My quick rating – 3.0/10. So, here’s the deal with The Forest Clown: It’s one of those horror films where you can practically hear director Lukas DiSparrow giggling behind the camera. A camping trip turns into a bloodbath as a group of strangers encounters a mad clown. But don’t let that premise fool you—this isn’t just your average slasher. It’s a playful wink to all the classic horror clichés that we love to roast.
Right off the bat, the group of characters make the cardinal sin of horror movie survival—splitting up—after literally just saying, “We shouldn’t split up.” And you know what? They do it anyway. You could almost hear DiSparrow facepalm through the screen. Classic. The horror comes quick and brutal, with the killer clown popping up just when you think you’re safe, like some kind of twisted game of “Where’s Waldo?” But instead of looking for a red-and-white striped sweater, you’re searching for a forest-dwelling clown.
The acting is surprisingly decent at first—natural, even. But then, once the bodies start piling up, it’s like they all took a crash course in How to Act Like You’ve Never Seen a Horror Movie Before. I’m talking about the kind of “stupid” that makes you think, “Are these guys trying to get killed or is this a clever satire?” Spoiler: It’s both.
Now, credit where credit’s due—they’ve got budget constraints, but they hide them well. Instead of relying on cheap CGI gore, they cleverly use blurring and dodgy camera angles to give us the horror without all the goo. It’s so subtle, I was almost impressed. And honestly, this little bit of sleight of hand made the movie unintentionally funny… but maybe that was on purpose? Who’s to say?
The pacing, however, is a whole different story. It’s like they took a scenic route through the forest and then got lost for 30 minutes. The characters are doing the “oh no, we’re gonna die” thing while the obvious plot twists fly right over their heads. You’d think they’d get it after the 20th time the killer clown shows up, but nope, they’re still scratching their heads.
Now, let’s talk about the killer forest clown. Is he supernatural or not? Who cares, honestly? At some point, I stopped asking questions and just let the madness take over. The lack of clarity only adds to the chaotic fun. By the time the credits roll, you’re almost certain the filmmakers were just messing with us. The final moments are the best part of the movie, as it feels like the cast and crew realized they were in on the joke too. Respect for that and bumps the rating up.
The Forest Clown is the kind of film that misses almost everything you expect from a good horror flick, yet still manages to avoid being a total disaster. It’s not a masterpiece by any stretch, but it did escape from being a #turkey. If you’re in the mood for a laugh and a killer clown who might be supernatural (but who really cares?), then this one’s for you. Or maybe you saw Horror Stories, which this is an offchute of. I missed that one and don’t intend on trying to find it.
Would I recommend it? If you’re a fan of horror movie clichés and don’t mind a little self-aware chaos, give it a watch. Just be sure to leave your common sense at the door and don’t expect much.
Amazon does have this one to rent, not sure about other streamers since Justwatch didn’t have any.