Il Clown di Kettle Springs

While I enjoy a good slasher, I would not call myself a fiend for them. I don't subscribe to Shudder and I don't watch all the horror movies that come out. I'd even say that I tend to stay away from the schlocky and B/C grade ones, though there are those that I do enjoy. For me, this is one of those films. While I appreciate that this one tries to do a little more and have a little more to say, in the end, the slasher elements just felt okay. The kills lack creativity, the whodunit part is kind of predictable, and the film felt very much in line with your typical slasher in it's most visceral elements.

Quinn is a new kid in town and quickly finds herself among peers. They take to her, mostly, and she's soon hanging out, drinking beer, and getting cozy with one of the boys. Of course, this is a slasher and the good times don't last long before the clown starts messing things up. I will say that the film does do a good job with it's central theme, that being a divide between the generations. While the kids fit into the modern mold of being kids, getting into a bit of trouble while spending some time creating a bit of horror content for YouTube, the adults are much more morose and agitated. They don't take kindly to the kids and it's a central theme to the story throughout. The cast is also mostly good, though too many feel like throw away characters left to be fodder. Katie Douglas, Carson MacCormac and Aaron Abrams fare the best by being more than one dimensional and actually giving the movie some emotional weight. The film also contains the trappings of most slasher films, so those who love the genre staples will be right at home here. Initially, I expected the movie to be pretty cliche and similar to everything else. Then, halfway through, things take an intense turn and the movie shifts into overdrive.

Here is where most will find the film's strengths. Not content with just wallowing in the films cliches, it decides to kick things up. I won't spoil it here, but it was a pleasant surprise after thinking I'd be let down. All of that said, the movie never rose above average for me. Everything about it screams "watch at home on TV with some popcorn and friends and/or family". I can't quite put my finger on it, but the whole production feels very much run of the mill, 80's/90's slasher that you'd rent on a weekend. It does do a decent job with it's favored social commentary, even though I found that to be a little to on the nose, but it's not enough to elevate the production. On top of this, the kills lack any real creativity. We get a lot of the usual, from slashings to stabbings to severed parts. There's maybe one kill that stands out, but it's incredibly goofy and I actually laughed in the theater when it happened because it was so ridiculous. This, for me, may have been the biggest buzz kill. The lack of creativity.

Clown in a Cornfield is likely to make genre fans who eat this stuff up like corn syrup overloaded candy, but for anyone looking for something more than an average slasher, this will be a let down. It's not bad, just mostly average.

The marketing for this film was way better than the movie. Which seems to be the theme lately for horror films. I will say, I am a huge Terrifier fan so most new slasher films can't compete to me - which i realize not everyone loves Terrifier. Especially try to follow up T3 with a clown movie not even a year later? I'm surprised Shudder took this one on.

However, I can appreciate it is a good starter horror for younger audiences. I can also appreciate the homage to older slasher films. I did not read the book so I have no say on how true it is to the source material.

Just like Until Dawn, which I also was disappointed by, they're gonna beat this dead horse with a sequel I'm assuming. Meh.

Practical effects were good. Acting was ok. A fun little movie for a Friday night but if you're super into horror it's not something to be taken too seriously. A lot of hype around something I felt didn't deliver.

Sometimes, you just want a good, straightforward slasher, and that's exactly what Clown in a Cornfield delivers. It's gory, tense, and doesn't mess around. The setup is classic: Quinn moves to a small town, only to discover that it's hiding a deadly secret. Enter the killer clown, and suddenly the cornfields aren't just a creepy backdrop-they're a trap.

The film knows what it is and doesn't pretend otherwise. It's violent, fun, and self-aware, with some creative kills and just enough backstory to make you care about who lives and who doesn't. Sure, it leans into some slasher clichés, and there were a few "Why would you do that?!" moments, but honestly, that's half the fun of watching a movie like this.

It's not breaking new ground, but it doesn't need to. It's the kind of movie you watch for the tension, the chase scenes, and the brutal confrontations. If you're a fan of classic slashers with a bit of modern flair, you'll have a blast.

If you love your slashers bloody, self-aware, and just a little bit unhinged, 'Clown in a Cornfield' is an absolute must-watch. It delivers that nostalgic, small-town horror vibe straight out of an '80s nightmare, but with a modern edge that keeps things fresh and fun. Frendo the clown is instantly iconic - equal parts terrifying and absurd - and the kills? Gory, creative, and satisfyingly brutal.

What really surprised me, though, was how funny this film is. It doesn't take itself too seriously, leaning into the ridiculousness of its premise in a way that totally works. The script is sharp, the characters are likable enough to root for (or scream at), and there's a surprising amount of heart buried beneath the bloodshed.

By the time the credits rolled, I was already googling the books. If they're anything like the movie, I'm in for a wild ride. Easily my favorite slasher of 2025 so far.

A name like "Clown in a Cornfield" promises the kind of pulp-like over-the-top violence and self-awareness that made director Eli Craig's Tucker and Dale vs. Evil so much fun. What we got is something tame and forgettable. Something that isn't nearly as smart as it thinks it is. It tries to be a combination of Children of the Corn, IT, Scream, and others but comes away as less than the sum of its parts.

The story plays like a lesser version of Eli Roth's Thanksgiving. Group of kids being picked off by a masked killer for some perceived crime. But the characters aren't nearly as well defined as Roth's were. There's little suspense built up as the Clown just keeps popping up. Plenty of gore, but no particularly memorable kill. Frendo is pretty tame as a slasher killer, doing nothing to stand out. Not helped by the fact that the Terrifier series has so completely cornered the market on creepy clown villains.

There's some playfulness with the main group playing pranks on each other for YouTube, TikTok, etc. But this largely becomes an excuse to dismiss characters not being around after they have been killed.

The acting is okay at best. Will Sasso seems to be hamming it up. Kevin Durand is doing his usual good job. But the kids are unremarkable.

Then there's the ending. The kind of lousy finale all too common with the latter Scream films, with the mask coming off and the villain monologuing about their motives giving the heroes time to escape. Worse, the dialogue is far too on-the-nose like was taken from a Tumblr rant.

It promises lots of fun but ultimately is forgettable once the credits start rolling.