Killer clown films are not done quite as often as ones centred around sharks and zombies. Those that do exist are wildly variable, for every 2017 film version of 'IT' there is also 'Killjoy'. When featured clowns are scary, they are the stuff of nightmares, a prime example being Tim Curry's Pennywise.
Whether 'Clowntergeist' is a parody or rip-off of Stephen King's 'IT' is irrelevant and even if it was (it certainly isn't blatant but a few elements are reasonably similar) that is the least of its problems. Likewise with how misleading it is in its title and advertising, with this clown being far from ghostly. Demon/killer clown films don't get much worse than 'Clowntergeist', don't mind that it was low budget but do mind if it looked as though it didn't even try. The latter seemed to be the case with 'Clowntergeist'.
Anybody's fear of clowns will not stay let alone increase, because it is so un-scary and how laughable any fears are likely to be cured. Ribcage is as non-intimidating, non-frightening as one can get for a villainous clown. What is actually more scary is how lazy and unintentionally goofy he is, Killjoy is scarier and he is not terrifying at all. Instead Ribcage doesn't convince at all as a demon/killer clown and if he was meant to be a ghost clown the film failed catastrophically on that count, all he is is a quite annoying Eric Corbin lumbering and wheezing around in a cheap clown suit and make-up (or that's what it seemed).
'Clowntergeist' completely lacks tension, suspense, terror or thrills. Instead it is very dull, unintentionally funny, cheap and predictable. There is nothing surprising or scary in sight, what was meant to be scary was obvious well in advance and hampered even further by the annoying sound effects and over-bearing music that try too hard to make one feel it should be creepy. It completely takes away the surprises and suspense too as a result, as do the very cheap (sloppily edited, drab and amateurishly shot) production values.
Pacing drags badly and the story is far too dragged out and padded to seemingly hide that the story is far too thin, very thin paper is thicker in comparison. The dialogue is stilted and filled with cheese to fill a large cheeseburger when it's comprehensible. The sound and music are far too loud and obvious.
No characters to care for or be interested in either. They are all bland and obnoxious, often given very little to do and with few logical or un-dumb thoughts. The direction has no competence and the acting is weak all round at best, especially from Corbin.
Overall, a terrible film that will do nothing to make one even more scared of clowns. 1/10 Bethany Cox
