13 Family Films That Will Terrify Children
10. Gremlins
Scariest Moment: So many to choose from, but the attack on Billy's mother Lynn in the kitchen that begins with a particularly gruesome death for a Gremlin is a real standout.
Being set at Christmas, Gremlins is essential family viewing for the coming months. It's the perfect balance of black comedy, scary moments and brilliant humour that a child almost feels they shouldn't be watching. It was also the film that forced the MPAA to alter its ratings system.
Like The Nightmare Before Christmas, one of the reasons this is so scary is that the mischievous creatures reign terror and chaos across a sleepy town that could be anywhere during Christmas- even yours... For something as cute as Gizmo to produce such horrific little monsters is even more unsettling. The kids will look at any cute and cuddly Christmas presents very differently once they watch this.
The film and its effects have aged well, but it's not so intensely scaring that children of all ages can't watch it - if anything, it's as funny than it is scary. And boy, is it funny. Infused with a goofy sense of cartoon humour, it manages to complement some really dark moments that subvert what is meant to be a Christmas movie.