The British Child Effect

If you've ever had a "horror movie marathon", you know that many, many movies use children to make things scarier.  Most of the scariest horror movies ever made (The Exorcist, the Shining, The Ring, etc.) have involved children as either victims, or the villain itself. 

There's just something about a child sitting by herself on a swing set in the rain, swinging slowly back and forth, that scares the hell out of most people.  I avoid playgrounds for just that reason.  Also, because I'm twenty-six, and people might get the wrong idea.  But I digress.

However, many horror movie makers have come to the realization that their films just aren't scary enough, no matter how many children they've thrown in their movies (I was always amazed the preteen Olsen Twins were never in a slasher flick.  Opportunity lost, I guess).  So, what do these film people do, to make their movie even scarier?

Simple.  Make the children British.

British accents are scary.  I mean, look at Hannibal Lecter.  Or, you know, James Bond.  It's scary stuff.  So, when you have a child, speaking all... British-y, it's just terrifying.  It's enough to make all of us North Americans, with our "normal" accents, to start shaking in terror.  Put that british child on a swing set in the rain, and you'll give the audience a heart attack.

And yeah, they really are that creepy in real life.