Review: Eli Roth's 'Clown' will haunt you
Posted Tuesday, August 23, 2016 at 3:06 PM Central
Last updated Tuesday, August 23, 2016 at 3:11 PM Central
by John Couture
When you hear or see the name Eli Roth, you know that you're in for one messed up ride. So, it's not surprising that when my young son saw a picture of a clown on the Blu-ray package and tried to start it up, my wife was concerned.
Of course, I knew better than to let him watch it because no three-year-old needs to have a lifetime of nightmares related to the usual happy visage of a clown. And yet, I did find it comical. My wife said that she knew nothing of the film, but she did see Eli Roth's name and knew that the film would be too "messed up" for kids.
She was right, of course.
I'm pretty sure that Eli Roth making a kid's film would rank right up there with the Pope getting caught in a sexting scandal as two of the most unlikely events that would ever occur. I'm pretty sure the Vatican's sanctity is in order and yes, the Eli Roth-produced Clown is the antithesis of a children's film.
And yet, it's not the most horrifying clown film that I've ever seen. The few of us that have seen the Kevin Smith-produced film Vulgar will surely agree that the film from Bryan Johnson about a struggling clown who takes work as a stripping transvestite clown is much more perverse.
And yet, it's another film from the Kevin Smith oeuvre that I was reminded of when I watched Clown. Tusk had many more laughs in it than Clown, and yet, there distinct parallels between both protagonists as they transform into their evil form. Whether it's a clown or a walrus, the horror is the same and Clown is one of those rare films that can find the terror in an innocent moment just as easily as it does with the more traditional horror setups.
In particular, there is a precise moment where Kent, the protagonist who is being turned into a child-devouring demon after putting on an old clown costume, goes beyond the point of no return in losing his humanity that was particularly chilling. I won't give it away here because I feel that this moment by itself elevates Clown to a level higher than most horror films, but you will know it when you see it.
From that moment until the end, the battle between good and evil isn't so much within Kent, but rather his wife Meg who is also forced to make an impossible decision that leads to a rather surprising and satisfying ending.
It's not that Clown is perfect, in fact, it has many flaws and falls into several horror tropes and clichés, but there are some fun and interesting moments that carry the film forward. The rainbow colored blood spray that pops up at various times is just crazy that it just works.
Much like Tusk, the film is more a study in humanity and the line at which man loses his ability to call himself a man. That true horror is not the heinous acts that we see on screen (and yes, there are so many), but rather the absence of the civility that we have evolved into. This civility is what protects us from whatever goes bump in the night much better than the strongest light or largest caliber gun ever could.
At the heart of every good horror film is the humanity that resonates so clearly with the viewer. And this is where Clown shines. Say what you will about Kent, but every father can see themselves reflected in the selfless act that gets him in the messy situation that takes over his life.
Clown is now available on DVD and Blu-ray and is truly one of those hidden horror gems that will continue to haunt you long after the film unspools its last frame.
