There is something inherently frightening about horror movie clowns. Many kids learned that clowns were their friends, as they often saw them at birthday parties and even McDonald’s but once those kids saw their first clown movie, they most likely experienced a change of heart. At a certain point, society changed its outlook on clowns and changed the ideal into a sinister one. For decades, filmmakers took these previously innocent, happy characters and turned them into something audiences fear.
This change was as a brilliant plan, whether it was a demon posing as a clown or a clown who turned out to be a mass-murdering serial killer. There’s something terrifying about child-friendly characters that suddenly turn dark and it has been a focus of some great modern horror films. Filmmakers knew this was a good concept when they first stumbled upon it, which is why the fear of clowns is here to stay. Whether they have a comedic spin or straight-up horrifying intentions, scary clowns remain horror icons.
|
Clown Name |
Movie |
|---|---|
| Cheezo, Bippo, and Dippo | Clownhouse (1989) |
|
Gingerclown |
Gingerclown (2013) |
| Captain Spaulding |
House Of 1000 Corpses (2003) |
|
Alien Klowns |
Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988) |
| Violator |
Spawn (1997) |
| Stitches, The Maniacal Clown |
Stitches (2012) |
| The Joker/Arthur Fleck |
Joker (2019) |
| The Clöyne |
Clown (2014) |
| Killjoy The Demonic Clown |
Killjoy (2000) |
| Jack-In-The-Box Clown |
Krampus (2015) |
| Billy The Puppet |
Saw (2003) |
| Clown Doll |
Poltergeist (1982) |
| Pennywise |
It (1990 & 2017) |
| Art The Clown |
Terrifier (2016) |
Related 10 Made-For-TV Horror Movies That Are Just As Good As Theatrical Releases
Commercial breaks and lower production values aren’t enough to prevent a few made-for-TV horror films from being as good as theatrical films.
1
Silliest
Cheezo, Bippo, & Dippo – Clownhouse (1989)
Clownhouse 0
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R Director Victor Salva Release Date January 1, 1989 Cast Nathan Forrest Winters , Brian McHugh , Sam Rockwell , Michael Jerome West , Byron Weible , David C. Reinecker Runtime 81 minutes
Clownhouse came out in 1989 and tried to capitalize on the fear of clowns at the time. However, what resulted was something that almost everyone rejected, including horror fans. The bad guys here were escaped convicts who killed three clowns and took their costumes to disguise themselves. Directed by Victor Salva (Jeepers Creepers), these three criminals used clown costumes to terrorize anyone who crosses their paths, and this includes a little boy who is scared to death of clowns.
There is really nothing scary about the movie, and the clowns are not terrifying, but mostly forgettable.
There is some fun to see here, such as a very young Sam Rockwell. However, when it comes to the clowns, this is a very low-budget horror movie that no one can really see today thanks to outside issues during production. There is really nothing scary about the movie, and the clowns are not terrifying, but mostly forgettable. The film has a 33% rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes, and while it has some fans, it doesn’t compare to other films in the horror subgenre.
Gingerclown – Gingerclown (2013)
Gingerclown 3D 0
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R Director Balázs Hatvani Release Date May 9, 2013 Cast Ashley Lloyd , Erin Hayes , Tim Curry , Lance Henriksen , Michael Winslow , Brad Dourif Runtime 80 minutes
The problem with Gingerclown is that fans wanted so much more from him. That is because Tim Curry voiced Gingerclown, and that marked his return to horror movie clowns after he portrayed the original Pennywise in It. This English-language Hungarian horror comedy follows two high school students who sneak into an old amusement park, only to find there are real monsters there. These two kids then have to find a way to get out before the monsters finish them off.
Curry is great in his voice work as Gingerclown, and there are some creepy creatures in this decrepit amusement park (all voiced by some more big names including Brad Dourif (Child’s Play), Lance Henriksen (Pumpkinhead), and Michael Winslow (Police Academy). However, it is the design of the puppet clown that lacks the fear factor. This movie tries hard to call back 1980s horror nostalgia, and that keeps this killer clown from being scary, so instead is just a bit silly.
Captain Spaulding – House Of 1000 Corpses (2003)
House of 1000 Corpses 
3.0 1
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R
Director Rob Zombie Release Date April 11, 2003 Cast Chad Bannon , William Bassett , Karen Black , Erin Daniels , Joe Dobbs III , Judith Drake Runtime 89 minutes
Captain Spaulding, played by the late Sid Haig, may look a little scary, but he’s actually one of the most innocent characters in House of 1000 Corpses. However, Captain Spaulding is the proprietor of a gas station and fried chicken eatery, which also serves as a roadside attraction. The movie opens with two criminals trying to rob the gas station, but Captain Spaulding is not one to be messed with, and he kills both of the criminals to protect his place of business.
