‘Clown in a Cornfield’ review: A new kind of slasher film

There are certain things in this world that I do not like. Clowns are not really my vibe. I kind of hate cornfields. And then the sound of chainsaws gives me full body chills. So Clown in a Corn Field really had everything to make me terrified.

The new film from Eli Craig is based on a novel by Adam Cesare and puts us into a rural area where cell phone service doesn’t really work and everyone kind of lives back in the good ol’ days. But that isn’t as it seems. Clown in a Cornfield follows Quinn (Katie Douglas) as she moves to the town of Kettle Springs, Missouri with her father (Aaron Abrams). Even when she thinks she’s made friends and has people in her life to hang out with, she’s confronted by a murderous clown who has her and her friends trapped at an old mill.

For the most part, Clown in a Cornfield is your standard slasher. There are fun little jump scares in the beginning and a somewhat cute twist right at the start. But as the film goes on, it elevates itself as a new kind of slasher film with a twist that fans of the book know but if you, like me, went into this movie without knowing what the story was, you’re going to be in for a treat.

There really is nothing like a good slasher movie

Slasher movies used to be a dime a dozen. When you thought of horror as a genre, the two options were basically The Exorcist and then slasher movies like Friday the 13th. That was kind of the vibe for a really long time. Then horror elevated as a genre and became bigger than it was. In recent years, many fans of the genre have been excited over a recent crop of films within the genre, including Oscar-nominee The Substance.

I don’t think that Clown in a Cornfield is up to par with some of the best that the horror genre has given us recently but it is a nice return to form and it does elevate the slasher genre. If anything, Craig’s film shows that slasher films still have a life in them and the ability to bring something new and exciting to the genre.

Frendo the clown is a terrifying addition to the world of horror and you are in for a wild hayride with this one.

Clown in a Cornfield is in theaters now.

(featured image: Shudder)

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Rachel Leishman

Assistant Editor

Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.

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