Content Warning: This article contains descriptions of horror-themed violence.
Horror monsters usually go in two directions. There are the giant behemoths that can level cities or swallow you whole. Then there are the little villains, who are tiny in size but just as evil.
Despite their small stature, these pint-sized monsters and villains can prove more terrifying than their colossal counterparts. Sometimes their design alone is enough to give you the creeps and send chills down your spine. Other times, it’s the thought of being killed by one of these grotesque creatures that cause you to cringe at the mere mention of them.
Dolly Dearest - Dolly Dearest
Dolly Dearest is often overlooked in the killer-doll subgenre of horror. The film follows a family who moves to Mexico to build a new factory for the Dolly Dearest doll. After a malevolent Mayan spirit escapes its tomb, it soon possesses all the dolls in the factory.
While the film overall is very by-the-numbers, the actual design and animatronics of the Dolly Dearest doll earn it a spot on this list. Its faces going from sweet and innocent to malicious is jarring, to say the least. One is bad enough but a whole army of mischievous laughing little dolls plotting your death is nightmare-inducing.
Clover Parasites - Cloverfield
While the giant monster in Cloverfield is the biggest threat in the film, the crawling parasites are just as deadly, especially in numbers. The big monster, generally known as Clover, has these parasitic creatures that randomly fall off of it.
These creatures are about the size of a dog and they hunt in packs, often in dark places. While the initial fear is getting swarmed by them, their bite is what you really need to worry about. In the film, the character of Marlena learns this in the worst way possible, as not long after getting bit, she starts dripping blood from her eyes and then eventually explodes.
Billy - Dead Silence
While he is reminiscent of other terrifying ventriloquist dummies like Slappy or Corky, Billy from Dead Silence is much more sinister in nature. The main villain, Mary Shaw, was a ventriloquist who was killed and transferred her soul into all of her dummies.
But of all the dolls Mary Shaw possesses, Billy is by far the most memorable. And while Billy is just a vessel for Mary Shaw to carry out her murders, it doesn't take away from his creep factor.
The Dolls - Dolls
One tiny little doll may not pose much of a threat. An army of them, however, might be a tough problem to deal with. Such is the case in the forgotten 1988 B-movie, Dolls. Dolls follows a group of people stranded in a mansion during a storm.
You have to appreciate the variety of toys that come to life in this film. These were the types of dolls that would terrify you as a kid whenever you visited grandma’s house, often choosing to not sleep in the same room as them. The low-budget feel of the film actually makes the film scarier than it has any right to be, and the stop-motion animation manages to toe the line of not looking too cheesy.
Big Bob - Arachnophobia
The main spider threat from the 1990 horror-comedy, Arachnophobia, comes from one spider, who was given the nickname Big Bob on set. Don’t let his size fool you, though. Despite being small enough to be stepped on, Big Bob proves to be quite the versatile eight-legged creature.
Big Bob made his way from South America to a small California town, where he immediately starts to breed, creating an army of deadly offspring. One bite from this spider means immediate death. If that wasn’t bad enough, Big Bob may even drain your body of blood if given enough time.
Scarabs - The Mummy
While the titular Imhotep from The Mummy has his moments of terror, the scarabs cause the most hair-raising scares. These beetle-like insects were found in the City of the Dead that many hapless goons fell victim to.
The scarabs felt like something straight out of Indiana Jones in the best way possible. Having been buried for years, they are awoken and immediately begin feasting on anyone they find. The worst part, they literally get under the skin and eat their victims from the inside, eventually making their way to the brain.
Gray Widowers - The Mist
The Mist revolves around a small town that is overtaken by a mysterious mist that just so happens to unleash creatures from another dimension. While many of these creatures are terrifying in their own right, there’s no denying that the Gray Widower is the stuff of nightmares.
Gray Widowers may look like a spider, but it also has large fangs and petrifying red eyes. Getting caught in their webs can mean certain death, as it produces an acid that can burn through the skin. If you found yourself up against one of these creatures, you better hope the acid web kills you. Otherwise, they'll keep you alive and implant eggs inside of you, eventually spilling out hundreds of spiders from your body. Nope. Nope. Nope.
Annabelle - The Conjuring Franchise
Dolls in horror movies usually come to life and audiences see them physically attacking their victims. This isn’t the case with Annabelle, though. Throughout the five films she’s had in The Conjuring universe, you rarely even see her move, yet she manages to frighten you nonetheless.
This is in large part thanks to the wonderfully creepy design of the porcelain doll used for the film. The actual Annabelle doll in real life is just a Raggedy Ann, which would’ve obviously not scared a single person in the theater, so the updated design was necessary. Like Billy, Annabelle is just another vessel for a vengeful spirit, in this case, it's an actual demon.
Chucky
While he has since become a parody of his former self, there’s still no denying that Chucky is the OG of killer dolls. When Chucky wants to be creepy, he can be, as seen in the scarier entries, such as Curse of Chucky and the original 1988 film.
Unlike the other killer pieces of plastic on this list, Chucky has a huge personality, with a foul mouth and a gleeful laugh as he kills his victims. Chucky’s iconic status in the horror community is all thanks to the amazing performance of Brad Dourif, who has stuck with the character to this very day.
Facehugger - Alien
There’s something so utterly appalling about the facehuggers in the Alien franchise. These slimy little creatures manage to be so relentless in pursuit of their victim with their quick movements and agile jumping.
The Facehuggers’ methods are what makes them the scariest tiny creature in all of horror. The thought of having one of them attached to your face and impregnating you through the mouth is just so violating and revolting. Then, there’s the fact that an alien will literally explode out of your chest, giving birth to the ultimate apex predator, the Xenomorph.