Hello there horror fans! So, sticking with the theme of watching movies that are child-centric, Sickle and I had a chance to see the Eli Roth-produced movie, Clown. The movie centers on an individual who, in the process of trying to be a good father, ends up putting on a costume that changes him into a demonic clown which devours children. Unlike other movies we have reviewed recently ...*cough-Come Out And Play-cough*...this movie was one of Roth’s finest collaborations.
Using the power that Satan granted us to find movies on the internet (YouTube) we stumbled upon this film while watching trailers. Upon noticing this specific trailer for Clown was an hour plus in length we decided it would behoove us to, ya know, finish the trailer as it were. Like most of my reviews, I don’t care if you didn’t want spoilers, so here we go.
What starts off as a fairly innocent man-turning-into-monster story, quickly changes into one of the best horror flicks I have seen in a long time. On the one hand, we have a desperate father trying to survive being hunted while fighting the forces of demonic clown skin taking over his body. On the other, a strong wife and mother trying to maintain her family while at the same time deciding if she is willing to sacrifice children to her new clown demon hubby. The characters all are interesting and even in such a short film they seem to do a great job of developing them.
The story of the monster is also very well developed. You truly understand the forces at work in the film unlike some other movies that decided art house crap shoots are better than a good story (read It Follows). Since I am such a die-hard monster fan, I appreciate a well [demon] fleshed out story.
As for all movies that are child-centric, it is very interesting to see exactly what new and interesting things they do with this taboo topic. Director Jon Watts has no qualms defying the status-quo here and has one of the best scenes I have watched in a long time. Imagine:
You are at a Chucky Cheese and you are playing in the dim colored lighting of the labyrinthine tube monolith. You hear a scream from down the tubes, perhaps a child just having fun but this scream is a bit off, a bit more terrified than usual. You continue on and feel something wet on your hands and knees. You strain to see in the dim lighting, unsure if you just walked into a child’s bladder release only to find the tunnel floor is coated in a thick red substance. Then a slow seemingly friendly laugh begins to roll through the tunnel…
And...scene! And they said I could never be a writer…heh.
I think everyone should watch this film. Are you scared of clowns? Then this movie will give you a reason to be instead of just telling your friend they remind you of your Great Uncle Bobo. Do you enjoy movies that push the limits? This film delivers on all fronts, from the gory to the psychological, you will not be disappointed. Do you find yourself desperate to see a decent Eli Roth-related film? It’s nice to see that he had his hand in this amazing piece of work. See Clown, you will not regret it.
-Efirt, Your Friendly Neighborhood Clown of a Demon