The Prodigy(2019)
2019 · Nicholas McCarthy · 92 min
A mother concerned about her young son's disturbing behavior thinks something supernatural may be affecting him.
Horror · Thriller
6.21.1k votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
2/5
Gore
2/5
Stays with you
How The Prodigy scares
The Prodigy leans on the unease of watching a parent slowly realize something is deeply wrong with their own child. Most of the fear comes from creepy behavior, tense family moments, and a sense of dread building in an ordinary home rather than jump scares or big gore. There are a few unsettling, sometimes violent moments, but the movie is more interested in making you squirm than making you jump. It's a decent pick if you like slow-building family horror with a creepy-kid angle, not full-on shock horror.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, The Prodigy rates psychological 4/5, visceral 2/5, gore 2/5, lingering effect 2/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 4 of 5
- Visceral: 2 of 5
- Gore: 2 of 5
- Lingering: 2 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 30 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 25 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 60 of 100 — leans Disturbing
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow-building family drama that gradually tightens into unease before ending on a hard, intense push.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5.
How scary is The Prodigy?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, The Prodigy rates 3/5 — solidly scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. The fear is mostly in your head — it unsettles far more than it assaults. Expect it to be moderately gory and genuinely disturbing. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
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