Had pretty high hopes with this one, as Tucker & Dale vs Evil is one of my favorite horror adjacent pieces of media of all time. So when I saw Eli Craig was at the helm, I couldn’t help but have a few lofty expectations. And with the friggin great title of Clown In A Cornfield, I expected a bit of a harder turn into its gore and practical effects. Walking away entertained, but thinking they could’ve knocked it outta the park if they leaned into its stronger points. I’ve heard the book series is a fun read.  

Clown In A Cornfield does have a fair share of genre subversions up its sleeve, but I can’t help but feel that production towed the line a bit too much rather than leaning more towards humor or horror. The dialogue stays pretty tongue in cheek, and while it may think it’s funnier than it is, it pulled more than a few smiles outta me. I mean it’s got Will Sasso, and Kevin Durand turning in over the top performances, that alone was worth the admission. 

Story wise, we get another take on an increasingly elderly, bygone era that can’t accept change threatened by a hopeful, bright-eyed generation. We’ve seen it. And on that note, it really doesn’t serve its viewer to think about any character logic behind countless moments and plot holes here.

We do get a decently effective slew of kills with Casey Markus driving the effects, while clearly having some fun with a schlocky premise. I don’t think people explode like water balloons full of red paint when they get hit going 20 mph in second gear though. Just saying. 

I’d watch a few Frendo sequels.
🤡 🌽 🪏🔪🪚🩸