Terrifying situations driven by absurdist comedy that critiques modern society are some of the leading key elements that make the horror genre so relatable and memorable. The new meta slasher film, Clown in a Cornfield, continues that trend by blending an amusing sense of humor and striking visual effects involving the titular masked assailant and Gen Z protagonists to explore the current generational divide.
The movie explores the American dream, including exposing the warped façade of capitalism gone wrong and the rage that comes from being on the losing end of it. The eponymous clown, Frendo, is shown morphing from being a beloved source of entertainment into a symbol of embitterment and spite over feeling as though he has been left behind. His intended victims are rural GenZers, who are humanized for being both rebellious and flawed but also forward thinking and hopeful in such a changing world.
The dark comedy was directed by Eli Craig, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Carter Blanchard. They based the script on the 2020 horror novel of the same name by Adam Cesare, who also penned the book series’ two sequels.
Clown in a Cornfield follows Quinn (Katie Douglas) and her father, Dr. Maybrook (Aaron Abrams), as they move to the quiet town of Kettle Springs, Missouri, a once-booming town stuck in the 1990s. While her father is excited about starting a life away from the memories of his late wife, Quinn feels his decision was a selfish move. She immediately resents both him and the town as soon as they arrive there.
Quinn’s resentment towards the town becomes even more evident when her father encourages her to join their new neighbors in honoring the town’s Founders’ Day. The celebration emphasizes Frendo the clown, the mascot for the once-thriving Baypen corn syrup company.
The local corn syrup business empire was founded by the great-grandfather of Cole (Carson MacCormac), the one teen in town whose family has money. Kettle Springs garnered a bit of fame from the founding of the company.
The brand’s factory has since caught fire and burned down, which left many residents without work. After Quinn quickly befriends a group of troublemaking teens at her new school who are suspected of setting the blaze, they’re targeted by the titular antagonist.
At first, the adults in Kettle Springs, including Sheriff Dunne (Will Sasso) and Cole’s father, Mayor Hill (Kevin Durand), don’t want to believe Quinn and her classmates are really being targeted, especially as they plan the Founder’s Day festival. Since before she even moved to the small town, the other teens have posted multiple YouTube videos, featuring one of them dressed as Frendo in order to scare each other.
But the urban legend turn deadly in real life when Cole hosts a Halloween party at an isolated farmhouse, during which the masked clown turns up to terrorize the high school students. As a result, it’s up to Quinn and her new group of friends to figure out what’s really going on before they’re all killed.
Craig, who garnered critical acclaim and commercial success with his feature film writing and directorial debut, the 2010 horror comedy, Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil, infused his latest project with a similar comedic spirit. Clown in a Cornfield, just like the filmmaker’s first movie, balances its comedic and horror elements with a sense of sympathy for the young protagonists. That blend intertwines their relatable, amusing coming-of-age journey, including numerous scenes of Quinn reconnecting with her dad, with vicious attacks on innocent victims.
Beyond the absurdly dark humor and brutal kills he included in the feature, the filmmaker also emphasizes the struggles that Middle America contend with in order to survive. One prime example of those battles include Cole leading his friends in the elaborate pranks they post on social media highlight the teens’ playful and innocent intentions as they strive to bring fun back to their town.
While the videos have become popular online amongst their fellow teens, they have become source of contention with the police and parents in throughout Kettle Springs. The older residents object to the pranks, as they’re still fighting to preserve their traditions and small town values.
Craig spoke about the divide between the generations while appearing on the red carpet at the movie’s New York premiere last week on Tuesday, April 29. “I’m Gen X, as are the old folks in this movie. I think we have a feeling that the Gen Z kids are never paying attention and are always on their phone,” he said.
“We always wonder how this generation is going to function in real life. They’re always catered to, and everything’s easy. If they want to find an answer to a question, they can easily search for it on their phones. So we often look at them with a sense of disregard,” the filmmaker continued.
“Then when they think about us as the older generation, they thumb their noses at us. They really don’t listen to us about anything. They tell us that they’re more intelligent than we give them credit for,” Craig noted.
“They tell us that they’re plugged into what’s happening in the world, and we’re sophisticated. They also tell us that they understand so much more than they’re given credit for,” the director added.
So Clowns in a Cornfield is “ultimately about what happens when people aren’t listening to each other. The adults aren’t listening to the kids in this movie at all, and vice versa. So that creates this great cataclysm of conflict that erupts in bloodshed,” Craig revealed. “So there’s a lot of social satire in this story.”
Further highlighting the generational divide in the film is Douglas and her young co-stars infusing Quinn and her new friends with a likeability. Their actions become more understandable as they increasingly showcase that all have their own sense of personality and motivations. Following in the steps of such meta slasher movies as Scream, Clown in a Cornfield‘s protagonist and her new friends trade jokes while also sharing painful secrets. before being forced to fight for their lives against Friendo.
While discussing her character on the red carpet in New York, Douglas pointed out that “Quinn just feels like a normal girl. She’s relatable and just trying to fit in. She can also be kind of awkward and shy. She’s thrown into a situation where she’s tasked with putting her bravery first,” which makes her the perfect final girl to finally defeat Friendo, once and for all.
Clown in a Cornfield is an instant classic Gen Z slasher horror film that, on the surface, is driven by its teen-friendly banter and creative, unpredictable action sequences. The emotional arc of the story also delves deeper, as it explores the metaphorical darkness of the generational divide. The movie reflects on the American dream by exposing the warped facade of capitalism gone wrong and the rage that comes from being on the losing end of it.
Overall: B+
RLJE Films and Shudder are releasing Clown in a Cornfield in theaters today, Friday, May 9, 2025. The movie’s official distribution comes after it had its World Premiere at SXSW.
If you like the review, share your thoughts below!
Check out more of Karen Benardello’s articles.
Here’s the trailer of the film.