Clowns are supposed to be funny. That’s why when they’re used as a horror device in films like It and Zombieland, it’s so damn terrifying. The same can apply to children’s musical melodies when they’re played slow. And dolls. Yeah, definitely dolls. There’s just something extremely creepy about things that are supposed to be childlike and innocent when the connotations are turned into something more sinister.
Jon Watts, director of the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming, knows that clowns can be scary. That’s why his new feature — it’s actually a few years old but is just getting a spotlight now — depicts a killer clown with no mercy. Here’s the synopsis:
CLOWN is a story of a loving father who dons a clown outfit and makeup to perform at his son’s sixth birthday, only to later discover that the costume – red nose and wig included– will not come off and his own personality changes in a horrific fashion. To break the curse of the evil outfit, the father must make grim choices with his own family facing danger.
The clip above? Yeah, there’s nope in it. Just a whole hoagie full of nope with nope sauce on the side. The blood pouring down the slide at the end is a little gratuitous and silly, but everything up to that point is just sheer terror.
Okay, now wish it away. Wish it away. Wish it away.
(Here’s the full trailer. Clown comes out in theaters and on-demand June 17.)
