Fatherhood has been a subject of many movies in the past and it is becoming popular again now. Many movies have used this topic to their advantage. It is needless to say that a lot of scaring took place during these horror movies about fatherhood. Fatherhood is the most rewarding and challenging job around. There are so many conflicting feelings that come with the job, from joy to fear to grief. The best horror movies about fatherhood communicate something about this complex experience. The following are the top 7 best scary films about fatherhood that you can watch online for free today.
1. The Stepfather (1987)

Director- Joseph Ruben
In search of the ideal family, a family-oriented man named Jerry Blake marries widows and divorcees with children. His visions of home bliss begin to disintegrate as soon as his new family members exhibit human traits rather than acting like mindless robots who will do what he says without question, and he kills them. Then, after changing his look and adopting a new name, he flees to a another city to start the lethal routine all over again. He marries Susan Maine, who views him as Stephanie’s ideal surrogate father. However, when Stephanie turns out to be an uncontrollably difficult adolescent, he quickly resorts to his old methods.
2. Pet Sematary (1989)

Director- Mary Lambert
The Creed family’s cat dies after straying onto the roadway after they moved into their new home. Older neighbour Jud directs the father Louis to bury the deceased cat on a remote hill behind the neighbourhood pet cemetery. Soon after, the cat returns to the Creed household, but this time he is not the same. The once-obedient cat has turned aggressive and nefarious. When a loved one suffers a deadly accident, Louis, inconsolable, buryes him there in the hopes of reviving him. Unfortunately, he releases a lot more than he anticipated.
3. Eraserhead (1977)

Director- David Lynch
Henry Spencer, a tortured factory worker who lives a dismal life in a cruel urban wasteland, is horrified to learn that his despondent girlfriend Mary has given birth to something supernatural. Further complicating matters, it soon becomes clear as the strange couple makes their way back to Henry’s filthy shoebox flat that the baby’s incessant weeping is driving Mary insane and endangering their already flimsy bliss. Poor old Henry, who has endured fear, anxiety, and increasingly strange visions for too long, is at his wit’s end. Sometimes, the dream of contented fatherhood might turn into a nightmare.
4. Firestarter (1984)

Director- Mark L. Lester
Vicky and Andrew McGee first crossed paths at a college experiment where they were paid as test subjects. It appeared that the experiment involved psychic talents and was cloaked in mystery and mistrust. Charlie, the couple’s daughter, was born into their union and possesses pyrokinesis, the power to create fires by just thinking about it. Naturally, Charlie attracts the attention of the government, and agents from the covert division known as “The Shop” want to isolate and research her.
5. The Shining (1980)

Director- Stanley Kubrick
In an effort to get his creative juices flowing again, Jack Torrance accepts the position of winter caretaker at Colorado’s remote Overlook Hotel. Together with his wife Wendy and his psychically premonition-prone son Danny, he settles in. Jack learns the hotel’s sinister secrets and starts to unravel into a homicidal monster hell-bent on tormenting his family as his writing stagnates and Danny’s visions grow more unsettling.
6. The Road (2009)

Director- John Hillcoat
America after a disaster is a gloomy, drab shadow of itself. A father and his young boy are lost in this post-apocalyptic world while attempting to preserve the idea of civilisation. They make their way toward the sea while surviving as best they can off of what they can scavenge. They also strive to stay away from roving bands of barbaric humans who would use them as slaves or worse.
7. Insidious (2010)

Director- James Wan
Parents Josh and Renée Lambert, together with their two boys Dalton and Foster, are only beginning to settle into their new house when their oldest son, Dalton, falls off a ladder, strikes his head, and enters a coma, terrifying them all. The two parents have no idea what has happened to their son after consulting with the physicians and learning that he has not suffered any head damage. The two seek the assistance of Elise Rainer, a paranormal investigator, as terrible, unexplainable incidents begin to occur. Elise informs the family of shocking information about their son that makes his coma the least of their concerns.
In horror films, the bond between a father and his kids is often central to the plot of the movie. In this article, discussed seven of the most prominent examples of horror films about fatherhood.