When you hear “clown” and “film” in the same sentence, you would be hard-pressed to imagine anything outside of Tim Curry’s harrowing portrayal of Pennywise the Clown from It—a brutal manifestation of fear that has been mentally traumatizing children since hitting TV screens in the early 90s. Yet, it would be an extreme injustice to limit our perception of clowns on the big screen to this singular role; the realm of clown-related stories is wider and deeper than you think, spanning genres such as retro slashers and bizarre body horror.

In the spirit of Halloween here at GATA, we have compiled a list of some of our favourite clown-themed stories—a mesmerising collection of films that transports viewers from the hillbilly havens of America’s Deep South to extraterrestrial jesters who would rather eat your heart than show you a magic trick. Stephen King once said, “Nobody likes a clown at midnight.” After watching these films, we’ll leave it to you to be the judge of that.

31 (2016)

Rob Zombie

It would be wrong to start a list concerning clown-oriented cinema without first mentioning the legendary figure of Rob Zombie. With his gorefest of a feature, 31, the director takes us on a nostalgic trip back to 1976—a period filled with unironic handlebar moustaches, and, unfortunately for the characters of this film, homicidal survival games.

When a group of carnival workers are kidnapped by a gang of bloodthirsty clowns, they find themselves involved in a life-or-death contest consisting of perplexing mazes, torture, and blood-coated chainsaws. The mastermind behind this sadistic spectacle comes in the form of the aptly named Father Napoleon-Horatio-Silas Murder, played by Malcolm McDowell, in true scenery-chewing form.

Richard Brake’s obscene, thuggish character, Doom-Head, provides the fireworks with a dominating performance filled with Tarantino-esque monologues. While the characters are lightly developed, with motivations that are wafer-thin at best, it would be easy to criticise the film. However, for those who are into cheap thrills and hypnotising visuals, the film more than delivers.

GACY (2003)

Clive Saunders

Written and directed by first-time director Clive Saunders, Gacy recounts the real-life story of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who, over a period of six years, embarked on a reign of sadistic terror across the state of Illinois, raping and murdering at least 33 young men. Known as the “Killer Clown” due to his pastime of performing at charitable events and political functions, Gacy represented an immoral monster who took delight in torturing his victims in callous games of barbarism.

The film, while only briefly touching on the causes of what might have driven a man to become such a monster, excels at creating an unsettling atmosphere that is both claustrophobic and nauseating. The sense of dread and isolation is palpable in certain scenes, and the haunting performance delivered by Mark Holton leaves an indelible mark on audiences that is as persistent as the smell of decay emanating from Gacy’s basement.

SANTA SANGRE (1989)

Alejandro Jodorowsky

Santa Sangre’s director Alejandro Jodorowsky once described Steven Spielberg as “the son from when Walt Disney fucked Minnie Mouse”—so it is no understatement to say that he is a divisive figure within the film industry. While Santa Sangre has been regarded as one of his most accessible features, with its more conventionally structured narrative, it still exists within the realm of obscurity when we compare it to more mainstream directors of its period.

The film, inspired by Jodorowsky’s childhood memories, focuses on the lives of those working within the circus. On a superficial level, the film exists in the shadow of Hitchcock’s Psycho, both featuring a protagonist driven to murder by overbearing motherly figures. To say that the film is merely a homage would be an injustice. While the narrative structure might be labelled as conventional, the same cannot be said of the thematic ideas on display here: religious neurosis, incestuous longing, and mutilation—this is the cult of Jodorowsky in all its glory.

THE CLOWN AT MIDNIGHT (1998)

Jean Pellerin

Who doesn’t love a straight-to-VHS B-movie slasher? Directed by Jean Pellerin, The Clown at Midnight has all the archetypal signs of a 90s slasher: horny teenagers who wouldn’t recognize the concept of demure if it slapped them in the face—check. A masked serial killer with personal ties to our protagonists—check. Cheesy one-liners that would even make Arnold Schwarzenegger have firm words with the script supervisor? You bet they’re here.

The plot follows seven teenagers as they take on the project of refurbishing an old opera house. While initially, the building provides the group with a momentary refuge from overbearing parental figures, they soon find their sanctuary invaded by a murderous clown. If The Phantom of the Opera had a sadistic love child with Scream, The Clown at Midnight would be its name.

