Quinn and her father have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Bay...
Director Eli Craig’s “Clown in a Cornfield” is a goofy, fun, and campy horror comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s what makes it a blast. With a classic slasher setup, the film has all the usual elements you expect from a high school horror flick: a creepy small town, teenagers causing trouble, and a killer clown lurking in the cornfields. It’s a horror movie that’s more about having fun than scaring you out of your seat.
The story follows Quinn (Katie Douglas), a high schooler who moves to the small town of Kettle Springs with her doctor dad (Aaron Abrams) to start a new life. Despite its quiet exterior, the town’s economy is in ruins after the local corn syrup factory burned down, and the residents are tense and clearly not too fond of teenagers. Things get even weirder when Quinn makes a group of new friends who have a social media following from making a series fake killer clown videos. The whole town starts to fall apart when Frendo the killer clown actually shows up and begins a bloody murder spree, bringing their goofy videos to life.
It’s a silly, over-the-top premise that certainly doesn’t reinvent the genre, but definitely delivers a good time. The kills are standard slasher fare, but some are pretty creative (and funny). It’s the kind of movie where you can’t help but laugh at how ridiculous everything gets, but while film has a decent sense of humor, it’s not as funny as it could’ve been given the premise. There’s so much potential for wild humor with a killer clown on the loose, but it feels like the film never fully leans into its campiness.
The movie hits all the typical slasher beats, with teenagers getting picked off one by one and evil adult townsfolk that have nefarious intentions. The film isn’t particularly scary, but the stakes are high enough that you’ll be invested in whether Quinn and her friends will make it out alive.
With a few inspired gags and a fun premise, “Clown in a Cornfield” is a goofy, entertaining horror comedy that delivers exactly the kind of bloody chaos you’d expect. It’s not the most original, but if you’re a fan of slasher flicks and you’re in the mood for something lighthearted and silly, this is definitely worth a watch.
