To write about the movie Clown in a Cornfield, one would say that it is equivalent to walking a tightrope in a circus. If you write too much, you will give away the twists, but if you write too little, you might not give the audience enough to convince them to see the movie. It is a delicate balance, and the last thing I want is for Frendo the clown to come hunting me down for not doing the movie justice.
The movie starts in Kettle Springs at a barn party in 1997. Two teens go into the cornfield to do what teens do, and they are attacked by Frendo the Clown. The film moves to the present day, and we meet our two movie protagonists, Dr. Glenn Maybrook (Aaron Abrams) and his daughter Quinn (Katie Douglas). Dr. Maybrook is opening up a practice in town, and his daughter is not too happy about the move. Mom is not in the picture, and we find out what happened to her later in the film.
As the new kid in town, Quinn sticks out. She meets the “cool” kids and is told by those in the town not to hang out with them. Being a rebel herself, Quinn does not listen and gets in trouble with the kids a few times. Here is where one of the twists of the movie comes in, and it has to do with something the kids do. While this twist is a creative turn, it does change again once the audience gets comfortable with the movement of the story.
Once we meet Mayor Arthur Hill (Kevin Durand), we learn about the upcoming celebration, Founder’s Day, and the importance of it for the town. We also learn that the Mayor and his son, Cole (Carson MacCormac), do not see eye-to-eye. It seems that Cole, along with the other teens from the town, are blamed for a factory fire that killed many and put a good number of the townspeople out of a job. Frendo the Clown was the mascot for this factory, and that is why he seeks his revenge on the teens.
The third act of the film spins in another direction. During a barn party, the kids are attacked again by Frendo. Not to give away too much about this attack, but it is insane to see the way some of the kids are killed off as they try to make their escape. Within this attack, Cole is captured, and another mystery about the town is revealed. What Clown in a Cornfield does is change the convention of what a horror movie is by taking the audience in one direction and flipping it on them once they get comfortable or think they have figured it out.
I will say that Clown in a Cornfield is not your typical horror movie. There are horror elements in the movie, but it feels more psychological than true horror. When it comes to the death scenes, some of these are intense and pretty graphic. The twists and turns might turn off some audience members, but those who stick with it might feel rewarded at the end. I am curious to see if the other books in the series will also be made into a movie, because I would like to see where this road goes.
Final Thought: Clown in a Cornfield has a fun concept that might not be suitable for everyone. The movie is full of gore and has a few jump scares that will surely satiate horror fans. The twist in the film comes a little early and twists again once you think you have it all figured out. Time will tell if we will see the other books on the screen.
Kid-Friendly: The kills in this film are a little gruesome for younger kids. There are themes of sexuality and suicide that might require conversations after viewing. I would recommend it for kids 17 and older.
Violence: With a title like Clown in a Cornfield, you can expect some gory kills. The level of violence is similar to Evil Dead Rise, with a third act that amps up the violence.
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 Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play