‘Clown in a Cornfield’ Review: Woefully Derivative Slasher Movie with a ‘Hook’ — It’s Not One Killer Clown, It’s a Dozen

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The movie “Clown in a Cornfield” at SXSW could be seen as unoriginal and following trends, much like its titular slasher donning an evil clown mask reminiscent of Pennywise and Art the Clown. The film attempts to introduce its own iconic masked killer, Friendo, who, like his peers, stalks and kills victims in a cornfield. This title could be considered overly literal since “Snakes on a Plane.” Despite being based on a YA novel, it lacks the originality of “Stranger Things” in terms of its storyline. The characters, a group of teenagers in Kettle Springs, are stereotypical and disposable, much like those from ’80s slasher films. A notable sequence during a holiday parade on Main Street, featuring a mascot version of the killer, is strikingly similar to that in “Thanksgiving.

Despite being somewhat predictable, “Clown in a Cornfield” doesn’t assume its audience is entirely clueless about these elements. The film’s director, Eli Craig (“Tucker & Dale vs. Evil”), who may not be exceptionally creative, seems to believe he’s crafting a “meta” slasher movie. The portrayal of Friendo subtly hints at Pennywise, while the title references “Snakes on a Plane.” It’s more like a cheap imitation of a postmodern indie grindhouse reverb chamber.

In this movie, despite its slow pace and lack of subtlety, it seems the creators believe they’re being clever with meta elements. It turns out that Friendo, our protagonist, initially served as a marketing icon for Baypen Syrup, a local conglomerate founded by Cole’s (Carson MacCormac) great-grandfather. This company’s inception essentially put Kettle Springs on the map, and you can find Friendo symbols and merchandise scattered all over town, including a mini Jack-in-the-box version of him. Interestingly, this toy seems to appear just before someone meets an untimely end.

The meta aspect is that the teen characters frequently produce two-minute YouTube videos, where one of them disguises themselves as Friendo and creates short, miniature slasher movie-like clips. When the actual Friendo character appears (initially glimpsed in a chilling freeze frame lurking behind one of these videos), it’s almost like he crashed the Halloween party that drew inspiration from him.

The entire plot serves as an introduction to the main twist in the movie: there are multiple versions of Friendo, not just one, as you might expect from a detective-style series like “Scream”. However, this is unlike the numerous killers in those films who swap roles as Ghostface. Instead, it’s more like an entire army of Friendos, and the reason for this – the film’s explanation for their homicidal tendencies – is so exaggerated and simplistic that it feels less like a chilling horror than why hasn’t anyone thought of this before? because it’s so straightforward and predictable. The movie, in its own peculiar way, gives off a disgruntled and melancholic atmosphere due to every character being so irritable and disagreeable.

The main character and survivor, Quinn (played by Katie Douglas), is the latest addition to the story. She’s taken up residence in an old farmhouse with her recently widowed physician father (Aaron Abrams). Soon enough, she becomes part of the only teenage group in town. Cole is a member of this gang, and there’s a growing attraction between them, but their relationship doesn’t progress as you might expect. This is due to the unique social commentary that forms a crucial aspect of the movie. You may wonder if “Clown in a Cornfield” delivers on the horror front. Indeed, it does not, and it intentionally avoids being overly frightening. The killings are presented as extravagant spectacles meant to excite the audience with the chaos. However, they mostly fall short of this mark. (Compared to the “Terrifier” series, a film like this one barely even touches the scary threshold.) If an AI were to create a slasher movie, it would likely resemble “Clown in a Cornfield.

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2025-03-12 02:16