Let’s be honest, dolls have always been creepy, and even the best attempts to make them more lifelike have left them in that uncomfortable Uncanny Valley. There’s just something unsettling about them that we couldn’t put our fingers on… until the supernatural slasher Child’s Play.

Some presents are bought with the best of intentions but can have the opposite effect, as young Andy’s mum finds out when she buys a much-wanted doll for his birthday, only to discover it harbours the soul of a serial killer! Weaponizing a symbol of childhood innocence was a terrifying stroke of genius, and Chucky’s twisted visage has remained a prominent pop culture figure even as we celebrate the film’s 30th Anniversary.

With our favourite time of year on the horizon and the kids out trick-or-treating, there’s no better time to grip on to our sofas in terror as we relish the best scares of years past. One fright won’t be enough for most scream junkies though, so we’ve put together a list of classic horrors to join Child’s Play in a Halloween marathon sure to leave you sleeping with the lights on!

The Omen

The innocence of childhood has always been a great way to mask the terror hiding in plain sight. When a diplomat’s newborn son seemingly dies at birth, he agrees to a hospital chaplain’s plan to raise an orphaned baby as his own. A series of strange occurrences and tragedy however, lead him down a dark path towards the true, sinister parentage of his son.

One of the most shocking horror films of its time and ours, The Omen is legendary for disturbing set pieces from brutal decapitations, to an eerily cheerful suicide. You may never be able to trust children again, but The Omen will have your heart beating more than any early morning run, so why not stay up all night with this classic?