Horror Film Countdown Day 11 – Movies Anxious Parents Should Avoid

Welcome to our countdown to the most anxiety-inducing horror films for parents!  Today is day eleven.

Each day, we are covering the films I both love and hate because they’re awesome and they give me panic attacks now that I’m a mom.

Today’s film is like a phonograph.  It’s the gift that keeps on giving to anxious moms everywhere.  Well, everywhere that has roads, anyway…

Disclaimer: Trigger warnings are a given when you talk about horror, but I’m going to say it anyway.  Many subjects covered by horror films are disturbing to parents in ways we can’t possibly understand and each is unique to the parent and his/her experiences. Tread carefully and know your limits.  If this begins to be too much, there’s no shame in closing the window.  Also, this post contains some spoilers throughout. 

21. Pet Cemetery

How many feet do you require between your child and the road?  Three?  Five, maybe?  If you allow any more than 10 feet when you are more than an arm’s reach away and an open road is closer to your child than your child is to you… clearly, you have never seen this film.

I have no issue admitting that because of this movie, I refuse to allow my children to play without constant attention and eyes on them at all times near any road of any kind, no matter how far away it may seem to be.  I stand by the very real anxiety this film injected into my heart long before I had children and treat it like a warning.  Never, ever underestimate the power and speed of those tiny legs when they are running away from you.  Never, ever assume for one second that nothing terrible could ever happen to you or that you’ll be fast enough to reach your child before they run right out into oncoming traffic while you’re too busy answering a text to know they’ve gotten another 12 feet ahead while you were busy not paying attention.  Also, as is the case in every horror film, when it really counts and someone’s life is hanging in the balance you absolutely will always, every single time, slip and fall. Maybe we should factor that into our consideration of how far away is acceptable for our children to run ahead of us…

So, what’s it all about?  A small child is hit by a semi truck right in front of his screaming, horrified family. The father turns his back on the baby just long enough to be too far away from him as the innocent child toddles into the road.  What could be more horrifying than this, you ask?  Weeheell, let me tell you!  It’s like they made this movie specifically to poke at a mother’s crazy.

We’ve got a child dying in a very real, human, 100% possible way.  AND THEN the actual “horror” part of the film begins!

Have you ever lost someone and wished you could do something to get them back?  Have you ever considered what you might do, just for the chance to hold them again?  Would you go against nature?  God?  Would you turn your back on sanity and invite the darkest of darkness into your life just to get your way and get them back?  That is exactly what this mother does and I feel for her, I used to lie awake crying as I held my baby when the thought “what would ever become of me if you were gone” crossed my mind. She does the unthinkable and her sweet baby returns to her a monster.

Many parents become affected by this movie in profound ways after they see it.  In fact, our own founder and CEO of Forbidden Panel named his son after the child in this movie.

But for me, it’s a little different… Before I had children, this film used to make me laugh it was so ridiculous.  Now, I consider it one of the most terrible, heart-wrenching films I’ve ever seen.  My anxiety associated with this movie does not stem from the idea of an undead, demon child coming after me to cut my ankles, but a massive fear of moving vehicles.

Watching the traumatic suffering of a mother enduring the pain of her child’s death then the torture of seeing him again, not the sweet baby she knew, but a monster wearing the skin of her precious child, twisting his small faces in a horrifying ways.

A quick, “let’s get real” minute here… I suffered severe postpartum anxiety and depression with my first child.  For the first three months after my son was born, I couldn’t drive anywhere.  I couldn’t even carry him outside or to the car because I had horrific images of what I was CERTAIN would happen and every scenario ended with him being crushed by a car in the road.  I saw it so clearly, it kept me safe and indoors for nearly the first six months after he was born.  I never went anywhere with him unless someone else was with me to help make sure none of those things I saw so clearly in my mind could ever happen.

Now that my children are four and five years old, playing in the street is absolutely, 100%, don’t even think about it NOT OKAY and I need a beer or a strong SSRI not to freak completely out when the neighbors want to play ball or ride bikes in the road.

The struggle of an anxious parent is real, guys.  It’s real and it’s terrible and I swear, every year there is something new and with each age and milestone they cross, there is some new horror movie to relate to.

Speaking of that fact and while we are already talking about Steven King, there is one in particular that has become of some interest in recent weeks due to several news stories.  Check in with us tomorrow to find out who is number 20 in our horror film countdown!