Way back in 2010, filmmakers Christopher D. Ford (who went on to write “Spider-Man: Homecoming”) and Jon Watts (now directing “Spider-Man: Homecoming”) decided to upload a fake YouTube trailer for a movie they claimed was created by horror movie legend Eli Roth. However, much to many peoples’ surprise, Eli had no role in the project and actually didn’t know of its existence until people started asking him about the trailer Ford and Watts had uploaded. In an unexpected twist, Eli grew inspired by both the writers’ daring tactics to get his attention, as well as the basis of their project. Eli ultimately decided to jump on board and join the movie’s production team (as both an actor and a producer). Now, 6 years later, the film is finally being released in theaters. In a newly released trailer, horror movie fans are treated to a glimpse of the upcoming flick Clown.
Clown tells the story of a loving father who dresses up in a clown getup at his son’s 6th birthday. Unfortunately, he soon finds out that the costume – red nose, wig, and all – does not come off. Soon he finds that his underlying personality is changing, as he becomes a not-so-birthday-friendly clown. Hoping to break the curse of the outfit, the father is forced to make some tough decisions in order to protect his family.
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Actor Ken Powers is featured in the role of Ketn McCoy, the father who ends up going through the terrifying transition. In the past Ken has been in such shows as Blue Bloods and CSI, however this will be one of his first big roles within the horror film genre. Alongside Ken stars actress Laura Allen, who plays Kent’s pregnant wife Meg in the movie. In addition, the movie also stars The Blacklist’s Peter Stormare, who plays the man who was the previous owner of the cursed clown costume.
The trailer begins with a glimpse at Kent’s son’s birthday party. Kent is determined to do something when his wife informs him that the clown they booked is no longer coming. In order to make his son happy, Kent decides to find a clown costume and take on the fun-loving role himself. Things seem to go well until the next morning when the makeup, wig, red nose, etc. will not come off.
Shortly into the trailer, Kent’s wife Meg is seen using a pair of curved scissors to try and force the red nose off her husband. However, her excessive pulling ends up not only removing the spongy red nose but also part of Kent’s actual nose. Following this, Kent goes to the hospital, but it doesn’t stop his body from continuing to transform into a terrifying version of the clown he had been dressed as. He begins becoming increasingly more clown-like, as his feet grow big enough to actually fill out the clown shoes that he wore with the costume.
The story gets more complex when Meg is seen talking with another man, who tells her that the clown suit Ken wore was not just some costume. In fact, she finds out that it is actually the “skin of a demon” – which evidently is what caused Kent’s gruesome transformation. As Meg learns more and more about the costume’s clown demon, she becomes increasingly less trusting of her husband.
The trailer ends on a thrilling note, as Kent is heard calling his 6-year-old son into their family home’s basement. While his son still believes that the man downstairs is still his loving father, at this point he is anything but.
While there is no shortage of clown-themed movies in the horror genre, this one does bring a whole new spin on the idea. The story of Clown is interesting, as it puts an honest man in a situation where he has to by hyperaware of his unfortunate impending future (i.e. turning into a murderous, psycho clown) in order to protect the ones he loves. He does not start off as your typical horror movie bad guy, but he winds up becoming one after unknowingly putting on the skin of an ancient clown demon. Moreover, moviegoers will just have to see if he is able to make the brash decisions needed before it’s too late.
The critics tore “Clown” apart ranking on 44% on RottenTomatoes, but Eli Roth fans have definitely given this hidden gem quite the cult following already.
Clown is out on Video-On-Demand platforms now along with Blu-ray and DVD.