There’s a resurgent theme in scary film and television: the scary clown. The oft-portrayed sinister jokester appears to have bubbled to the surface in the days before Halloween, even appearing in the news.
Cable television reinvigorated the creepy character in the latest series of American Horror Story, called Freak Show, but it’s far from the only iteration. Movies have used the motif for years, some to legendary effect (think It), and new films continue trying to out-scare the competition (watch the Clown trailer below).
As an accompaniment to the holiday that celebrates fear, we’ve rounded up the campiest, strangest and most hair-raising clowns in film.
Pennywise from It
The evil clown that features in the mini-series adaptation of the Stephen King novel It is widely considered the archetype of the genre. This menacing scene is a reminder why.
Twisty
American Horror Story has created the most famous freaky clown of the moment, Twisty, played by John Carroll Lynch.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Listen for the best line in this camp, late-1980s clown flick: “Nobody stores cotton candy like this!”
Doink
Even wrestling had its own brand of unnerving carnival-dweller. Check out Doink, World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) answer to the scary clown.
The clown in Amusement
This shocker went straight to video in 2008. In classic horror movie fashion, it’s the slow movements of these out-of-place characters that are creepy.
Air Bud
Not all clowns are terrifying – some clowns are just short-tempered villains. The movie Airbud, about a basketball playing Golden Retriever, has one such bad guy. “Happy Slappy Time” starts at 1:30.
The Brave Little Toaster
Did you forget about this evil clown dressed as a firefighter in the 1987 children’s film? Allow us to remind you of the surreal moment when he attacks a toaster.
Clown
Indie director Jon Watts is making sure Hollywood’s freaky clowns don’t go stale. The 2014 movie Clown is about a costume a loving dad just can’t get rid of.
Poltergeist
Clowns might not spring to mind when you think of this malicious spirit movie, but don’t forget about the possessed toy clown that drags a child under the bed.
The Dark Knight
Some movies have scary clowns, and some movies are scary clowns. This scene from Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has inspired countless fan imitations, all chilling.
If you just can’t get enough, HorrorNews.net has compiled a comprehensive list of obscure clown-centric slasher flicks and thrillers.
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