What Horror Movie in 2023 Is About Kids? A Deep Dive Into the Year’s Most Terrifying Child-Centric Films

I still remember the first time I watched The Boogeyman (2023). I was home alone, lights dimmed, popcorn in hand—thinking it would be a standard horror flick. But by the time the first major scare hit, I was gripping my blanket like a lifeline.

It reminded me why horror movies about kids are uniquely terrifying. They tap into something deep-seated in all of us—the vulnerability of childhood, the fears we were told weren’t real, and the terrifying realization that maybe, just maybe, the monsters under the bed were real all along.

And 2023? It delivered some brutal, eerie, and unforgettable horror movies featuring children. Whether they were the victims, the haunted, or the ones we should fear, kids were at the heart of some of the year’s best scares. Let’s dive into the ones that left the biggest impact.

1. The Boogeyman (2023) – A Nightmare Lurking in the Dark

If there was one movie in 2023 that brought back our childhood fear of the dark, it was The Boogeyman.

Based on Stephen King’s short story, the film follows two sisters, Sadie and Sawyer, who start experiencing terrifying events after their grieving father, a therapist, ignores the desperate ramblings of a disturbed patient.

What made The Boogeyman so effective?

• The creature design – The way the monster lurks in the shadows, appearing only in flickers of light, was pure nightmare fuel.
• The emotional weight – The horror wasn’t just supernatural; it was also about grief, trauma, and how kids are often left to deal with their fears alone.
• That one scene under the bed – If you know, you know. I swear the whole theater held their breath.

I watched this one in a packed cinema, and the collective gasps at every reveal were something else. One guy even whispered, “I’m never sleeping with the lights off again.” I don’t blame him.

2. Cobweb (2023) – When Your Own House Turns Against You

If The Boogeyman was about the fear of the unknown, Cobweb was about the terror of knowing too much.

The film follows Peter, an eight-year-old boy who starts hearing whispers inside his bedroom walls. His parents? Odd. Overprotective. A little too eager to dismiss his fears. But as the whispers grow louder, Peter starts to uncover something sinister lurking beneath the surface of his home.

What made Cobweb stand out?

• The atmosphere – It’s slow-burn horror done right, dripping with tension and unease.
• The parents – Played by Lizzy Caplan and Antony Starr, they are unsettling in a way that makes you deeply uncomfortable.
• The absolutely insane third act – Without spoilers, let’s just say… this movie goes places.

I remember watching Cobweb with my friend, and about halfway through, she turned to me and said, “Okay, I need to know what’s in those walls.” The reveal? Worth the wait.

3. M3GAN (2023) – A Killer Doll With a Mind of Her Own

Alright, let’s take a step back from slow-burn horror for a moment and talk about M3GAN, the movie that somehow made a killer doll funny, terrifying, and iconic all at once.

The story follows Cady, a young girl who loses her parents and is given M3GAN, an advanced AI doll, by her roboticist aunt. What starts as a comforting friendship quickly spirals into a horrifying situation when M3GAN takes her role as "protector" way too seriously.

Why did M3GAN blow up?

• The uncanny AI factor – The way M3GAN learns, manipulates, and kills is disturbingly believable.
• That viral dance scene – Seriously, who expected a horror villain to become a TikTok sensation?
• A perfect balance of horror and satire – It’s funny until it isn’t. And when it isn’t? It’s chilling.

I remember walking out of the theater thinking, “If Alexa ever starts singing to me, I’m throwing her out.”

4. Children of the Corn (2023) – The Classic Returns, But Does It Work?

No horror list about creepy kids would be complete without mentioning Children of the Corn. The 2023 remake tried to put a fresh spin on Stephen King’s classic story about children who take over a small town and murder all the adults.

Did it work? Well… let’s just say this one divided fans.

Pros:

• The lead child actor, Kate Moyer, was terrifying – Her performance as Eden was genuinely unsettling.
• The eerie, isolated setting still worked – Nothing says horror like endless cornfields.
• Some intense moments of violence – If you like brutal horror, this had a few standouts.

Cons:

• It felt a little messy – The pacing dragged, and the scares didn’t always land.
• The original still looms large – Compared to the 1984 version, it just didn’t hit the same.

Still, if you love the Children of the Corn lore, it’s worth a watch—just temper your expectations.

Why Horror Movies About Kids Are So Terrifying

Watching all these films made me realize something: horror movies about kids hit differently. But why?

1. Kids are vulnerable – Seeing them in danger immediately makes the stakes higher.
2. They remind us of our own childhood fears – Darkness, isolation, the unknown—these fears never really leave us.
3. They often see the truth before adults do – That "kids know but no one believes them" trope? Always effective.

From The Sixth Sense to The Babadook, horror has always used children as a lens to explore deeper fears. And 2023 followed that tradition in some unforgettable ways.

So, Which 2023 Horror Movie About Kids Was the Best?

If you’re wondering which one to watch first, here’s my ranking based on what you’re looking for:

For pure terror and psychological horror – The Boogeyman
For unsettling, slow-burn horror with a mind-blowing twist – Cobweb
For horror that’s fun, creepy, and weirdly hilarious – M3GAN
For classic creepy kid horror with a cult twist – Children of the Corn

No matter which you pick, one thing is clear: 2023 delivered some unforgettable horror movies about kids. Whether they were the victims, the heroes, or the monsters themselves, they reminded us of one undeniable truth—childhood is scary.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to turn on all my lights and triple-check my closet… just in case.

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The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.

Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?

How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

How tall is a average 15 year old?

Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years

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Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.

Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?

Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

Can you grow between 16 and 18?

Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

Can you grow 1 cm after 17?

Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.