Let’s face it, Hollywood’s horror sector has seen better days. Virtually all recent horror films are either directed by a hack who thinks dutch angles are a good substitute for actual direction, or are so devoid of substance that they resort to grotesque and meaningless carnage thinking this equates to scariness. While both of these cinematic devices are useful when utilized as tools to accomplish a specific goal, their saturation of Hollywood has all but killed the genre.

Luckily, there is one device that never seems to lose its chilling effect. Kids. Yes, when directed properly, children are scarier than any masked, chainsaw-wielding villain or knives-for-hands burn victim. Perhaps it’s the fact that children are generally thought of as synonymous with purity and innocence. When those precious virtues are warped it ignites the most base of human instincts–Reactionary fear. The following are some of cinema’s greatest offerings in that department:

Samara (Daveigh Chase) The Ring

It seems popular to like Ringu, the original Japanese film more than the American remake. I would agree if it weren’t for Daveigh Chase. We don’t see her directly cause as much horror as her Japanese counterpart which, I believe, results in much greater suspense. And even the toughest of tough guys were caught holding their breath during the famous tv scene at the end. She also inspired the easiest Halloween costume ever for girls with long, black hair–just toussle up your hair a bit, throw it over your face and, voilà!, you’ve become one of the creepiest children in cinema! Also we shan’t forget David Dorfman who was pretty creepy too as Aidan Keller.

Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) The Exorcist

A lesson in misdiagnosis. No doctor, it’s not just puberty, it’s demonic possession. If Linda Blair’s head spinning around wasn’t enough, then surely some wicked projectile vomiting and a face ugly enough to be perched atop a medieval cathedral tickled your scary bone.

Danny Torrance (Danny Lloyd) The Shining

“Redrum! Redrum!” The words that freaked out a generation. Yes, the dead twins in the hallway are pretty effed up, but the way little Danny personifies the evil effects of the psychic, haunted hotel takes things to another level. If the mere idea of an innocent child forced to communicate with an old, creepy, temporary dwelling with nefarious motives isn’t chilling enough to single-handedly shut down Colorado’s spooky, mountain hotel industry, then nothing is.

Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) The Sixth Sense

Much has been said about child star, Haley Joel Osment’s fantastic performance in this film. Most of the praise is deserved, but not for what you may think. I personally don’t find his performance particularly scary in the traditional sense of a horror film, which I think was Shyamalan’s intention. What makes him worthy of inclusion on this list is the manner in which he presents the visceral and compelling material. He manages to simplify in four little words what adults would find mysterious, frightening, unknowable, or psychologically and supernaturally complex–”I see dead people.” The idea of the innocence of a child unlocking the mysteries of the universe–or at least of this world–is brilliant. And Osment wraps it up in a shudder-inducing 107 minutes.

Tomás (Óscar Casas) The Orphanage

The Guillermo Del Toro-produced El Orfanato/The Orphanage revamps all of Hollywood’s cliched horror plots and terror devices to create a familiar yet refreshing study of fear. Not least among these relived devices is the use of spooky children. We all know kids are scary, but Óscar Casas’ terrifying portrayal of Tomás, the supposed imaginary friend of lead, Simón. If you haven’t seen this flick yet, Netflix it now.

Damien Thorn (Harvey Stephens), The Omen

Forget about demonic possession, little Damien was evil incarnate. He’s probably the one behind the possession Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist. Harvey Stephens plays the offspring of Satan himself in this devilish little picture, and contrary to the ruse of Kevin Spacey’s Keyzer Soze, he makes you believe in the devil.