A Reason to Fear Clowns—Fitz of Horror’s Scary Clown Movie List

Written by Bryan Fitzgerald (Fitz of Horror)

“By definition, an irrational fear of clowns is known as coulrophobia, with the prefix “coulro” coming from the ancient Greek word for “one who goes on stilts.”

We all know someone that is afraid of clowns, but why are people so scared of them? Is it that they have creepy painted faces that hide their true identity? Is it their big floppy shoes, that 30 of them can fit into a tiny car or the fact they will hide under your bed and wait for you to go to sleep before they kill you?

We can get into the deep psychology of people’s fear of clowns but let’s be real, this generation’s insane fear of clowns comes from horror movies. Writers and directors for the past 30+ years have played on our irrational fear of these circus freaks but Stephen King kicked the fear into high gear with his truly scary book IT and the introduction of Pennywise the Clown. After Pennywise was brought to the screen, finally our innate fear of clowns had a face!

But with so many talented and demented horror writers and directors making movies now, Old Pennywise seems almost tame. Now we have a new Pennywise that will try to take back the crown of the scariest clown in horror, but he has some serious competition.

I present to you (in no particular order), Fitz of Horror’s list of the scariest and most sadistic clowns in horror!!

And without further ado……..BRING ON THE CLOWNS!!!!!!

Circus of the Dead (2014)

A man becomes entangled in a deadly morality game when the circus comes to town and a sadistic clown forces him to examine the things in life he takes for granted in the most horrific ways.

I wholeheartedly believe that the main villain in this insanely brutal movie, Papa Corn the Clown, is one of the most sadistic “bad guys” ever put on film.

IT (2017)

We all know the story by now, a group of bullied kids band together when a monster, taking the appearance of a clown, begins hunting children.

This take on King’s classic looks to bring the fear of clowns back to the forefront.

IT (1990)

In 1960, seven pre-teen outcasts fight an evil demon who poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the demon once and for all when it returns to their hometown.

Tim Curry will always be synonymous with Pennywise the Clown.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

Aliens who look like clowns come from outer space and terrorize a small town.One of my favorite horror movies ever and some of the scariest clowns I’ve ever seen!

100 Tears (2007)

After being accused of crimes he did not commit, a lonely circus performer exacts his revenge on those who unjustly condemned him. The act sparks something inside of him which he cannot stop and now, years later, his inner-demons have truly surfaced. Part urban legend, part tabloid sensationalism… he is now an unstoppable murderous juggernaut, fueled only by hate.

Some of the greatest clown kills in this one from Unearthed Films!

House of 1000 Corpses/Devil’s Rejects (Captain Spaulding)

Two young couples traveling across the backwoods of Texas searching for urban legends of murder end up as prisoners of a bizarre and sadistic backwater family of serial killers.

These movies produced one of the most beloved horror icons in Captain Spaulding.

 

Killjoy (2000-Present)

Kids in the hood weren’t afraid of clowns until good ol Killjoy came around. These movies are lowbudget but there are like 20 of them so I guess there is a legitimate following.

 

Gacy (2003)

Model citizen, devoted father, loving husband and serial killer John Wayne Gacy – a man with over 30 dead men and boys entombed in the crawl space underneath his family house. Based on a true story.

This is the story that seriously made people legitimately afraid of clowns.

Poltergeist (1982)

The creepy little clown in the chair in this movie was THE clown that scared me when I was younger.

Zombieland (2009)

A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting tough guy trying to find the last Twinkie, and a pair of sisters trying to get to an amusement park join forces to travel across a zombie-filled America.

It just so happens that one of the main characters has an irrational fear of clowns that turns into a very real threat that has to be overcome, and thus coined the phrase “It had to be a fucking clown”

Stitches (2012)

A clown comes back from the dead to haunt those who took his life during a fatal party mishap.

Clownhouse (1989)

Just before Halloween, three young brothers alone in a big house are menaced by three escaped mental patients who have murdered some traveling circus clowns and taken their identities.

The rarity of this movie definitely adds to it’s mystique.

Clown (2014)

A loving father finds a clown suit for his son’s birthday party, only to realize that it’s cursed.

I genuinely don’t understand why this movie gets so much hate. This is one of the best body horror movies of the last 20 years. It also gives great mythology into clowns and why we fear them.

 

Badoet (2015)

In an apartment block on the outskirts of Jakarta, three children commit suicide separately. A group of young students decides to investigate and uncover dozens of papers containing a mysterious clown picture in each of the rooms where the three children died. When an eight year-old boy named Vino begins drawing the same figure, it seems obvious that he is the next target of the sinister clown…

Krampus (2015)

A boy who has a bad Christmas ends up accidentally summoning a festive demon to his family home.Of course clowns and Christmas go together!

 

The Funhouse Massacre (2015)

Six of the world’s scariest psychopaths escape from a local Asylum and proceed to unleash terror on the unsuspecting crowd of a Halloween Funhouse whose themed mazes are inspired by their various reigns of terror.

This is actually a really fun movie from Scream Factory!

The Last Circus (2010)

A young trapeze artist must decide between her lust for Sergio, the Happy Clown, or her affection for Javier, the Sad Clown, both of whom are deeply disturbed.

Vulgar (2000)

A man who performs as a children’s birthday party clown tries to piece his life back together after being gang-raped.

This is the brain child of Bryan Johnson (Comic Book Men) and produced by Kevin Smith (Clerks) and features a very recognizable cast in what is a seriously fucked up movie.

The Carnage Collection (2015)

In the vein of some classic horror anthologies, The Carnage Collection features multiple short stories of violence, gore, carnage, and horror.

In this anthology there is a segment titled “The Day the Clown Cried Blood” where a murderous clown springs to bloody life through a child’s drawing.

 

31 (2016)

Five carnival workers are kidnapped and held hostage in an abandoned, Hell-like compound where they are forced to participate in a violent game, the goal of which is to survive twelve hours against a gang of sadistic clowns.(Circus of the Dead is similar and better).

 

Blood Harvest (1987)

Bad things happen in a rural town where someone named Marvelous Mervo (Tiny Tim) runs around like a clown. Of course he’s scary!!!

All Hallows Eve (2013)

A babysitter finds a VHS tape which features various sinister murders performed by a psychotic clown.

This is a guilty pleasure and one demented ass clown!!

 

I’m sure there are many more evil clowns in horror movies but this is a damn good start to get you going in the right direction!

Remember to always check your back seat and under your bed because you never know when these bozos will show up!!

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