One of the breakout crowdpleasers of SXSW 2025 was “Clown in a Cornfield,” Eli Craig‘s twisty slasher flick about a small Midwestern city that struggles to navigate life after the corn syrup manufacturing unit that sustains its economic system burns down. Just while you assume the financial struggles are dangerous sufficient, native teenagers begin being attacked by Friendo the Clown, the corn syrup model’s sadistic mascot.
Tailored from Adam Cesare’s novel of the similar identify, the movie brings the similar mix of humor, gore, and intelligent subversions of style tropes that Craig utilized in his breakout movie “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.” “Clown in a Cornfield” may quickly grow to be a cult basic in the similar mould as that movie — and Craig not too long ago spoke to IndieWire over Zoom to clarify why the timing appears to align so completely for his newest work.
“The themes which are integral to what America goes via,” Craig mentioned. “It takes place in small-town America that’s experiencing financial hardship. And these divisions between the generations are so obvious on this small city the place the Gen Z characters actually need to push for a extra forward-thinking, extra progressive society, whereas the older people on the town need to clamp down and preserve issues the similar. And this actually comes to a head and collides in a very, very damaging and bloody method. And it’s not that completely different from what’s occurring at massive in the world, and particularly clearly America. ‘Clown in a Cornfield.’ Cornfields are an American crop. And clown, I really feel like we’re getting actually accustomed to in America. So, it’s all on the market.”
Whereas the movie addresses political issues which have been brewing for a very long time, Craig and his backers couldn’t have probably deliberate for the horror style to be experiencing a clown-centric second because it rolls into theaters. Damien Leone’s “Terrifier” franchise, a collection whose complete worth proposition appears to relaxation on the thought of watching a clown named Artwork execute more and more sadistic kills, is an unstoppable drive in the horror house. “Clown in a Cornfield” may very well be a common providing for horror followers wanting to scratch their “Terrifier” itch — and Craig thinks there’s a purpose for our current fascination with murderous clowns.
“We had shot the film and it was in the can, and we have been in the center of modifying when ‘Terrifier III’ grew to become this huge success. I knew the ‘Terrifier’ collection, however I wasn’t interested by it as competitors, or I didn’t consider Artwork as proper subsequent to Pennywise but. And now, he’s,” he mentioned. It’s very onerous to know the way you find yourself in the zeitgeist. The identical yr ‘Tucker & Dale’ got here out, ‘Cabin in the Woods’ got here out. And so why have been these movies dismantling the tropes of horror movies at the similar time?”
Craig shared his idea, explaining that brutal murderers with white faces and crimson noses may resonate with younger viewers as a pure consequence of dwelling in an more and more insane world.
“My feeling is that we’ve reached such an absurd time in the world. And I really feel like Gen Z has simply gone from one mind-boggling absurdity to the subsequent, from COVID to simply huge inventory market value crashes to simply the instability of the world. And satire has reached such a degree the place it’s like, let’s embrace the most ridiculous model of life, which is, I believe, clowns chasing children via a cornfield,” he mentioned. “As a result of to me, if I learn a story about a clown chasing a child via a cornfield, I’d be like, ‘Yep, that would occur.’ All the pieces appears attainable now, so the absurd appears completely related.”
An RJLE launch, “Clown in a Cornfield” opens in theaters on Friday, Could 9.
