DVD Corner

Clown In A Cornfield 4K UHD Steelbook Review

“Clown In A Cornfield” is a half-baked slasher.  

Based on the popular book series by Adam Cesare, 2025’s “Clown In A Cornfield” is a slasher horror film written by Eli Craig and Carter Blanchard. The story begins in 1991 when the mascot of the Baypen Corn Syrup Factory (Frendo) kills 2 teenagers. The story jumps to present day where a teenager (Quinn) and her father (Glenn) move to the small town of Kettle Springs which is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary with a Founders Day celebration. Quinn and Glenn have been a bit distant after the passing of Quinn’s mother. The hope is a fresh start will allow them to move forward. Upon arrival, Quinn ends up making new friends including Janet, Tucker, Ronnie, Matt, Rust and Cole (whom she develops a crush on). Quinn discovers that the group (minus Rusty) is blamed for the destruction of the Baypen Corn Syrup factory (which burned to the ground). Things take a turn for the worse for the teens when Frendo (a local legend) resurfaces and begins to murder teens. Who is the killer clown? Is there more than one? Is Frendo part of a bigger plot? 

Shudder’s “Clown In A Cornfield” became an indie horror hit and it’s easy to see why. The Eli Craig directed horror film capitalizes on the killer clown phenomenon taking place in the horror world right now and it focuses on themes and young characters that appeal to a teen audience. Plus, you’ve got the built-in fans who treasure the book series. Unfortunately, the movie leaves a lot to be desired.

The best aspect of ‘Clown’ is that it’s a slasher with something to say. The story touches on age gaps, change, and the decline of American manufacturing. That should have made for a perfect blueprint for a horror film, but it all feels undercooked. It’s possible the book sequels dig deeper, but as a stand-alone film for now, the story is simply stuffed with too many horror cliches, a lack of scares, tired monologues, dumb characters, overdone shady small town shenanigans, and an almost “Scooby-Doo” esque end reveal. 

The cast is a bit hit-and-miss. Underrated genre actor Kevin Durand is the MVP as Mayor Hill. Will Sasso is an odd choice as the Sheriff. Katie Douglas (Quinn) and Carson McCormac (Cole) do a serviceable job as the 2 young leads. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 2160p. How does it look? The 4K transfer is a definite upgrade over the Blu-ray for those that were wondering. 

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? An Atmos would have been preferred, but the 5.1 track still delivers the goods.

Extras:
* 2 sets of magnets
* Blu-ray copy
* RLJE Films/Shudder trailers
* Commentary by director Eli Craig, author Adam Cesare, and cast members Carson MacCormac and Katie Douglas.

September 10, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Clown, Clown In A Cornfield, Clown In A Cornfield 4K UHD Steelbook Review, Horror Film, Slasher