s suicide, Emily goes even further off the rails when she starts jabbering on about the malicious “Charlie”. Time for the men in white coats…
If They Were An Adult: She’d be sat at the back of the bus, shouting her own name and periodically wetting herself.
Isaac (Children Of The Corn)
The Spooky Kid: The pint-sized cult leader who rallies a mob of local kids and turns them against the town’s hapless adults. The little shit.
If They Were An Adult: He’d have cleaned up his act and focused his energies on a less destructive hobby. Scientology, perhaps…
Walter (Changeling)
The Spooky Kid: The unnervingly self-possessed imposter professing to be the missing son of Christine Collins. Needless to say, he’s full of it…
If They Were An Adult: He’d be cold-calling the elderly, badgering them about fictional PPI claims.
Claudia (Interview With The Vampire)
The Spooky Kid: A dying woman transposed into the body of a child, stuck forever in puberty but maintaining all the thoughts, feelings and urges of her adult self. Troubling.
If They Were An Adult: Her role in the “family” would be a hell of a lot less disturbing.
Cole Sear (The Sixth Sense)
The Spooky Kid: Cole might not be very frightening himself, but since he spends his days knocking about with the ghosts of the deceased, we’d say he qualifies as spooky. Big, sad eyes as well.
If They Were An Adult: Google a picture of Haley Joel Osment today if you really want a scare.
Cid (Looper)
The Spooky Kid: The snaggle-toothed, telekinetic son of Emily Blunt’s badass farm girl. Weirdly adult, despite being about five, you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry…
If They Were An Adult: Depending on whether anyone has meddled with his timeline or not, he’s only going to get more frightening. Believe us…
Esther (Orphan)
The Spooky Kid: A nine-year-old Russian girl who’s weirdly well-informed on sexual matters and, er, kills people. Creepy enough for you?
If They Were An Adult: That’s the thing… she is. A 33-year-old adult woman. Jesus…
David Zellaby (Village Of The Damned)
The Spooky Kid: The Hitler Youth-esque kid at the heart of the alien-influenced crop of youngsters terrorising the titular village. Bad’uns, the lot of them.
If They Were An Adult: He’d dress in a suit, tie and jumper combo… oh, wait.
Karen Cooper (Night Of The Living Dead)
The Spooky Kid: An angelic little zombie who looks as though butter wouldn’t melt… sort of.
If They Were An Adult: She probably wouldn’t take quite so much glee in doing for her parents. You tend to grow out of that kind of thing once you pass the teenage years…
The Baby (Its Alive)
The Spooky Kid: A monstrously deformed baby (the result of some dodgy prescription drugs) that kills when it gets scared. And it scares mighty easy…
If They Were An Adult: Attack of the killer man! Doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, does it?
