Ever heard of “Halfoween”? While the exact day of this “halfway point to Halloween” fluctuates, it’s typically sometime around the very end of April and the very beginning of May. So right now is actually the perfect time for some big screen scares — and Eli Craig’s “Clown in a Cornfield,” which hits theaters Friday, has exactly enough chills to get the spooky fun going.
The film, based on Adam Cesare‘s novel of the same name, follows protagonist Quinn (Katie Douglas, Netflix’s “Ginny & Georgia”) as she and her father relocate from Philadelphia to the rural Kettle Springs, Missouri — a crumbling country town struggling following the unfortunate closure of the town’s major employer. Many in town blame the fire on the group of teens, a pack of social media pranksters, Quinn eventually befriends.
Though Quinn and her father (Aaron Abrams) hope Kettle Springs can be the vibrational reboot after her mother’s recent death, things in Kettle Springs are bleak and soon, deadly.
But there’s more to “Clown in a Cornfield” than a killer clown. Director Eli Craig (“Tucker & Dale vs. Evil”) explains that the film is also, in some ways, a microcosm of what can be seen in today’s charged socio-political climate.
“[Cesare’s novel] holds a mirror up to the American dream — exposing the warped facade of capitalism gone wrong and the rage that comes from being on the losing end of it,” said Craig, of his initial thoughts on his film’s source material. “Frendo the Clown, in happier times, was a beloved company mascot but now he has morphed into a symbol embodying all the embitterment, spite and aggrievement — emotions that conflate violence with justice — of those left behind.”
Craig and co-writer Carter Blanchard’s screenplay builds on the unrest laid out in Cesare’s 2020 novel, while also imbuing the film with a quippy “Scream”-like sensibility that helps cut some of the film’s and gory kills. Craig explained that slasher films of the 70s and 80s were major inspirations for the film and the campy identity of that era’s films is all over Craig’s.
It’s a winning recipe that also helps make up for some of “Clown”‘s less successful parts.
While its atmosphere and teen cast are great, the film itself has a meandering feeling up until its terrific (and intense) climax. The first half of the film feels choppy and somewhat underdeveloped — both of which might be accounted for by budgetary restraints, so we’re inclined to forgive it. Nevertheless, it would have set the film up for a more powerful climax if we’d gotten to spend more time in Kettle Springs before things go awry.
A trend we’ve noticed with new horror movies lately is an unwillingness to allow tension to sit. A recent example is Leigh Whannell’s “Wolf Man,” which had so much going for it but squanders any potential tension by having everything take place over a single day — the first day the family enters a spooky forest. Like “Wolf Man,” “Clown” takes place over the first few days of Quinn’s life in Kettle Springs and similarly, the rest of the film suffers for skipping these early tension-building moments.
But don’t be confused, we actually really liked “Clown in a Cornfield.” It’s not a perfect movie but it feels so lovingly made by people who understand and love the horror genre. It’s difficult not to appreciate it. The film’s 90-minute runtime is also a plus and “Clown in a Cornfield” knows when to leave the party while it’s still fun.
All-in-all, don’t come to this movie for “elevated horror” or for any kind of emotional catharsis. Watch this movie if you enjoy horror and want to teens trying to survive a killer clown. “Clown in a Cornfield” is fun and that’s all it really needs to be.
If the movie leaves you craving more clown and more cornfield, you’re in luck. Cesare has already written two direct followups — and he recently revealed he’s got plans for a fourth “Clown in a Cornfield” sequel.
“Clown in a Cornfield” is out in theaters nationwide May 9.
Score: ★★★☆☆
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