Ranking Full Moon Features’ ‘Killjoy’ Films

Killjoy is a dark comedy horror franchise that spanned five films across sixteen years. This franchise, produced by Full Moon Features, focuses on a demonic killer clown named Killjoy who is called out in the name of vengeance.

The series is a mixed bag of B movie greatness and entries that are harder to sit through. Killjoy himself comes off as the offspring of Pennywise and the Joker, both in methods and personality. and he should, at the very least, get a smile out of you in each entry.

#5 Killjoy 2: Deliverance From Evil (2002)

This was the first time Trent Haaga took up the role as Killjoy, and he would continue for the duration of the series. Haaga did a solid job of imitating his predecessor, Angel Vargas, but the movie around him just has too many faults.

Out of the series, Killjoy 2 shows its budget the most with grainy footage, spotty acting, and poor effects. The makeup for Killjoy himself, however, is fine.

What’s worse is that it didn’t feel like a Killjoy movie. The kills were lackluster, and unlike most of the franchise, the entire film takes place in the real world. One of the things that sets Killjoy aside from typical slasher style movies is that he pulls his victims into his own dimension where he wreaks havoc on them. This entry had none of that.

A note going forward: Trent Haaga makes Killjoy his own in the third movie, taking him to a whole new level.

#4 Killjoy (2000)

Killjoy was the hardest one for me to rank. Angel Vargas gives a creepy yet funny rendition of Killjoy, making it a solid introduction for the character.

This time, his dimension is portrayed as a sort of carny world with no CGI, looking almost as if his victims are thrown into a haunted attraction. Sadly, they never really expand on the carny theme of his dimension, as it ends up just being Hell in the later entries.

Unfortunately, this entry also shows its budget. The acting is more solid than in the sequel, but there is a particularly actor that really drags the film down with his performance. Another issue I have is that the camerawork is all over the place. While this may have been intentional to make it feel more chaotic, it didn’t work for me.

Overall, if you can deal with an obviously low budget, it’s a fun movie. With more money, it probably would have been at least one spot higher on the list. It’s important to note that the first two entries have a vastly different feel than the final three.

#3 Killjoy Goes to Hell (2012)

Killjoy Goes to Hell pushes the series further toward comedy and takes place almost completely in Hell. It brings back characters from Killjoy 3 and focuses on what is the the most ridiculous court hearing I’ve ever seen.

It’s almost impossible to dive further into this entry without spoiling Killjoy 3; it’s a fun movie and is loaded with B movie goodness, just not B movie greatness.

#2 Killjoy’s Psycho Circus (2016)

Killjoy hosts a talk show? Space battles? Laser guns? On paper, this sounds awful, but somehow, the final entry to the franchise brings this together into an extremely fun film. It’s filled to the brim with dark comedy, self awareness, and B movie greatness.

Once again, with returning characters that were introduced in Killjoy 3, Killjoy’s Psycho Circus throws sanity to the wind. I feel like this is the movie we’d get if the Joker teamed up with the Looney Tunes while being directed by Deadpool. It may not be scary or top notch filmmaking, but it’s insanely fun.

#1 Killjoy 3: Killjoy’s Revenge (2010)

Killjoy 3, or alternatively titled Killjoy’s Revenge, is a turning point for the franchise. The production quality improves dramatically, and it introduces Killjoy’s posse of demonic clowns. Plus, Trent Haaga makes Killjoy his own.

This entry is my favorite because it doesn’t completely throw out the horror elements yet but still has strong comedy as well. The added posse does take some screen time from Killjoy himself, but they add to the overall film rather than take away. Each of them is unique and interesting, and all four of the demons look fantastic.

Overall, the series is worth a watch if you like B movies or Full Moon Features. Because of the humor and how far it pushes the envelope with absurdity, this is my favorite Full Moon Features franchise.