Based on the 2020 novel by Adam Cesare, *Clown in a Cornfield* follows 17-year-old Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas) and her father (Aaron Abrams) as they relocate to Kettle Springs, Missouri. Following the death of Quinn’s mother the previous summer, a family doctor position opened up in Kettle Springs, prompting the move from their city home to this small rural town. Recently, the local corn syrup factory burned down, and its mascot, a clown named Frendo, has become something of a celebratory icon for Kettle Springs. As Founders Day approaches, the residents seem uneasy with new families arriving and young people creating videos for the internet. Quinn struggles to fit in as a series of killings by someone dressed as a clown begins to terrorize Kettle Springs. The film’s most enjoyable parts involve the clown sequences. A jack-in-the-box toy appears whenever someone is about to die, leading you to wonder if there's some deeper connection or meaning behind Frendo—a notion that ultimately doesn't materialize. However, several of the deaths are quite striking, such as a chainsaw scene in the cornfield, a barbell kill shown briefly in the trailer, and a brutal pitchfork attack resulting in two fatalities. The sections between these killings feel somewhat awkward. *Clown in a Cornfield* aims for a vibe similar to *The Breakfast Club* mixed with *Dead & Buried*, but doesn't quite achieve it. Will Sasso of MadTV portrays the town sheriff, and while his performance is straightforward, Sheriff Dunne feels largely forgettable. Most of the cast delivers adequate performances. Katie Douglas gradually settles into her role as Quinn Maybrook as the film progresses and events escalate. Initially, Douglas’s character seems to have a consistently pouty expression that can be off-putting. Kevin Durand, however, is a standout. He's often been a reliable supporting actor, appearing in films like *Abigail* and *Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes*. As Arthur Hill, he initially appears as a typical father from a wealthy family who founded the town, but his character evolves into something more significant to the circus-themed violence. The film explores a conflict between younger and older generations, with high school students facing scorn, judgment, and arbitrary punishments. The sheriff seems to invent rules, and teachers hand out detentions without clear reason. A revelation about Frendo occurs roughly halfway through the movie, and it feels rushed. Co-writer and director Eli Craig (of *Tucker and Dale vs Evil*) and co-writer Carter Blanchard (an uncredited writer on *Independence Day: Resurgence*) could have built suspense around this reveal for longer, which would have made it more rewarding. The friends Quinn makes in Kettle Springs are the popular kids in school, but they also cause a lot of trouble. They run a YouTube channel with over 600,000 subscribers where they post short horror films featuring one of them dressed as Frendo committing murders. This creates a problematic situation because when an actual clown starts killing people, no one believes it—they don’t even believe it themselves until they become targets. While *Clown in a Cornfield* isn't overflowing with humor, there are a couple of genuinely funny moments. The scene where Quinn and Janet (Cassandra Potenza) struggle to use an old-fashioned rotary phone is amusing, though unfortunately shown in the trailer. The film also explores older technology in general, like driving a car with a manual transmission. There’s also a brief exchange between two girls tossing around a severed head as if it were fake—a darkly humorous commentary reminiscent of LSP from *Adventure Time* encountering an inconvenience. *Clown in a Cornfield* has moments of genuine horror that will likely trigger coulrophobia. Frendo is a brutal psychopath whose strange dedication to clowning, like his oversized squeaking shoes during stalking scenes, attempts to elicit laughter amidst the terror. The film is full of youthful energy, which is expected given its basis in a young adult novel. However, the constant “adults just don’t understand us” attitude and the desire to drink excessively become predictable and tiresome. While the deaths are entertaining, the generational conflict and the less-than-surprising Frendo twist prevent *Clown in a Cornfield* from being truly memorable—it's decent, but nothing more.

Source on TMDB