Horror Films about Clowns

Coulrophobia means fear of clowns. The word “coulro” apparently comes from a Greek word meaning stilt-walker. The first thing that came to my mind was those tall people walking on long wooden stilts at fairs. When I think “tall man,” I’m not scared, but it did kind of kill my vibe. Joking aside, I’ve met people who genuinely suffer from clown phobia. Whether you have the phobia or not, clowns feel unsettling to pretty much all of us. Given that, clowns are indispensable villains in horror works. Since that’s the case, I thought it would be useful to gather these clowns under a single list.

It (1990-2017-2019)

Adapted from Stephen King’s novel of the same name, these films follow the battle of a friend group called the Losers Club, living in the town of Derry, against a terrifying clown named Pennywise. I wanted all three films in one entry. The 1990 version was actually a miniseries. Me and many others like me first encountered this on VCD and watched it thinking it was a film. For that reason, I didn’t want to leave it off the list. While the 1992 version deals with the Losers Club’s childhood and adult periods together, in the 2017 and 2019 versions we watch these periods separately. Each version of Pennywise is iconic in its own way. We watch Tim Curry as Pennywise in the ’92 version, and Bill Skarsgård in the new version.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

A group of aliens comes to Earth and terrorizes the town. They do all this while wearing clown costumes and using a circus theme. It’s a pretty absurd horror/comedy film. Don’t ask “why did you put this on the list then?” because I never said it was bad. It’s extremely fun and wacky, but you need to get its vibe. By the way, the film also has flying heads.

Terrifier 1-2 (2016-2022)

First off, this film’s aesthetic—like watching a B-movie from a VHS tape—might create the perception that it appeals to my taste, but I didn’t like it at all. Because it contains too much violence and I really don’t like the gore genre. That said, it would be unfair not to include it on the list. Partly for this reason, I wanted to put both films in a single entry. The series revolves around a terrifying clown named Art the Clown. The clown identifies his victims, captures and tortures them. So it’s a film where blood flows like water, but you shouldn’t have high expectations in terms of plot. The second film is even more excessive in terms of gore, but the opening credits music is really good. Even if you don’t know the film, you’ve most likely come across Art the Clown somewhere—he’s an iconic clown. The film’s creator is Damien Leone, and Art the Clown has another film called All Hallows’ Eve.

Clown (2014)

One of the best concepts on the list in terms of plot. Kent can’t hire a clown for his son’s birthday party and decides to become a clown himself. He finds an old clown costume and puts it on. However, the costume sticks to his body and starts to control him. Kent begins transforming into a monster with cannibalistic urges and Things Happen…

The Clown at Midnight (1998)

It begins with Kate and her friends joining a theater group in an abandoned opera house. The theater group’s leader is the daughter of a former opera singer. However, mysterious and eerie events soon begin to occur in the opera house. The building conceals a dark secret related to murders committed by a serial killer years ago. Kate and her friends become trapped inside the building and Things Happen…

House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

Rob Zombie’s first film. One of those “group of young people take a wrong turn and encounter strange people” stories that I really enjoy. However, I don’t particularly like this film either because it contains excessive amounts of blood, violence, and brutality. I also wouldn’t recommend it to those who don’t enjoy disturbing films. But if you say “it’s all movie magic, it doesn’t affect me,” you’ll have a great time. Because it’s quite a wacky film. If there were a genre called absurd horror (and maybe there is), this film would be in that category.

Clowns are one of the themes we encounter most frequently in horror cinema, and it looks like we’ll have a high chance of seeing this funny yet simultaneously unsettling character in new horror films in the coming years. So, what’s your favorite clown horror?