THE CLOWN (2008)

Patrick Boiven

Director Patrick Boivin plays with absurdity and black humour to explore our perceptions of clowns in this 2008 short film. When a couple of schoolgirls visit a cemetery, they create an explosive geyser of Mentos and soda. As the liquid seeps into the hallowed ground, it awakens the resting body of a deceased clown, who decides to return to his former occupation: entertaining the public.

With a runtime of only eleven minutes, The Clown—also titled Le Queloune—proves that a film's length isn’t always indicative of quality storytelling. A good story doesn’t need vast scope to be effective and poignant. The clown, brought to life by the evocative performance of Dominique Pinon, fills the screen with infectious energy, leaving audiences grimacing while holding in guilty amusement.

WRINKLES THE CLOWN (2019)

Michael Beach Nichols

Wrinkles the Clown is a documentary comedy-horror film that explores the real-life urban myth of Wrinkles the Clown. According to the legend, Wrinkles is a professional clown who offers his services to parents of misbehaving kids. Rather than entertain them with balloon animals and magic tricks, Wrinkles shows up unannounced with the sole intention of terrifying them into better behaviour. As his frightful acts gain a notorious reputation, stickers bearing Wrinkles’ face and phone number begin to surface all over town, suggesting that many parents may be willing to outsource their disciplinary responsibilities to a complete stranger in ghoulish latex.

The documentary offers an intriguing examination of urban legends in American culture, while also exploring the virality of social media and the power that platforms like YouTube now wield.

TERRIFIER 2 (2022)

Damien Leone

In the wake of Terrifier 1's cult classic status, Terrifier 2 sees the return of the hugely popular character Art the Clown. With his pom-pom buttons and white harlequin headpiece, Art remains an iconic example of brilliant character design—a figure ingrained in the psyche of pop culture.

The film unfolds like a dark, comedic dreamscape; hypnotic and unnerving in equal measure, but with enough laughs to counterbalance the scenes of slaughter. With a sloth-like pace, the film is, at its core, a patchwork of scenes showcasing director Damien Leone’s fascination with gratuitous blood and gore. Each scene is like an Olympic contest, working tirelessly to outdo its predecessor in shock value. Yet by the time we reach the film’s bloody climax, we can’t help but let all misgivings go out the window.

HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES (2003)

Rob Zombie

Another entry from cult favourite Rob Zombie, House of 1000 Corpses sees the director falls under the spell of classic 1970s slashers, in the mould of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. The film is an ultra-gore-filled spectacle that firmly entrenches itself within the exploitation genre. Sleaze, blood, and bizarre Americana dominate the runtime, serving as a vessel for Zombie’s near-encyclopedic knowledge of drive-in classics.

The result is a frenzied experience that pulsates with energy. While critics at the time criticized the film for its frenetic approach to filmmaking, with several ideas seemingly left underexplored, it has since developed a cult following. The perfect film for when you're craving murderous hillbillies.

CLOWN (2014)

Jon Watts

A film that has probably terrified us from ever setting foot in a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant, Clown asks the question: what if the clown costume you put on could never be taken off? When Kent McCoy, a loving husband and father, hosts a birthday party for his son, he finds himself donning a mysterious clown costume that fuses to his body. He discovers that the costume is, in fact, the cursed skin of a demonic force that is slowly turning him into a cannibalistic killer.

Clown is an interesting take on the genre, fusing elements of the supernatural and the occult with familiar tropes from the slasher genre. It would be remiss not to mention the film’s obvious debt to David Cronenberg’s The Fly, which similarly forces the audience to grapple with the moral dilemma of sympathising with the monster that is hunting our protagonists.

KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (1988)

The Chioda Brothers

Before the days of green screen-laden superhero tales that resembled more of a bodybuilding competition than a cinematic experience, we had the practical effects of the 1980s. With their camp style and over-the-top presentation, audiences were treated to an experience so devoid of reality that you couldn’t help but smirk with glee. Killer Klowns from Outer Space is one such film that revels in the absurdity of its own premise. If you’ve ever seen this film, you can’t complain that it doesn’t deliver on its title, offering enough clowns and killing for even the most diehard clown fanatic to salivate at the mouth.

The film centers on a gang of extraterrestrial clowns who arrive in a small town on Earth. Unlike E.T., their purpose is not to make friends but to harvest the population for sustenance. Highly inventive and never one to take itself too seriously, Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a classic in the clown genre.