Clown in a Cornfield (2025) Review – A Passable Slasher With a Killer Clown and Creepy Cornfields

Clown in a Cornfield

Directed by: Eli Craig

Written by: Carter Blanchard, Eli Craig

Starring: Katie Douglas, Aaron Abrams, Kevin Durand, Will Sasso

Release Date: May 9th, 2025

Published: May 9th, 2025

Clown in a Cornfield delivers exactly what the title promises—clowns and cornfields. The story of Frendo the Clown aims to create a horror icon and delivers a mostly passable slasher movie. Solid jump scares land, likable young actors avoid the over-the-top clichés of other teenage slasher flicks, but what Clown in a Cornfield lacks is one or two standout scenes that would elevate it beyond “just another slasher.”

The film stars Katie Douglas as Quinn, the proverbial new kid in town. She and her doctor dad, Glenn (Aaron Abrams), have just relocated to Kettle Springs from Philadelphia. Glenn has taken a job at the only medical office in town. This means Quinn is the new girl at school, which leads her to meet Cole (Carson MacCormac), the local bad boy. Cole and his friends are fans of a town legend centered on a clown named Frendo. Together, they make prank videos based on the legend—a mistake they don’t yet realize will have deadly consequences.

The legend of Frendo dates back to the town’s founding. It’s said Frendo emerged from a cornfield to kill outsiders who might sully Kettle Springs’ good name. Time and again, new arrivals went missing. Seems like Glenn probably should’ve done some research before dragging Quinn to this place. They haven’t even unpacked before Quinn gets tangled up with Cole’s crew. She starts lying, drinking, and after mocking the Frendo legend, she winds up on the clown’s kill list.

There are fun elements here. I really liked the jump scares. Frendo’s calling card is a tiny jack-in-the-box, and every time that creepy little clown pops out after that awful music, it gave me a good jolt. Holding the jack-in-the-box for an extra beat before the reveal was a clever touch to build tension. I also enjoyed the final act, which picks up quickly and pays off with a solid climax.

That said, Clown in a Cornfield isn’t particularly special. It lacks a big, audacious moment—something memorable or daring to set it apart from other direct-to-streaming horror flicks. The kills are standard blood-and-guts fare. One inventive scene involves a kid using a bench press, and Frendo attaches a saw to the bar to decapitate him—that’s about as wild as the movie gets.

Katie Douglas does well in the lead role. She brings a sharpness to Quinn that makes her performance stand out. But she’s the only actor who really impresses. Kevin Durand and Will Sasso, in supporting roles, play their parts so broadly that their scenes turn the movie into an unfunny comedy. Clown in a Cornfield does attempt some humor—Frendo’s shoes have tiny horns that squeak like farts when he walks away from a kill, and I’ll admit, that got a chuckle.

Still, Clown in a Cornfield isn’t a bad movie. It’s a mostly passable slasher flick. I recommend it to hardcore slasher fans—horror lovers will have fun, but casual viewers might be put off.

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Tags: Clown in a Cornfield review, 2025 horror movies, slasher movie reviews, killer clown horror, Katie Douglas, Eli Craig, indie horror, cornfield horror, Frendo the Clown, horror movie blog, scary clown movies