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Based mostly on the 2020 YA novel by Adam Cesare, Clown in a Cornfield is the newest Shudder manufacturing to snag a theatrical launch. The horror streamer has slowly bit a area of interest for itself distributing indie horror flicks, and it has employed a fastidiously-crafted technique relating to which of them to give theatrical releases. Whether or not due to the novel’s success or the facial similarities to the not too long ago-common Terrifier movies, this autumnal horror was chosen for the huge display screen.
Eli Craig of Tucker and Dale vs. Evil fame sits in the director’s chair, maybe looking for to carry a few of his wry, darkish humorousness to the affair. That was a energy of Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, a trendy cult basic, however this movie’s central flaw is the tonal points that depart the film in disarray.
We observe Quinn, who moved from Philadelphia to the midwestern city of Kettle Springs along with her dad in the wake of a private loss. She quickly makes pals with a group of youngsters always filming pranks and posting them on a non-copyrighted model of TikTok. The older technology of the city don’t take care of them, and so they amusingly give them soiled appears to be like all through the movie as Quinn joins the crew. That is epitomized in the stereotypically over-the-high Sheriff Dunne, performed by Will Sasso, who delivers grand traces about his “quiet little city” and criticizes the “youngsters nowadays” whereas calling Quinn “sweetheart” time and again.
This all feeds into the movie’s clear theme about a conflict between the generations and a few of the cultural battle in America at this time. But that is additionally the place the film can’t appear to discover itself. Whereas Clown in a Cornfield has a clear satirical bent, it additionally asks the viewers to care about the characters and their plight. Quinn is on an emotional arc over shedding her mother and making an attempt to discover new beginnings. However this all turns into muddled when the movie focuses extra on satire.
Likewise, the plot is stuffed with contrivances and holes that lack a primary sense of logic about motivations and the potential of characters to get from place to place. These would possibly be extra excusable in a movie that’s extra supposed to be full-bore humor, however the tonal whiplash makes these moments stand out like a sore thumb. It’s too goofy to be nice, and never goofy sufficient to be a nice ship-up.
The top result’s a irritating expertise, even when there’s a gleeful sense of anarchy when it comes to the kills. There are a number of moments which are fairly hilarious. Kevin Durand has a enjoyable time along with his restricted screentime and is one in every of the highlights. The identical can not be stated about important male romantic lead Cole, performed by Carson MacCormac. MacCormac is handed some bland, preachy traces at a number of factors that he totally fails to ship with any sincerity or conviction. The muddled nature of those scenes are exemplars of the movie’s central points, as if the actor had been unclear if he was supposed to be saying them for comedic objective or not.
There may be definitely potential in this movie, and it isn’t a completely unhealthy expertise. Horror followers will doubtless get their appetites sated in a number of methods. But one is left wishing the film had dedicated extra absolutely to one thing grounded and life like, and extra of an homage to 80s slasher horrors, or one thing extra overtly humorous. When a character feedback that it appears like they’re caught in a slasher horror, one wonders simply how meta the writers and director thought they had been being.
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