Summary
There’s an unwritten rule in horror: don’t kill the kid or the dog. In general, audiences don’t want to see it, so if a film is going to cross the heinous line, it has to make the death poignant and significant to the story. That’s why the dog can often be seen climbing out of a crawl space, several scenes after seemingly perishing off-screen, whereas children tend not to be involved, at least not as the victim.
However, there are no such rules about castingcreepy child monstersthat spring forth much more frequently in franchises likeThe Ring. Vampires are a particular subset of monsters that have enjoyed diverse cinematic representation,from skulkingNosferatu, throughHammer Horrors, up to their more recent reboot as brooding teen heartthrobs. That leaves the mood a little all over the place with these iconic child vampires in movies.
LikeNetflixcasting a high-school drama, let’s take a broad view of what constitutes a child, from a millennial perspective. Starting off with what is likely the most egregious example, David fromThe Lost Boysis intended to be 18, so right at the cut-off point to adulthood. If Keifer Sutherland passes as a kid inStand By Me, then it still counts.
David is the leader of the gang of vampires who serve as the film’s antagonists. Sutherland’s performance was soinfluential in shaping the style and perceptionof vampires in future fiction that the character deserves a shout-out here.
6Los Ninos de Limbo (Children of the Night)
Bloodthirsty Orphanage
Also known asLimboto avoid confusion with the 1991 American film of the same name,Children of the Nightis a little-known Argentinean horror film that makes some of thebest use of child vampiresas a dread-inducing antagonist in all of cinema.
Los Ninos De Limbo, as the group is collectively referred to, are the residents of a secluded orphanage that provides the setting for the horror flick. When a journalist visits the orphanage, she discovers that the children have all been turned into vampires by the matron.
Hotel Transylvaniais asurprisingly moving animated movieabout an overbearing Count Dracula who seeks to protect his daughter from a ruthless outside world that will seek to harm her. Mavis Dracula is the film’s central protagonist, who is reaching the age where she is ready to fly the nest and get out from under her father.
Along the way, the duo learn to put aside prejudices after Mavis befriends a human and Dracula learns that he must allow his daughter to be who she needs to be. It’s a sweet tale that has diminishing returns in the myriad of sequels it spawned, but Mavis remains a great protagonist, earning more screen time than anyone else on this list.
The most divisive vampire franchise,Twilight, has certainly popularized the monster for modern audiences, with no shortage of vampire stories and fan fiction since. Avoiding the low-hanging fruit, attention is instead turned to a pair of siblings portrayed by seasoned child actors Dakota Fanning and Cameron Bright.
What’s notable about Alec and Jane is that they are Immortal Children aligned with the Volturi, who have since declared the practice punishable by death, which serves as a significant plot point in the series. The pair also each possess advanced supernatural abilities that make them athreat to any vampirebeyond their physical prowess.
When a group of ne’er-do-wells take a young girl hostage, they are expecting a handsome payout from her wealthy father. All they have to do is keep her contained for one night. Unfortunately, the eponymous Abigail turnsout to be a powerful vampirewho promptly breaks free and turns the tables.
Unable to escape the house after it triggers a lockdown, the crew must fight through the night to survive as Abigail hunts them down one by one. This sinister antagonist is portrayed with just enough levity to keep the adventure fun and action-packed.
At the height of Swedish cinema, at least in terms of global appeal, wereThe Girl With The Dragon Tattooand one of the most popular child vampire flicks,Let The Right One In. Both films swiftly received American remakes, but ardent fans insist it’s worth the language barrier to experience the superior originals.
Let The Right One Incenters on a young boy who befriends his neighbor, Eli, only to discover she is a vampire. It’s a slow-burn horror as the friendship is forced to endure Eli’s lust for blood and penchant for violence. Chloë Grace Moretz portrays the character in the US remake,Let Me In, for anyone looking for an English alternative.
The most acclaimed performance from a child actor playing a vampire comes from Kirsten Dunst inInterview With The Vampire. Dunst’s character, Claudia, is a central part of the story, which largely chronicles her turning by theprotagonists Louis and Lestatin a macabre affair following the loss of her mother at a young age.
She essentially serves as their daughter, remaining with them for 65 years until her eventual execution. Requiring Dunst to deliver a performance far beyond her years in the complex saga of anguish and lust that is the trio’s life as recounted in the titular interview.