He may not have good intentions, but by no means is he more terrifying than some of his companions in this film.
He may be a vulgar clown, but his personality and jokes set him more on the sillier side when it comes to film clowns. This is shown when some people writing a book about roadside attractions interview him, and he is a decent enough guy. However, when he tells them about Dr. Satan, and they head out to find him, which is when they find the real monsters of this movie, monsters that prove that Captain Spaulding is one of the least threatening individuals in the entire film.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)
Killer Klowns from Outer Space 0
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PG-13
Director Stephen Chiodo Release Date May 27, 1988 Cast Suzanne Snyder , Michael S. Siegel , Grant Cramer , John Vernon , John Allen Nelson , Peter Licassi Runtime 88 minutes
Killer Klowns from Outer Space knew exactly what kind of movie it was, and for viewers who understood the humor, it was a treasure for anyone who came across it at the video store on a Friday night. This horror comedy follows evil aliens who show up on Earth with the intention of invading and using humans as food for sustenance. The one thing that makes these aliens so terrifying is that they look like clowns with giant heads. It received positive reviews as an absurdist comedy.
Special effects weren’t perfected in the 1980s, which makes the “Klown” makeup steer to a sillier side. The film skirted the divide between comedy and chills, while also honing in on elements of punk rock and artistic value. This cult classic has a fun premise that blends horror movie clowns and aliens together to make a movie. It’s kooky and a bit scary at times, but nonetheless a fun ride, one of the best so-bad-it’s-good horror movies. It is now considered a cult classic.
Violator – Spawn (1997)
Spawn 0
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R
Director Mark A.Z. Dippé Release Date August 1, 1997 Cast Michael Jai White , Martin Sheen , John Leguizamo Runtime 98 Mins
In darker-toned movies, it’s always good to have a comedic presence to bite through the tension, and it seems like the clown version of Violator plays the part in Spawn. Played by iconic actor John Leguizamo, he’s sent to Earth to taunt Spawn and mentor him in his new role as a Hellspawn. For those unfamiliar with the story, Spawn is a former U.S. Marine who dies and goes to Hell. One of the rulers of Hell offers him a job as a Hellspawn, to return to Earth and work as the leader of his Army in Armageddon.
However, once Spawn gets back on Earth, he sets out to find a way out of the contract, while trying to help people as an antihero. One of the villains he battles is the Violator, a demon from Hell who is there to try to force Spawn to follow the orders. He cracks jokes, and his character is loud and obnoxious, which makes him seem more comical than scary. Once he changes into his “true” form, though, that’s a different story. He then becomes terrifying, albeit as a demon and not a clown.
Stitches, The Maniacal Clown – Stitches (2012)
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R Director Conor McMahon Release Date May 19, 2012 Cast Ross Noble , Gemma-Leah Devereux , Tommy Knight , Valerie Spelman , Lorna Dempsey , Jemma Curran Runtime 86 minutes
The tagline reads, “He’s rude, crude, and back from the dead; he is Stitches the clown.” The film starts innocent enough – Stitches is an unhappy clown named Richard Grindle who entertains at kids’ birthday parties. He takes an untimely fall when the kids at a party he works at start to bully and attack him, and they cause him to fall, where he hits his head and dies. However, Stitches comes back for vengeance in what ends up as a comedy slasher film.
It’s a fun ride that turns into a teen slasher, with funny bits here and there. It’s definitely a low-budget film, but got the job done right by blending a horror movie clown’s many moods. Despite its low budget and slasher trappings, the movie saw some success and won the Best Death and Midnight X-Treme Award at Fright-Fest 2012. Horror film sites praised the throwback film, with Bloody Disgusting saying it will become a cult classic and Dread Central praising the “brilliant” kill scenes.
Silliest/Scariest
The Joker/Arthur Fleck – Joker (2019)
Joker (2019) 2.5 4
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Director Todd Phillips Release Date October 2, 2019 Cast Joaquin Phoenix , Robert De Niro , Zazie Beetz , Frances Conroy , Brett Cullen , Shea Whigham Runtime 122 minutes
Joker falls between silly and scary, but in different ways. Arthur Fleck is a comedian, he just wants to make people smile and seems like a good person with mental health concerns. He struggles to make it as a comedian, but he doesn’t want to give up on his dreams. However, nothing ever goes right, as he ends up brutalized by people because of his neurological disorder that causes him to have random, uncontrollable laughing fits. Despite this, he pushes on and is a silly comedian most of the time.
