Clown in a Cornfield demonstrates that in the first half of 2025, here is no escaping quirky horror comedies. After the 5^th or 6^th movie in  that treads the line between bloody and goofy,  I’m starting to get the appeal. After all, I really enjoyed Last Night at Terrace Lanes, writer Adam Cesar’s last movie. Clown in a Cornfield isn’t his screenplay, but it’s based off his book. Will it have the same charm?

• Directed by: Eli Craig
• Written by: Carter Blanchard. Eli Craig. Adam Cesare
• Starring: Katie Douglas. Aaron Abrams Carson MacCormac

The Set Up

I’m a little offended that Clown in a Cornfield’s establishing sequence’s historical killings take place in 1991.  I feel ancient already, and the movie’s just getting started.  After a too-fast-but-effective opening sequence, the movie introduces us to the main characters. Quinn and her father Glenn are the newcomers to town, and are making sure they hit all the tropes on their way in. Spooky run-down house, weird neighbors, quirky father, and bratty 17-year-old daughter. Until Quinn gets to school, then we get the cool kids. 

These tropes would usually bother me, but here they’re building blocks for larger themes. The run-down house isn’t part of the horror, but rather, it’s one small part of a broken relationship between Quinn and Glen. The tropes aren’t just shortcuts for storytelling. 

All About the Theme

Clown in a Cornfield wears its themes on its sleeve. The biggest one being the generational gap between the teens and the older population of the town. The movie is aimed at teens and the first killing happened before they were born. So, I went into the movie guessing that the cool kids weren’t going to secretly be the masterminds here. I was right.

Which is a good thing. Because they’re pretty likeable despite some rather cliché personality flaws.  A large part of this comes from most of the actors feeling like real teens. They’re awkward at times and goofy. 

I will have to detract some points because the two teen girls are pretty poorly developed in comparison to their male counterparts. The blonde, Janet, is like “Heathers”-level bitchy, and Ronnie is just kind of dumb.  As the movie progresses, the girls deteriorate into slasher bait. It’s a major drawback in an otherwise enjoyable modern slasher.

Also, since we’re talking about flaws, there is yet another dance scene. Seriously, stop putting these in teen horror movies. 

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD

To really talk about the themes, the motives must be touched on a bit. I’m going to try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible but be warned. 

There’s a lot of subtle small-town values stuff going on that amplifies the generational divide. We’re not talking about the wholesome stuff either. A quick shot of Black men dressed very differently than the white parade participants gives a clear hint as to what kind of “values” Mayor Hill wants to return the town to.  

The preservation of misinterpreted “old -fashioned” values as a motive isn’t new, but it’s well-applied here, especially given the mastermind’s big villain speech. The actor is fantastic and the styling for the character is spot on. 

Red Herrings

There is a feeble attempt to make the mayor’s kid seem like he might be the killer. He’s got access to all the clown merch, and he really hates the town.  He’s also sorting out some heavy issues in a self-destructive manner.  Like I said, there is a lot thematically in this movie.  Fortunately, it all ties back into the divide between values in all its forms. 

The Iffy

There are a few logical inconsistencies that could have been smoothed out a bit.  The timing of some sequences doesn’t really work.  There are some unnecessary story elements that don’t really get developed enough to add much. The family ties to the town should have gone back a few more generations to really make things feel menacing. 

Also, there isn’t a lot of suspense in the movie, and the reveal isn’t shocking or any real twist.  It’s enjoyable to watch, but there isn’t anything new here. 

The Good

What it does well, it does really well. The juxtaposition between the mayor preaching about how good the town is, and the scenes of abandoned storefronts and unhoused people sleeping rough, does a lot to tell the story behind the town. 

In a movie where central focus is on how modernism is good, it’s interesting that in two key scenes, lack of historical knowledge is a drawback for the teens. One is the inability to use a rotary dial phone, and the other, a stick shift.  On the surface they could be seen as inconsistencies in messaging, or it could be a little more interesting. 

The rotary phone is a relic, so antiquated it’s nearly beyond use for most people alive today. Other than collectors, there are few reasons to have one, other than a stubborn insistence on holding on to the past. 

For the stick shift, it’s clearer. Glenn buys this to help bridge the distance between him and his daughter, a bonding experience as he teaches her how to drive it.  At the time, she refuses this attempt and fails to master the mechanics. Once she and her father fix their relationship, she’s willing to listen to him as he’s willing to listen to her.  It’s a nice moment, until they run over a chainsaw-wielding clown. Totally in self-defense.

Comparing Scripts

There is some common ground between Terrace Lanes and Clown in a Cornfield. They both feature a fractured father-daughter relationship and a group of slasher villains.  Both movies have more charm and quirk than horror and thrills, although Cornfield ups the gore with some impressive kills.   I like Cesar’s humor and sense of character. It really works for this specific type of teen horror. 

Modern Slashers 

Where Clown in a Cornfield lets me down is once again in the slasher elements. Modern slashers seem so determined to distance themselves from the worst examples of the ‘80s that they fail to incorporate the best of the genre standards.  I’m not saying every slasher needs the amount of stalking that they pull off in In a Violent Nature, but there is a reason it’s a genre element. 

Final Thoughts

I liked Clown in a Cornfield. The slasher costume looked great, the production values were high, and it was a fun early Sunday morning watch.  It’s light on scares and tension, so it’s really the kind of entry-level horror I’ve been wanting studios to make more of. It’s not a perfect movie, but if you’re looking for quirky, fun horror, give it a shot. 

Clown in a Cornfield is available now on streaming