Clown-2016

Director Jon Watts

Starring Andy Powers, Laura Allen

Scott’s Review #681

Reviewed September 16, 2017

Grade: B-

As a fan of all things horror and with a robust appreciation for the genre, clowns in said genre are always a stroke of genius, and the 2016 film Clown establishes a creepy premise right off the bat.

After seeing the film, the story didn’t marinate in my mind until a few days later, and I came away with a bit more appreciation than I did when the film ended.

Clown runs one hour and forty minutes, but it reminds me of the mid-2000s Showtime horror anthology series Masters of Horror.

The film has a unique, creepy vibe, is a highlight of that cherished series, and oddly plays out like a vignette.

The premise is creepy as the action kicks off.

When Kent McCoy (Andy Powers), a likable young father who works far too much maintaining his real estate business, is notified by his wife, Meg (Laura Allen), that the clown they hired to entertain at their son Jack’s birthday party has canceled, he is determined to save the day.

Kent discovers an old clown suit in the attic of one of his abandoned houses and dons the costume.

The next day, Kent and Meg are startled when Kent cannot remove the costume, even when pliers, a hacksaw, and other horrid machinery are used on him.

The story then introduces a strange character named Herbert Karlsson (Peter Stormare), who tells Kent the clown costume isn’t a costume but the hair and skin of an ancient demon from Northern Europe.

Kent realizes the demon needs to feast on children to survive, and he becomes ravenous. Karlsson attempts to kill Kent, revealing that the only way to destroy the beast is via beheading.

The story’s clever, compelling part is the mix of clowns and children in peril, a recipe for success in most horror films.

The fact that Kent and Meg slowly begin to be tempted to harm children is both shocking and compelling.

The McCoys are average, everyday folks, Meg even working as a nurse, so the likelihood of the pair harming kids on any other day is remote, but tested by a vicious demon and their son Jack in peril makes Clown work well.

My favorite sequence occurs during a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. While the kids play in a lavish, dark tunnel, the demon (Kent) is on the loose, wreaking havoc and eating two children.

When Meg drives an unwitting young girl home, she is conflicted and tempted to offer the girl to the demon as a sacrifice, hoping to save Kent.

The girl’s pleading is palpable.

The film is gruesome from a violent perspective and hesitates to go where many horror films dare not go, with the death and slaughter of young children.

One kid, in particular, is shown disemboweled. The kid is written as a bully and gets his comeuppance in grisly form.

Sad is the death of a lonely trailer park-type kid, only looking for a friend in Kent. Little does he know his short days are numbered.

As strong and measured as the story idea is, Clown does have some negatives. The film has an amateurish quality, not because it is independent. Instead, the style almost feels like a student film.

Some of the acting isn’t great, especially Laura Allen’s performance as Meg. The filmmakers might have been wiser to make this project more episodic rather than a full-length release.

Clowns, kids, and demons make a fun combination for horror, and the aptly named Clown is a solid B-movie effort in the glorious chambers of the cinematic horror genre.

With a few tweaks and zip-ups, Clown (2016) might have been even more memorable. It will not go down in history as a masterpiece, but it has the necessary elements for a good watch.