“Clown in a Cornfield” (2025) adapts Adam Cesare’s 2020 novel with the same title. The clown, who is called Frendo, is the mascot of Baypen Maple Syrup, the main employer in Kettle Springs, Missouri. Philadelphia teen Quinn (Katie Douglas) moves with her dad, Dr. Glenn Maybrook (Aaron Abrams), so he can have a fresh start after her mom died, but his fresh start is her waking nightmare. On the 100th annual celebration of Founders Day, a night of celebration at a local barn turns into a slaughterhouse. Who is killing the next generation?
All the characters are a bit undercooked, but there is enough meat to make a sandwich. The most fascinating dynamic is between the parentified daughter and her weaponized-incompetence-disguised-as-grief-dad. He buys the worst house ever, throws her at the first teen boy, Rust (Vincent Muller), in town who darkens their doorway, does not have food in the house, sides with strangers instead of hearing her out and does not provide wi-fi. All the adults welcome him with open arms, but seem to sneer at her, which further separates them. The biggest red flag is how dad effectively dumps daddy daughter dinner at the diner by inviting Sheriff Dunne (Will Sasso) to join them and make her share the booth with him—your teen daughter under some big ol’ man, even if nonsexual, is a no no. Are we sure that he was not involved in mom’s death because he is no protector? Meanwhile Quinn must comfort him, which is his job. If this theme was more developed, it would have heightened the tension in “Clown in a Cornfield” since all the adults in the town minimize any child’s concern. If dad already showed signs of disregarding his kid’s feelings, it would have been great to wonder how he would react in an emergency.
Quinn falls in with a bad crowd, but they are just wannabe filmmakers who like to drink, which all the teens in town seem to do. They could be mistaken for the popular kids. Cole Hill (Carson MacCormac) is a descendant of one of the founders. Like his dad, Arthur (Kevin Durand, who looks a little like Elon Musk), the head of the town and owner of the factory, he likes to give speeches, which makes him seem like a future leader. Matt (Alexandre Martin Deakin) dates Ronnie (Verity Marks) and likes to work out. Ronnie is the Black girl in the group who gets hysterical when the crap hits the fan. Tucker (Ayo Solanke), who is also Black, seems to be Matt’s best friend and plays the drums. “Clown in a Cornfield” wants the moviegoers to suspend disbelief that Ronnie and Tucker’s respective families would not keep closer tabs and be in the movie. Janet (Cassandra Potenza) is blonde and has the funniest moments but is also underdeveloped. There is a Breakfast Club vibe to the group dynamic. Because of their penchant for pranks, they often do not realize they are in danger until it is too late.
Most of “Clown in a Cornfield” feels like it rests on the line between homage and rip-off with a meta feel, i.e. self-aware of its place in cinematic history. After all, teens in danger is the staple of the horror genre. Cornfields evoke many horror classics like the “Children of the Corn” franchise, “Signs” (2002) or the “Jeepers Creepers” franchise. Clowns have their own long list of classics, starting with Stephen King’s Pennywise from “It” (2017). Does the Joker count? There is something inherently unsettling about being in a space that feels endless without being able to see anything else, which is like wearing a mask and disguising your identity. The combo points in an unexpected direction though I predicted it. It is only obvious if you recognize some context clues as connected. Always ask yourself if supernatural, science, aliens or bad people wreaked the havoc. The answer leads to an explanation that could resonate powerfully with viewers. It is homage, and it works. It would have worked better of the first half was stronger, and the characters were less archetypical.
The good news is that it is better than “Hell of a Summer” (2023), and you have not seen the best jokes or kills in the trailer. It gets funnier as the plot unfolds, but starting with a dad grooving on Eighties music is a great way to kick off the festivities. Most of the kills are not innovative, but they stuck to the golden oldies. One bow saw attack was weak sauce because the ensuing carnage was disproportionate to the weapon’s size, “Clown in a Cornfield” relies a bit too heavily on the clown-in-the-box. If those objects are all over town, then why does everyone stop and crank for tunes as if it is the first time that they have seen it. While the kills are not the freshest, the way that it is executed is the twist. Also, the way that the killer reacts to the kids fighting back is terrific and anchors the horror with real-world stakes.
One flaw of “Clown in a Cornfield” is the sound. A lot of dialogue is almost not audible. Overall, it fluctuates too much that if you end up watching it at home, put on the captions or start at the highest volume. I watched it on television so watching it in theaters may help. The missed dialogue was not crucial, and the meaning was still discernible, which means the ensemble cast made a meal out of a morsel. Their actions were sufficient to convey the intended message.
“Clown in a Cornfield” is no “Thanksgiving” (2023), but it belongs in the same category for combining themes, having a message and committing to merciless mayhem. Your enjoyment depends on how many slasher movies you consume. Anyone who enjoys the genre will be entertained, but the newbies will be gagged, and the old heads will appreciate it with their socks firmly on their feet.
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When the waitress, Trudy (Daina Leitold), started giving the stink eye to Quinn, I knew where “Clown in a Cornfield” was going. It would have been nice to see how the adults get recruited into this periodic generational war. It felt like “The Stepford Wives” for parents without the science. Not because he is interesting, but if Glenn was a true deuteragonist, it would have been nice to have a slow burn recruiting process. Other than Arthur, no other parent seems to be involved, and that felt like a stretch and a missed opportunity. With the other doctor missing, it felt as if there was more to the story. Alternatively, Cole may have been a better protagonist than Quinn because he has the only real story, and his father’s role was central to the driving force behind the massacre. As a gay character who is a mystery to himself, it makes sense that his dad would want to kill him since sadly a lot of parents are deranged enough to do that outside of the land of make-believe. That could also be an argument against Cole as the protagonist because the movie’s point is a more generalized resentment of change with the youth ascending and taking their rightful place according to the natural order.
