As Advertised-CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD
By Yasin Lago
Clowns and cornfields have been two horror movie staples for many years. Stephen King has built a whole career on them. Both are common, mundane, mysterious and creepy. They provoke our deepest fears of possibilities to come, horrible, terrifying possibilities. This is the mashup of iconography behind Clown in a Cornfield.
Glenn Maybrook (Aaron Abrams) and his daughter Quinn (Katie Douglas) leave loss, anguish and the East Coast behind for a midwestern home in a town that has been devastated economically by the closing of the corn syrup factory. Built by the founding family of the town, the factory fell on hard times. A fire has devastated the building, the company, and its beloved mascot, Frendo the Clown. Considered a case of arson, teens are blamed for it though no one is ever arrested. Years later, Quinn’s new classmates get caught up in accusations of arson and tampering at the Founders Day parade which sparks the vengeful return of Frendo.
Douglas (Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia) does an adequate job of leading the cast as genre “final girl” (not a spoiler). Some other notable actors here include Will Sasso ( George & Mandy’s First Marriage) as the laid back sheriff, playing it unusually straight in this non-comedic turn for him. Genre favorite Kevin Durand ( Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) is unforgettable as the tightly-wound, founder-obsessed Arthur Hill, the father of the town’s most popular kid. Duran makes the most of his role, hamming it up every chance he gets. Our killer clown in residence, Frendo, is a nod to Anton Chigurh, the melancholy killer from the film No Country For Old Men. There is a twist to the character you may not see coming.
Based on a novel by Adam Cesare, the story is filled with salutes, call-backs, themes, tropes, and cliches from the late 70s, 80s, and early 90s slasher films. Director Eli Craig ( Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Little Evil) fills the screen with as many crazy kills as possible to up the gore factor with varying degrees of success. The first half of the movie moves slowly with humorless exposition. It’s not until the big party scene that the movie gains momentum, in both humor and horror. So much so, the first and second acts play like two different movies, one awkwardly stale, the other hilariously twisted.
If you’re terrified or excited or both, by clowns, this movie is for you. For some horror fans who are willing to ignore the wilted servicing of the storyline of the first 45 minutes, they’ll enjoy the very funny second 45 minutes of Clown in a Cornfield.
Originally published at http://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on May 10, 2025.