His alter-ego, Joker, is born and is much scarier and maniacal than any other clown characters in film.
However, he finally snaps when his hero, a late night talk show host (Robert De Niro) mocks him on national television. He snaps and kills the man before he gets people in Gotham City to follow his lead, and riots break out. By the end, he is as scary of a clown as many people will ever see, even if many of his biggest moments might have been delusions that only existed in his own head. A Joker sequel is coming out in 2024, with Harley Quinn joining his side.
Scariest
The Clöyne – Clown (2014)
Clown (2014) 0
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RHorrorThriller
Director Jon Watts Release Date November 13, 2014 Cast Andy Powers , Laura Allen , Peter Stormare , Christian Distefano , Chuck Shamata , Elizabeth Whitmere , Victor Cornfoot , Lucas Kelly , Emily Burley , Matthew Stefiuk , Michael Riendeau , Miller Timlin , Robert Reynolds , Antonio Najera , Alex Pacheco , Walter Pacheco , John MacDonald , Allen Altman , Sarah Scheffer , Nathan Boucher , Abigail Lieff , Brandon Stoffer , Gregory Wilson , Bobby Osborne , Auden Larratt , Christopher O’Dell , Kai Knight , Claudia Jurt , Rachelle Casseus , Sylvia Qi , Quinnie Vu , Jennie Esnard Expand
With Eli Roth as a producer, it was clear that Clown would have some disturbing moments. The movie had them in spades and more, featuring one of the creepiest horror movie clowns in history, with Clöyne. This is the story of a regular guy cursed to become a demonic clown when he puts on the costume. When a father puts on a clown suit, it is the skin of Clöyne, and he can’t remove it. The suit then possesses him to eventually become a horrific killer who eats children.
The movie is a tragedy, but it is also a terrifying story. This man is a good person, but he can’t control what he does with the clown costume on, and he can’t get it off, making him a danger to a family he never wanted to hurt to begin with. This means he is not only a scary clown, but also someone that the viewer feels for, even as the body count rises. Add in the body horror and some stomach-curling moments, and The Clöyne is a horror movie clown that will be impossible to forget.
Killjoy The Demonic Clown – Killjoy (2000)
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Director Craig Ross Jr. Release Date October 24, 2000 Cast Ángel Vargas , Vera Yell , Lee Marks , Carl Washington , Jamal Grimes , Dee Dee Austin , Corey Hampton , Rani Goulant , Napiera Groves , William L. Johnson , Arthur Burghardt , Penny Ford , Dionne Rochelle
Killjoy the Demonic Clown was extremely popular, spawning four sequels with diminishing returns. However, in that original 2000 film Killjoy, he was an extremely terrifying horror movie clown. He was a demonic clown with supernatural abilities, making him even more threatening. Killjoy set out in that first movie on a murderous rampage after a character named Michael Summoned him to get vengeance on people who bullied him. Of course, Michael wouldn’t get out in one piece either.
There were low-budget special effects that either took away from the scare or added to the charm, depending on the viewers’ tastes. In the end, this was still a very scary horror movie clown. The reviews were mixed, which is expected from slasher horror flicks, but it was still a favorite for the horror movie crowd. Killjoy was followed by five sequels, although Trent Hagga replaced Angel Vargas as Killjoy in all the following entries, with the last film arriving in 2019.
Jack-In-The-Box Clown – Krampus (2015)
Krampus 2.5 4
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PG-13
Director Michael Dougherty Release Date December 4, 2015 Cast Luke Hawker , Toni Collette , Adam Scott , Emjay Anthony , Allison Tolman , Stefania Owen , David Koechner , Conchata Ferrell Runtime 98minutes
Usually, holiday movies are family-friendly and filled with wondrous characters, but Krampus takes a different path. A-list actors such as Adam Scott and Toni Collette star in this festive film and join in on the fun and laughs that the first half of the movie portrays but once Krampus and his minions are released, it all changes. The clown is just one of the evil demons coming to life in the movie, but it remains the most iconic of them all.
Krampus’ evil toy characters such as the Jack-in-the-Box above are incredibly terrifying, and it gets to the point where Jack swallows one of the people in the house. The movie is directed by Micheal Dougherty, who already made the Halloween classic horror anthology Trick R Treat. While Krampus doesn’t quite reach the beloved cult classic level of the Halloween release, this Christmas horror movie still delivers the goods, and is one of the best Krampus horror movies ever made.
