You know what makes a horror movie really, truly terrifying? A kid in a scary starring role. It’s something about the contrast between innocence and evil, sweetness and brutality. Luckily for us, many of the most memorable horror movies ever made feature some seriously creepy kids. Here are some of our favorites…

Gore Verbinski’s hit 2002 thriller The Ring helped solidify the careers of many actors. That’s a good thing, since videotapes are now basically obsolete and images on the videotape look like Luis Buñuel’s avant-garde classic short film Un Chien Andalou (1929)—only not as intense. It scared a lot of people, made a lot of money, and spawned a sequel. And really, isn’t that what counts?