CLOWN REVIEWED
“Clown” seemed like it spent forever in distribution hell. Then, Jon Watts landed Cop Car and Spider-Man. Now, I’m checking it out on an incredibly limited run and realizing that I’m seeing one of the next great Midnight Movies. Is it an amazing movie? No. Has it been done before? Many, many times. It’s just somewhere between rainbow blood and Peter Stormare, I was sold.
As our lead character has to go to work with the Clown costume bonded to his skin and spitting out teeth, we see the majesty of this movie. Horror subverts the mundane into what passes for nightmare. But, what is nightmare but the uncontrolled challenging our concepts of safety? As the film carries on and we watch children fall into danger, “Clown” dares to scare you in a way that matters. By the film’s end, those quick chuckles you had about our hero’s initial transformation will feel trite.
Jon Watts has it in him to become an amazing director. Whether he does that with Spider-Man or something else remains to be seen. But, I see the chops that earned him a shot at the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When you get the chance, I’d recommend giving it a shot on home video.
FILM STATS
- 1hr and 40 mins
- R
- The Weinstein Company
