PopHorror Let's Get Scared
When I wrote the announcement of Clowntergeist, I stated that this was only the beginning of the slew of clown movies that will inevitably come out this year. Due to the highly anticipated release of the newest adaptation of Stephen King’s novel IT (read our review here), it was inevitable that we would be getting quite a few clowns to view at home while we waited. I had a chance to pre-screen this film and I was very excited. The trailer looked utterly suspenseful and gripping. Did it live up to the hype?
What Works
The beginning of Clowntergeist is quite brilliant. There is suspense, terror, and a moment that caused chills to slowly creep down my spine. A young woman has left her spouse and went to a family member’s home to hide out. The power inevitably blinks off and that is when the suspense begins. She calls to find out where the fuse box is so she can solve the problem, yada yada yada, all seems to have been fixed. Then the moment I referred to early comes to fruition and I was thoroughly optimistic that I was going to be treated to a fright-fest.
What Doesn’t Work
Sadly, after the promising beginning, there is little left to enjoy. The movie plays out like a Lifetime movie that borrowed a bunch of different ingredients from other, higher budget films. The difference is that I actually enjoy Lifetime movies. The acting in Clowntergeist, while not horrible, is not that great either. Also, the pacing is way too slow and I found myself losing interest multiple times. Finally, they throw in a twist that feels completely unnecessary. I’m usually a fan of twists and will even admit a few poorly made movies have been saved by some clever ones. Clowntergeist does not fall in to that category. Not at all.
Also, I have a major gripe with low budget films misleading their audience with cover art. The clown above is the one in the movie. The clown on the cover, the one that looks exceptionally cool and terrifying, is no where to be found. I know it sounds like at this point I’m just splitting hairs. However, why not showcase what you will actually be presenting instead of something that far exceeds anything that the audience will see? I could make an entire list of movies that fits this criteria but that is for another article.
Final Thoughts
While Clowntergeist had a promising intro, it is sadly forgotten by the end of this film’s runtime. It felt like this movie had an identity crisis and had no clue what exactly it wanted to be. Is it the clown version of The Grudge? Is it a made for TV movie about the dangers of clowns? I have no clue and I don’t care to find out.
I want to follow that up with reminding my readers that I absolutely love indie horror. A film having a small budget does not necessarily equal it being a shitty movie. In fact, many low budget films are more original than anything Hollywood puts out these days. I think that is why I was so disappointed in this movie. Instead of having a new take on the niche of clown horror, we get treated to a bunch of borrowed ideas from big budget Hollywood films. I expect more creativity when a film falls in to the indie category.
Have you seen this movie? What were your thoughts? Let us know in the comments section and make sure to follow us on Facebook. Until next time, horror fans!
