Parenting is a scary thing all of its own, let alone combining the concept with horror. Within horror films, the focus is classically on the mother, often showcasing things like post-partum depression and child endangerment, both incredibly important topics to tackle and perfect for horror. Films like Rosemary's Baby and Prevenge are just two of many horrors that can be found with a focus on motherhood.
Where, then, are the films showcasing the horrors of fatherhood? There are actually many movies that show the darker side of fatherhood, whether it's daddy dearest himself that's the threat or something supernatural.
The Shining
One of the most famous and revered examples of fatherhood in horror is Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of the Stephen King book The Shining. Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson) takes a winter job as the caretaker for the majestic Overlook Hotel which is closed for the season, his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) alongside him. With a history of alcoholism and familial abuse, once the family reaches the hotel, Jack becomes even more of the father from Hell.
The hotel has a long history of driving its caretakers insane with its hauntings, preying on the darkest parts of their souls. Jack is no exception to this and gradually becomes more and more disturbed, beginning drinking again and becoming more and more aggressive. He ultimately snaps and pursues his family with an ax. A triumph of atmosphere and performances, The Shining is an excellent example of how not to parent.
Insidious
2010 saw the debut of James Wan and Leigh Whannell's first Insidious movie starring Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne as Josh and Renai, parents who begin to go through hell when their young son suddenly slips into an unexplained coma. Alongside their son's mysterious illness, supernatural occurrences begin around their home. It's soon revealed that their son can astral project, and an entity known as the Lipstick-Faced Demon wants to use his body to enter the living world.
It's revealed that Josh also had this ability when he was younger. The psychic Elise (Lin Shaye) helped him to forget it and escape the malevolent Bride in Black, who was trying to do the same thing to him that is happening to his son. Once this is revealed, Josh has to remember how to astral project and venture into the space between life and death known as The Further to save his boy.
Train To Busan
2016 Korean horror film Train to Busan reinvigorated the flagging zombie genre upon its release with its intense action scenes, frightening zombies, and truly touching story. Workaholic, divorced father Seok-woo is taking his daughter Su-an to see her mother for her birthday. To make the journey, the two board a train to Busan, but unbeknownst to them and the other passengers, a woman with mysterious sickness boards the train, setting off a chain of events that makes for a deadly, high-speed journey that seems impossible to escape.
Along with other passengers, Seok-woo battles against the surge of violent infected passengers, doing everything he can to protect his child from the horrors surrounding them. Along the way, Seok-woo changes from a selfish, never-present father to a man who is willing to give everything up to make sure his daughter is safe.
The Stepfather
Late 80s slasher film The Stepfather stars Terry O'Quinn (Lost) as Henry Morrison, a man with deep-rooted commitment issues and a penchant for identity theft. Henry is a serial killer who opens the film washing blood off of himself after killing his family. Fast-forward a year and Henry is now Jerry Blake, a real estate agent who has married widow Susan and has a less than ideal relationship with his new stepdaughter, 16-year-old Stephanie.
Meanwhile, the brother of his previous victim runs an article in the local paper about the murder, seeking any information on the man who did it. Stephanie begins to suspect her new dad, and after she catches him babbling to himself, her psychiatrist suddenly dies and Jerry accuses her boyfriend of attempted rape. Jerry runs out on the couple, changes identity again, and takes up with a new family, all the while plotting the deaths of Susan and Stephanie.
Pumpkinhead
Pumpkinhead is the ultimate avenging father horror film. Widowed father Ed Harley lives in his family's farm home with his young son Billy. When Ed runs out to do some errands, Billy is killed by some teenage campers, who hit him while riding their dirt bikes. A devastated Ed goes to see a local witch, begging for his son to be resurrected, but she refuses. Instead, he asks to get revenge, and despite being warned that there is a terrible price, Ed does what he needs for vengeance.
What he needs to do is dig up a corpse, bring it back to the witch, and using his and his dead son's blood, the corpse is resurrected and becomes a grotesque monster, ready to do Ed's bidding. The monster, Pumpkinhead, begins its murderous and bloody revenge spree, but the price soon becomes clear to Ed. When the monster, kills he sees the carnage through its eyes. The monster cannot be stopped and Ed soon realizes that he and the monster are one and the same, with Pumpkinhead becoming more human as he becomes more monstrous.