Pugs reviews Clown in a Cornfield!

Clown in a Cornfield was wackier than my uni ex-girlfriend's approach to a breakup. 

One guess as to what this sucker’s all about. Eli Craig (Zombieland) takes the director’s chair for his most nuanced and sophisticated project since Tucker & Dale Vs Evil.  Katie Douglas leads as Quinn Maybrook in what I'm sure was her most goofiest project to date.  There’s a slew of other folks in this movie that you’d recognise, in a “Oh I’m pretty sure he's from something” kind of sense.  CIAC also pays homage to it's slasher predecessors by casting 30 year olds as teenagers ripe for the chainsawing. 

Quinn and her useless old man move to a curious new town in the middle of nowhere, where she’s sadly still not like the other girls.  The town mascot just happens to be the most sinister looking clown since [insert MP of your choice here]. As if idolising Frendo wasn’t enough of a red flag, Kettle Springs is also full of kids that seek pleasure in terrorising the shit out of young and old alike.  If the sanity and safety of your citizens relies entirely on an old corn syrup factory that burnt down, it might be time to pack it in and get a couple of vape shops.

Let’s get to the clowning around that we’re all here for.  Though the tension gets pretty thick, CIAC is more about kills that make you wince rather than jump. There’s a reason they’ve all got so much personal flare, but I can’t spoil it for fear of getting decapitated trying to hit my bench PR. 

Despite much of the slasher satire being a needle in a cornstack, there are several moments that gave me an out-loud laugh or an outright gobsmack.  For a movie about a killer clown there’s a surprising socio-political tone that seeps in during the climax of the film. If you’re one of those weapons who loves talking smack about the next (or last) generation and their global impact, this might just be the clown slasher for you. 

Clown in a Cornfield does exactly what’s on the tin. Though it’s a bit oscar-baity for my personal taste. 

50000000/5