While the killer clown sub-genre isn’t exactly the epitome of originality, we’re in the midst of a very welcome boost in clown-themed horror movies. From Rob Zombie’s 31 to the new adaptation of Stephen King’s It, we may soon witness yet another media-induced outbreak of coulrophobia in this new generation of moviegoers. If you don’t mind this colorful trend in scary movies then you’ll probably enjoy Tom Nagel’s first feature film, Clowntown.
Clowntown stars Brian Nagel, Lauren Compton, Andrew Staton and and Katie Keene as Brad, Sarah, Mike and Jill, a group of close friends travelling to a country music festival. When the group decides to stop by a deserted town in the hopes of retrieving a lost cellphone from a supposedly good Samaritan, they find themselves being attacked by a gang of vicious clowns whose antics result in more screams than laughter.
Though it’s easy to venture into horror-comedy territory when dealing with clowns, Nagel’s film surprisingly manages to play things straight. The script embraces its roots in cheesy slasher films without necessarily becoming a parody of them, resulting in an entertaining midnight movie, despite a few derivative moments. Honestly, it’s almost refreshing to see such a basic premise executed so earnestly, without so much as a hint of irony or meta-commentary like many slashers these days.
Naturally, a bare-bones slasher may not be enough to satisfy some viewers, but the film benefits from the support of a strong cast. The characters feel genuinely friendly, and it’s hard not to root for them when the titular clowns attack. However, there is a noticeable lack of true character development throughout the movie. This may be a relic of the 80s style cinematic carnage that Clowntown attempts to emulate, but it feels slightly cheap in a contemporary production.
A slasher movie would be nothing without interesting antagonists, and Clowntown actually delivers on that front. The psychotic clowns feel truly intimidating, and Nagel’s direction provides them with some chilling moments as well. Sadly, when their backstory was finally revealed it didn’t feel quite as memorable as it should have been, but that doesn’t ruin the experience as a whole.
I personally find it extremely hard to believe that any killer clown movie will ever top Killer Klowns from Outer Space, but Clowntown will surely appeal to anyone looking for some make-up and red noses mixed with their slashing fun. While the movie does lack in the originality department, the execution is reason enough to give this film a shot. After all, any production that tries to warn us about the dangers of people dressed in mime costumes is alright in my book.
Clowntown will be in theaters Sept. 30 and on VOD and DVD Oct. 4.
