Why Horror Fans Need ‘Clown in a Cornfield’

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Eli Craig’s “Clown in a Cornfield” initially appears as you might assume, but soon introduces unexpected twists that give it a touch of humor and just a hint of intelligence beyond the expected level.

Is this your suggestion? In today’s cinema landscape dominated by sequels, prequels, remakes, rebrands, or “reboots,” it’s delightful to discover an original stalk ‘n’ slash horror-comedy that outshines many others in its genre.

Despite Craig’s impressive background, having directed and co-written the critically acclaimed slasher film “Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil” (2010) – often compared to “The Cabin in the Woods” and “Scream” – I had higher expectations for this project.

The storyline revolves around Quinn (Katie Douglas) and her father (Aaron Abrams), who undergo a profound personal loss and choose to start anew in a quaint little town. It’s worth mentioning that this town has a chilling past, marked by unexplained murders where the victims were killed by ominous clown-like figures, as hinted at during the opening scene.

Initially wary of her new environment, Quinn finds herself captivated by the charming local, Cole (Carson MacCormac). To show his affection, he presents her with an enchanting wind-up jack-in-the-box, featuring a whimsical clown as its surprise.

Uh oh.

As a huge fan, let me share some exciting news! Unlike the disappointing 2023’s “Founder’s Day,” I found “Clown in a Cornfield” to be a significant improvement when it comes to portraying the chaos surrounding a town’s Founder’s Day celebration.

Unfortunately, “Clown in a Cornfield” doesn’t quite match the wit or impact of “Thanksgiving” (2023) – a standout work by Eli Roth. Likewise, both share a troubled holiday parade scenario, but “Thanksgiving” proves more effective in this regard.

In my movie-loving perspective, a significant chunk of Craig’s cinematic works often explores the stark difference between the old and new generations, not shying away from poking fun at today’s youth who seem lost without Wi-Fi, struggle with manual transmission cars, and are bewildered by rotary phones.

While some of these jokes are quite amusing, the fear-inducing elements seem to be more effective. It’s a shame there were more jump scares than humor, as I was hoping for more comedic moments.

Among the talented cast, I find the most remarkable performances stem from two skilled character actors – Kevin Durand and Will Sasso. To be honest, Durand’s work in “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” deserved an Oscar nod, in my opinion. As for Sasso, his portrayal of Steven Seagal on “Mad TV” was one of my all-time favorites.

Is “Clown in a Cornfield” as impressive as “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” (1988)? Not by a long shot. While “Clown in a Cornfield” is an enjoyable film, it falls short in comparison to the iconic “Killer Klowns,” created by the Chiodo brothers. The latter movie maximized every aspect of its terrifying clown characters. For “Clown in a Cornfield” to truly challenge “Killer Klowns,” it needed at least one memorable theme song, like the catchy tune that accompanies the original.

It’s likely that neither the original situation nor the upcoming “IT” spinoff series titled “Welcome to Derry,” premiering soon on MAX, will provide relief for individuals suffering from coulrophobia, a phobia of clowns, particularly those portrayed as evil.

Each of these sinister jesters reminds me of my pal Ryan, who boasted about attending clown university and mastering the craft of being a clown. It’s been ages since I last saw him, and I can’t help but ponder how he would react to his art form being associated with gruesome horror films these days.

The movie titled ‘Clown in a Cornfield’ starts off slowly, gains momentum with an exciting middle part, but disappointingly ends by over-explaining and losing its impact. It reminds me of those horror films Dimension produced in the late 90s, not as good as ‘Scream’, more like ‘Phantoms’ from 1998. But at least ‘Phantoms’ had Ben Affleck, who was fantastic in that movie.

By all means, if you come across “Clown in a Cornfield” this weekend, do seize the chance! The film’s distributor has planned for it to debut at several drive-in movie venues. So, it might be a great experience to catch it there!

Why don’t we check out carload.com to discover the screening dates and locations for “Clown in a Cornfield”. It would be ideal if it’s at a drive-in theater close to a cornfield.

Two and a Half Stars

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2025-05-07 19:03