Clown in a Cornfield

Clown in a Cornfield tells the story of a fading midwestern town in which Frendo the clown, a symbol of bygone success, reemerges as a terrifying scourge.

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Introduction

Clown in a Cornfield is like a flipped universe of “Children of the Corn” and a family of Pennywise came to k1ll them all. The poster and title of the movie had my hopes up for a great slasher flick, but towards the end it was kind of a let down, and a bit on the woke side of things. Still, a good watch with a campy vibe. Directed by Eli Craig who also did Little Evil (2017), Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010). The movie is a film adaptation of the 2020 YA horror novel of the same name by Adam Cesare.

“Looking for a fresh start, Quinn and her father move to the quiet town of Kettle Springs. They soon learn the fractured community has fallen on hard times after losing a treasured factory to a fire. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning clown emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time.”

Characters

The kids weren’t as memorable as they should’ve been, its like those Final Destination or Tarot (2024) kind of films wherein we know they’re going to d1e, we’re just in it to watch it unfold.

Clown costume and concept

It was actually good to see a new killer clown in modern horror movies, we honestly don’t get enough nowadays. I loved the squeaky shoes and the iconic hysterical clown laugh. It was creepy and oh so good. The name sticks as well, Frendo the clown.

Sort of memorable k1lls

The k1ll scenes had potential but unfortunately, the director was afraid to show scenes that were too graphic. So what we got was a self-interpretation of what happened next. Now, if they powered through and showed the nitty gritty side of gore horror, I’d probably give it more points.

Disappointing Third Act

I’m sure many of you have watched horror movies wherein the big reveal of who the culprit was was kind of a let down, and just ruined all of the build up leading to it. Clown in a Cornfield is exactly that! I honestly felt like I was scammed. It felt like a meh-horror imitation of Hot Fuzz, if you get what I mean.

What I didn’t like (Spoiler)

Aside from the little things I usually complain about, I’m willing to disregard those and just mention 2 main things that ruined the movie for me.

1. The reveal of who the clown was and the following scenes was very disappointing. I’d rather it be a sinister demon like Pennywise or something. Also, when they removed their masks, they became stupid characters.
2. Why the fvck was there a scene of boys kissing??? I don’t mind the reveal of them being gay, I think it was a funny plot twist for the girls in the movie. But the kissing part was definitely irrelevant, it didn’t bring anything to the table; it didn’t move the story forward; it didn’t make any conflict whatsoever.

Conclusion

Clown in a Cornfield is a meh kind of a campy horror flick. I honestly expected more of a marriage between Jason Voorhees and Art the Clown, that could’ve been awesome. Instead, we got a mediocre teenage slasher clown horror coupled with some irrelevant elements.