‘Revenge is a dish best served sweet!’
Clowns in the Woods is a 2021 American horror film about a mentally disabled young man who is bullied and accidentally killed.
Written and directed by Adrian Esposito (Greetings from Tromaville; Reed Unbound: The Joel M Reed Story) and Curt Markham (The Search for Silverspear; Saberfrog; Curse the Darkness).
The Espocinema production stars Dalton Letta, Roselyn Kasmire, Biz LaChance, Adrian Esposito, Arlowe Price, Greg Lentz and Luther LeBron Layne.
Plot:
Marcus (Dalton Letta), an obese young man with a minor mental disability, is bullied by ignorant college students and killed after a prank goes wrong. In the afterlife, he meets a group of ghostly clowns who help him exact revenge on those who have wronged him…
Review:
Clowns in the Woods is a low budget horror flick that highlights the issue of hate crimes against disabled and queer people by reactionaries, particularly in small communities. There are also a couple of jibes about Trump. Most of the production is competent, despite a few faltering performances, and the clowns’ makeup is reasonably creepy.
Unfortunately, the vengeful deaths – the focus of the film – are pretty feeble despite a couple of splattery moments. A tighter edit and shorter running time would also have benefitted the movie. Patient fans of trashier horror who don’t suffer from coulrophobia may find Clowns in the Woods worth a look, if really desperate, but most people would be wise to avoid it due to the shoddy presentation and inert delivery. A painful rap over the end credits hardly adds to the film’s appeal.
Adrian J Smith, MOVIES and MANIA
Other reviews:
Main cast and characters:
Dalton Letta … Marcus
Roselyn Kasmire … Amy
Biz LaChance … James
Adrian Esposito … Rosco
Arlowe Price … Jingles
Greg Lentz … Jekko
Luther LeBron Layne … Jester
John Karyus … Mr Punch (voice)
Hailey Anne … Liz
Anthony S. Creek … Brad
Michael Ciesla … Zack
Kevin Millane … Jerry
Amy Zubieta … Alice
Nolan Tierce … Dan
Amelia Favata … Kelly
John Renna … Mr Belson
PJ Ryan … Peter Bannon
Rhonda Parker … Aunt Debbie
Technical details:
1 hour 30 minutes
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Budget:
$35,000 (estimated)
Trailer:
