Bad Seeds and Holy Terrors: The Child Villains of Horror Film

by Dominic Lennard

Since the 1950s, children have provided some of horror's most effective and enduring villains, from dainty psychopath Rhoda Penmark of The Bad Seed (1956) and spectacularly possessed Regan MacNeil of The Exorcist (1973) to psychic ghost-girl Samara of The Ring (2002) and adopted terror Esther of Orphan (2009). Using a variety of critical approaches, including those of cinema studies, cultural studies, gender studies, and psychoanalysis, Bad Seeds and Holy Terrors offers the first full-length study of these child monsters. In doing so, the book highlights horror as a topic of analysis that is especially pertinent socially and politically, exposing the genre as a site of deep ambivalence toward—and even hatred of—children.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction

195 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2014

Reviews

[Ryan Splenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dominic Lennard's examination of child villains in horror films is a welcome addition to the studies of the horror genre. There is particular attention paid to the idea of the "innocence of children." Lennard disputes this claim and suggests that children are indeed capable of heinous acts, which he argues by using examples from history and various horror movies. Other topics include the anxieties of parenting, consumerism, and repression. Some of the movies covered include: The Exorcist, The Omen, The Bad Seed, Orphan, Hard Candy, and The Ring. This is a must read for all horror aficionados and for those interested in film studies.

[Pandora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief-ish overview, but great reading.