Clown in a Cornfield
May 6th, 2025
MOVIE: CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD
STARRING: KATIE DOUGLAS, CARSON MACCORMAC, KEVIN DURAND, WILL SASSO
DIRECTED BY: ELI CRAIG
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 96 MINUTES
The circus clown has long been a staple of horror cinema, and it’s only becoming more prominent. From Pennywise to the eerie grins in Joker, and the cult success of Art the Clown in the Terrifier series, clowns continue to haunt our collective nightmares. But Clown in a Cornfield, directed by Eli Craig and based on the graphic novel series by Adam Cesare, brings something fresh to the table. While it delivers the expected creepy imagery, it also blends teen slasher thrills with self-aware, Scream-style meta-horror, all wrapped in a haunting slasher package that will satisfy any Friday the 13th fan. With its smart mix of scares and satire, Clown in a Cornfield is destined to become a horror classic.
Set in the small Midwestern town of Kettle Springs, Missouri, where cornfields stretch endlessly and a burned-down corn syrup factory casts a long shadow, the story dives into generational tension. The adults cling to old traditions, from quaint parades to the legacy of the town mascot, Friendo the Clown. When Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas) and her father (Aaron Abrams) move to town, she quickly realizes the divide: teens party in barns and film TikToks, while the adults, led by the rigid Mayor Hill (Kevin Durand), resent the younger generation’s defiance. But things take a deadly turn when someone dressed as Friendo starts murdering local teens. Suddenly, the clown is more than just a relic—it’s a nightmare made flesh.
Following his cult hit Tucker and Dale vs. Evil and the underrated Little Evil, Craig shows a sharp grasp of horror’s ability to reflect cultural anxieties. Katie Douglas shines as Quinn, a Sidney Prescott-like heroine—smart, grounded, and caught between wanting to fit in and surviving a blood-soaked nightmare. The supporting cast, especially Carson MacCormac as the charming Cole, brings depth to the usual horror archetypes. Beyond the characters, the town itself feels lived-in, and the set pieces—from abandoned shacks to cornfield chases—add genuine atmosphere. The kills are inventive and gruesome, providing plenty of horror fan satisfaction.
If there’s one criticism, it’s tonal inconsistency. At times, the film shifts awkwardly between sharp comedy and brutal horror, with some scares leaning more toward shock value than suspense. Still, in the current horror landscape—where Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving, M3GAN, and Ti West’s X prove the genre’s versatility—there’s room for all kinds of slashers, including ones that dare to be a little weird and a little wild.
Clown in a Cornfield thrives in that space of teen horror where the kills are chilling, but the energy is electric. Craig balances thrills with a sly message: maybe the kids are alright, and maybe clinging to nostalgia isn’t. But the clown? That thing’s not going anywhere. Whether in dreams or cornfields, killer clowns will always be terrifying—and this one earns its place in the pantheon.
3 STARS
CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD IS PLAYING IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE FRIDAY, MAY 9TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
