‘Clown in a Cornfield’ Movie Review: A Clown-Killer Slasher Satire That Trips Over Tropes
Photo from RLJE Films & Shudder
From Jeff Nelson
Who would have guessed that a movie called Clown in a Cornfield leads with social commentary? Well, here we are. The YA-based slasher follows through on its promise of clown-involved set pieces in a cornfield, leaning on the modern category of “overly-familiar horror concept but with a twist.” Director Eli Craig speaks to the current generation of moviegoers in a story more likely to impress newcomers than longtime veterans.
Quinn (Katie Douglas) and her father, Dr. Glenn Maybrook (Aaron Abrams), move to a fading midwestern town called Kettle Springs for a fresh start. The town's symbol is a clown named Frendo, whose reemergence leaves a train of bodies. Quinn and a group of local teens must work together if they hope to survive the costumed killer.
This isn’t the first time Frendo’s violent rage has produced dead teen bodies in Kettle Springs. A local party in 1991 turns bloody before turning the page to Quinn and Glenn in the present day. Clown in a Cornfield spends the first 40 minutes or so following the stereotypical city-to-small-town culture shock. Quinn’s close bond with her father is on ice after she’s forced to move following a major family tragedy. Her first day of school gets off to a bad start with an awkward first encounter with an introverted neighbor, Rust (Vincent Muller), and a harsh teacher. However, she quickly makes friends with the popular and handsome Cole (Carson MacCormac) and his group of Frendo-obsessed friends – Janet (Cassandra Potenza), Ronnie (Verity Marks), Tucker (Ayo Solanke), and Matt (Alexandre Martin Deakin).
Clown in a Cornfield premiered at the SXSW Film Festival, where it earned hype for its creatively gory kills. Unfortunately, that was merely festival hype. We see essentially the same kill twice! The bloodshed and body count are about average for this sort of slasher fare until a twist breathes life into the overused genre tropes leading up to this point. This is where Craig’s horror film finally finds its footing, allowing the small-town chaos to unfold.
Audiences familiar with Tucker & Dale vs. Evil know this director has a devilishly dark sense of humor, and it isn’t lost on Clown in a Cornfield. The entire film comes with a wink, although it isn’t as funny as the other twist to the slasher genre. The gags surrounding the central themes of generational divides and evolving social norms are hit-and-miss. The gay sub-plot fares much better. Yes, it’s partially used as a punchline, but it’s also a wise piece of a character arc that we rarely see in mainstream horror.
A genre satire falls short when it repeats the very clichés it’s trying to parody. Clown in a Cornfield is entertaining in spots but lacks creativity in storytelling and the kills of paper-thin teen characters. It follows in the predictable footsteps it accuses other movies of a little too closely for far too long before it finds a flow that works. However, an exposition-heavy climax halts that momentum. This horror flick is best served chaotic when it takes the initiative to let its freak flag fly.
Rating: 2.5/5
Clown in a Cornfield hits theaters on May 9th, 2025.
