RLJE and Shudder’s hotly anticipated Clown in a Cornfield adaptation is sweet old style teen slasher leisure. Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil director Eli Craig introduces audiences to the circusy meanie Frendo, born from novelist Adam Cesare’s beloved younger grownup horror sequence (at the moment three entries robust). It is gateway horror concentrating on up-and-coming style followers that’ll be a whole lot of teenagers’ first violent slasher romp, and that guidelines. The youths deserve rad entry-point horror titles, and Craig delivers.
Watch your again, Artwork. A brand new killer clown is on the town, and he is right here to slay.
In line with trusted sources (since I’ve not learn the books), Craig and co-writer Carter Blanchard keep devoted sufficient to Cesare’s first launch. Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas) and her physician father (Aaron Abrams) transfer from the East Coast to Kettle Springs, Missouri, after their mom and spouse’s sudden demise. The city’s proper out of Stephen King’s pages—a Midwestern territory in exhausting financial occasions with an eerie vibe. Their foremost export, Baypen’s Corn Syrup, is now not profitable after a manufacturing unit closure and subsequent arson tragedy that is blamed on native teenagers. Quinn befriends mentioned teenagers and is launched to the legend of “Frendo,” a murderous manifestation of Baypen’s red-nosed mascot. It is all enjoyable and video games because the mischief makers stage Frendo movies to publish on-line—till Frendo begins hacking them aside for actual.
There is a particular King story that Clown in a Cornfield cleverly references (er, reverses), nevertheless it’s too close to spoiler territory to substantiate. Cesare’s literary influences spill into Craig’s path, which turns into a darkly comedic dealing with of intergenerational conflicts. It is Quinn’s story, a horror story at that, however the relationship between Quinn and her trying-his-best father stays paramount. Clown in a Cornfield is as a lot a coming-of-age lesson as a vicious hack-and-slash flick, discovering heat in Quinn and her pops’ evolving arc (like studying the way to drive a stick). There is a stable “made for sleepover” vibe all through that speaks to juvenile horror followers, nevertheless it’s dealt with in a method that does not barricade out elder style lovers.
Whereas the set dressings are acquainted (cornfields, farmlands, greasy spoon diners), Clown in a Cornfield feels uniquely particular person. Craig does not waste time cracking into Frendo’s bloodbath however finds sufficient area to endear us to Kettle Springs’ mythology. Ageism and classism seep right into a divide between native adults and kids, specializing in the horrors of “higher days.” It is nothing revolutionary, and the story could be reductively easy in its elementary components, however the accents are all on level. Will Sasso yucks it up because the unhelpful Sheriff Dunne, Kevin Durand shakes his fist at Quinn’s crew as Mayor Hill, and there is a clear emphasis on the kids dealing with Frendo alone. We have seen this earlier than, however Craig succeeds in repackaging slasher tropes with a recent and welcoming twist.
The horror parts are, once more, predictable. When Quinn is pranked with a Frendo video (her initiation), an actual Frendo seems within the background, and teenagers begin getting picked off. Quinn and her crew struggle to outlive as Gen Z’ers in a world the place older generations aren’t listening to their pleas, as represented by that smiling bastard Frendo. There is no holding again as Frendo slaughters Kettle Springs’ rambunctious residents. Kills foster brutality, whether or not they’re a head-rolling deadly bench press or pitchfork hoist to the intestine. Simply because Clown in a Cornfield is made for teenagers doesn’t suggest it reveals mercy. Frendo’s armed with a chainsaw, crossbow, and different instruments of annihilation that make Quinn’s posse pay for the disrespect they present Frendo.
Clown in a Cornfield’s allusions to Sizzling Fuzz, Darkish Harvest, and different narratives about cursed cities make plot milestones relatively predictable, however that does not erase Craig’s profitable mix of sentimental horror pleasure. It is poking enjoyable at slasher norms by means of Quinn’s dialogue as she analyzes the insane circumstances of Frendo’s reign, but additionally pushing the style into inclusive realms that’ll welcome in typically forgotten demographics. Clown in a Cornfield is a cheeky satire as a lot as it’s its personal fangs-out beast, and whereas there’s undoubtedly a “Horror 101” vibe that may stunt the expertise’s total momentum, it is hardly an issue. Each horror movie at this level relies on preexisting concepts—the satan is within the particulars, which Craig manipulates in his favor.
The age of Frendo is upon us, and the longer term is bloody shiny. Clown in a Cornfield is a teen-deleting slasher celebration that welcomes newfound horror watchers into the following chapter of their fandoms. It is acquired all the things as promised: creepy clowns, dense cornfields, and nasty executions aplenty. These viewers who can join with youthful themes that worry how older generations do not care about our futures will discover extra to adore, nevertheless it’s actually fulfilling for all ages.
It is good to really feel hopeful typically—an sudden but healthful aspect impact that seals the deal for Clown in a Cornfield.
Film Rating: 3.5/5
