The comedy horror slasher, ‘Clown in a Cornfield’, is every bit the fiesty, bloody, at times frivolously ludicrous fun that the title suggests, as this fresh twist on the classic splatter flick is brimming with gory teenage antics. Clown in a Cornfield is preppy in its execution, excited to show off its toybox of thrills and kills, primed to be delightfully formulaic in its cyclical process of backplot, exposition, death and destruction, followed by a ‘final girl’ fight for survival. And yet, despite the eagerness and familiarity of the film, there is something so devilishly more-ish that makes this film rivetingly comforting and entertaining. 

Set in the small rural town of ‘Kettle Springs’, Missouri, lies a deadly past after two teens are murdered in a cornfield by the town’s beloved clown mascot, ‘Frendo’. In the present day, this horror of yore no longer weighs heavy with the town’s juveniles often making light of the tragedy through the viral uploading of pranks, urban-legend-like stories and mockery of the hardship. However, this supposed lighthearted fun soon takes a turn for the worst after the new girl in town, Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas), arrives and discovers that Frendo has come back for blood. 

The innate dramatic flare of the narrative is owed to the source material, Adam Cesare’s book of the same name (2020), which won the prestigious ‘Bram Stoker Award for Best Young Adult Novel’. Though the adaptation differs in a few miscellaneous ways, the film captures Cesare’s writings in lieu of its reframing and reconditioning of the slasher genre; essentially washing the formula with a refreshing treatment that tricks and toys, yet remains wholeheartedly familiar in its ties to the beloved structure that slashers have provided over the decades. 

It is with the subversions of narrative norms peppered throughout that revise the slasher process that helps make Clown in a Cornfield a barrel of fun, particularly in how the final act violates the expected reveal in favour of unveiling a much more sinister villainy than one would have previously imagined. This praise of remodelling certain tropes is not to say that the film is at the forefront of groundbreakingly impressive storytelling, but instead, it is to grant Clown in a Cornfield with a ‘pat on the back’ for injecting a splash of exciting fun into the mix.

The witty amusements signifies an apparent nod to the genre, with director Eli Craig, being open about his declaration to dark humour, particularly amongst his previous work which includes the satirical horror ‘Tucker and Dale vs Evil’ (2010). As evidenced by his past and present work, Craig is indeed privy to what makes a horror film tick one of the most important boxes – the gross out, macabre, visceral murderous mayhem of it all. 

Clown in a Cornfield certainly delivers on this front, with the film being fuel for the gore hounds. Whilst the morbidity of it all is not for the faint hearted, the promise of a slasher dishing out over-the-top and frankly ridiculously gratuitous terror is the cherry on top for copious slasher fans. 

Crucial to Clown in a Cornfield’s portrayal is the key element of Frendo the clown, whose luminous red hair, piercingly dark eyes and cruel grimace all amalgamate to fashion a damningly evil creature worthy of many a nightmare. Similarly effective is the film’s secondary character, Quinn, who glues the narrative together thanks to Douglas’ performance that resonates as being rather authentic and emotionally engaging, adding ample meat to the bones of the film. 

Clown in a Cornfield has drummed up quite the mixed response, with some audiences commending the jovial, thrilling atmosphere, and others suggesting that the film suffers from being one dimensional. For both sides of the coin, the consensus is correct. Clown in a Cornfield is not going to be an acclaimed masterpiece with layers of detail, commentary and complexity. However, it does not intend nor need to be a philosophical composition to be celebrated. It is the perfect popcorn movie that can be rewatched, enjoyed, laughed over, shared with and relished as genuine entertainment. 

Want more top horror lists and reviews? Check out our blog here..