Billy The Puppet – Saw (2003)
Saw 2.0 2
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Director James Wan Release Date October 1, 2004 Cast Cary Elwes , Leigh Whannell , Danny Glover , Monica Potter , Ken Leung Runtime 103 Minutes
One of the most iconic and recognizable characters in the horror industry has got to be Billy the Puppet. He doesn’t actually harm people, but he does often deliver harmful messages to his master’s prisoners. Fans of the Saw franchise know that when Billy makes an appearance, something insidious is about to go down. Of course, Billy is not real, and it just used to send messages to whoever Jigsaw plans to torture, but what makes him scary is the idea of the pain that is coming.
From his ability to use a tricycle, to his beady-eyed stare, there’s nothing safe or funny about this guy in the
Saw
movies.
Billy the Puppet has appeared in several movies in the franchise, and the entire reason for using a puppet was the death of his unborn child. He had bought a puppet similar to Billy to give to his baby before his wife miscarried. His unresolved anger caused him to see the puppet as a harbinger of evil, and he ensured that anyone who saw it in the future would see it in the same way. Billy appeared in every movie, although he was only in a photograph in Spiral.
Clown Doll – Poltergeist (1982)
Poltergeist 2.0 0
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PG-13SupernaturalHorror
Director Tobe Hooper Release Date June 4, 1982 Cast Jane Adams , Rosemarie DeWitt , Jared Harris , Sam Rockwell , Nicholas Braun
Poltergeist, which was released in 1982, has stood the test of time and has gone down as one of the most iconic movies in horror history. The CGI and special effects were new then, and they terrified the audience to no end. For people with a case of coulrophobia, this horror movie might traumatize viewers. This is the classic “Boogeyman in the closet” scenario, where the audience knows what’s going to come of a creepy horror movie clown in a child’s bedroom, but the character doesn’t.
There was a lot to fear in Poltergeist, from the evil spirits on the TV to the skeletons in the pool at the end. Written by Steven Spielberg and directed by Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), the movie ended up nominated for three Oscars, which is always impressive for a horror release. However, even with the ghosts, it is the scary clown that often gives viewers nightmares above all other terrifying things that pop out in the movie’s runtime.
Pennywise – It (1990 & 2017)
It (2017) 3.5 7
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Director Andy Muschietti Release Date September 8, 2017 Cast Bill Skarsgard , Jaeden Martell , Finn Wolfhard , Sophia Lillis , Jeremy Ray Taylor , Chosen Jacobs , Jack Dylan Grazer , Wyatt Oleff Runtime 135 Minutes
It’s hard to categorize both Pennywise characters into one, but they’re equally terrifying in different ways. Actors, Tim Curry and Bill Skarsgard both portrayed the horror movie clown-turned-supernatural slasher villain well in their own unique way. It’s more the timing of when the movies came out that sets them apart. Pennywise in 1990 was more modest, and the horrifying scenes were left to the imagination, whereas Pennywise in 2017 left nothing to doubt.
The storyline of
It
was creepy no matter who played the clown.
Of course, the special effects got better in between movies, but the eeriness never altered. The storyline of It was creepy no matter who played the clown, and this was probably one of the first movies that shaped how pre-teens envisioned clowns for the rest of their lives. Curry’s was scary and iconic, one of his most memorable roles. However, Skarsgard’s was terrifying and scarier than Curry’s version, clearly offering more nightmare-induced scenes along the way.
Art The Clown – Terrifier (2016)
Terrifier 1
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Unrated
Director Damien Leone Release Date March 15, 2018 Cast David Howard Thornton , Jenna Kanell , Samantha Scaffidi , Catherine Corcoran Runtime 86 Minutes
Sometimes it doesn’t take a lot to make a scary film, because Terrifer broke the mold in that category. Usually there’s a story behind a villain’s purpose to cause mayhem, but with Art, there isn’t, and that is what makes him such a scary horror movie clown. Art stalks and kills anyone who crosses his path, which again, is creepy because there really is no motive. At first, he comes off as semi-friendly, until his whole demeanor changes in an instant.
He also never says anything throughout the film, which makes him mysterious and even scarier. He has since become one of the newest horror icons, and is scarier than almost any clown that came before him. He actually first appeared in short films before he showed up in All Hallows’ Eve in 2013. By the time he was in Terrifier, he was legendary. The lack of backstory and his senseless killing makes him one of the best horror movie clowns ever brought to the big screen.