Even fans of the circus note that often clowns in their bright make-up make a repulsive impression, cause not the desire to smile, but the most genuine fear. These characters are actively used by directors and scriptwriters of the horror genre, achieving an amazing effect. Pictures turn out frightening not only for children, but also for adults. We offer you to familiarize yourself with a selection of 5 horror films with clowns.
It (1990)
The production of Canada and the USA, based on the novel by Stephen King, immerses its viewer in the life of a small provincial town, in which truly frightening events began to take place. “It” is the best representative of horror films with clowns, because the key character, Pennywise, is so nightmarish that it makes you remember long-forgotten childhood fears. The main character, an employee of the library, Michael, learns about the mysterious disappearances of children and begins his own investigation. These cases remind the man of the events of his own childhood, when he and his friends became prisoners of a true nightmare and vowed each other to forget about it forever. But the past mercilessly invades their present. The film is directed by Tommy Lee Wallace.
Clown (2014)
Among the best horror films with clowns, mention should also be made of this film co-produced by the USA and Canada. The plot is quite simple: wishing to please his baby on his birthday, his father wears a clown costume. But the man does not suspect that this garment is cursed and everyone who wears it unwittingly turns into a bloodthirsty and cruel killer.
Entertainment (2007)
The slogan of this horror movie with clowns sounds intriguing: "It's funny, isn't it?" The picture is produced by the USA, directed by John Simpson. The tape will be interesting to young people, because the main characters are precisely young people. The film itself consists of three parts - separate short stories, united by a common plot. The first main character is Shelby, a girl traveling with her boyfriend. She finds herself in a very difficult situation. The second part describes the fate of Tabitha, who, once in her aunt’s house, accidentally gets into the room, where there are a huge number of terrible clowns. Finally, the third story is dedicated to Lisa, she, wanting to have fun, finds herself in a strange place. The talent of the director managed to combine the three short stories into a single plot. As it turned out, many years ago three girls cruelly laughed at their friend and now he will take revenge.
It (2017)
Another horror movie with clowns, shot by the same creation by Stephen King. The action, as in the picture of 1990, takes place in a small American town. Interestingly, he is located in Maine, where the writer grew up. King often used it as a scene in his novels. Children mysteriously disappear in the city. Searches help to find only mutilated remains in which parents with desperation recognize their babies. Who commits these cruel crimes and why? The answer must be sought in the past. Every 27 years, the frightening It awakens, demanding more and more sacrifices for itself, therefore, cases with the death of children occur in just such an interval.
The picture is largely similar to King’s previous film adaptation, but it also has a number of differences. First of all, the creators decided to transfer the plot to a more modern and understandable time for the viewer, in 1988-89. There are also elements of drama.
An interesting hypothesis is that the dancing clown Pennywise himself had a real basis under his image, his prototype is the maniac killer John Wayne Gacy, who performed at children's parties in the costume of the clown Pogo. However, he was interested not only in children, but also in adult boys. Having outlined the victim, Gacy invited him to him by deception, brutally tortured, raped and killed. Some believe that the figure of a mad maniac was reflected in the novel by Stephen King and, accordingly, in both paintings.
The films “The Gacy grave digger” and “Catch the killer” were shot about Gacy, the image of the maniac depicted in them with frightening realism and causes nothing but disgust.
Clown House (1988)
This is a great example of horror films about killer clowns of the late 80s. It may seem uninteresting to some modern viewers due to insufficiently bright special effects, but the picture has a special atmosphere, which makes it really scary. The main characters are three brothers who decided to visit the circus for fun and watch the funny tricks of the clowns. But the children are not aware that on the stage in front of them are runaway patients who are treated by hospitals, which by no means have a place. Fun turns into a nightmare.
All of the above horror films about clowns are intended for people over the age of 18, so parents need to make sure that children do not get access to them. These pictures can cause irreparable harm to the fragile children's psyche. But for adults they will give a lot of emotions and allow them to experience genuine fear without leaving their own apartment or cinema.