Clown in a Cornfield (2025)

Streaming Service:  Shudder / AMC+
Movie Name/Year: Clown in a Cornfield (2025)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Dark Comedy
Length:  1h 36min
Rating: R
Director: Eli Craig
Writers: Carter Blanchard, Eli Craig, Adam Cesare
Based On: novel "Clown in a Cornfield" by Adam Cesare
Actors: Katie Douglas, Aaron Abrams, Carson MacCormac, Vincent Muller, Kevin Durand, Will Sasso, Cassandra Potenza, Verity Marks, Ayo Solanke, Alexandre Martin Deakin, Catherine Wreford, Daina Leitold, Jean-Jacques Javier, Noah Craig, Heath Vermette, Bradley Sawatzky, Jeff Strome, Dylan McEwan, Kaitlyn Bacon, Blake Taylor, Anders Strome, Samantha Hutchings, Robert Borges, BJ Verot, Darren Ross, Krystle Snow, Alan Castanaga

Shudder Blurb: Quinn and her father have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play.

Aaron Abrams and Katie Douglas in Eli Craig’s CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD.
Courtesy of RLJE Films & Shudder. An RLJE Films & Shudder Release.

Selina’s Point of View:
Fifteen years.

Fifteen long years since Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010) and I still recognized the flavor of Clown in a Cornfield. I wouldn’t have been able to name writer/director Eli Craig from memory, but I knew I recognized the feel of the flick.

When we first saw Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, I fell in love immediately. Nothing about it was anything I’d ever seen before, and the humor was deliciously dark. I saw bits of that here.

I’ll admit, the beginning didn’t have me hopeful. It felt very Friday the 13th (1980). Like it would be following an overused slasher recipe from start to finish.

Craig is creative with that kind of thing, though. He has a recipe. He follows the recipe. From whatever different angle he can find. In this case, the recipe was followed through the eyes of the new teen norms.

Verity Marks, Cassandra Potenza, and Katie Douglas in Eli Craig’s CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD.
Courtesy of RLJE Films & Shudder. An RLJE Films & Shudder Release.

I’m a Millennial. Cat’s a Gen X. When we were in high school the world was different and that showed in our movies. Bullies took aim at anyone even remotely different. Parents were removed and indifferent to their kids. Teens were all sex-crazed maniacs. You know all the tropes and, if you don’t, watch Scream (1996). It lays them all out for you.

Clown in a Cornfield knows what you expect. It uses that. It even provides a prologue from the 1990s to set you up for all the expectations it wants you to have. Then it looks at the familiar slasher stories we all know so well through the eyes of the next generation. The kids that are growing up with more tolerance and parents that go to therapy.

I thought I had the story down by about a quarter of the way through. I wrote down my predictions in my notes and waited for them to come true. Only one did and not in the way I expected.

Clown in a Cornfield was fun. It was everything you want from a slasher and somehow not at all what you expect.

I don’t know much, if anything, about the projects Eli Craig has headed since 2010, but if he gives the rest of his work the same unique perspective as Clown in a Cornfield and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, then I’m guessing they’re worth a watch too. 

Kevin Durand in Eli Craig’s CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD.
Courtesy of RLJE Films & Shudder. An RLJE Films & Shudder Release.

Cat’s Point of View:
I’ve been eagerly anticipating Clown in a Cornfield since I had a lovely chat with Kevin Durand (The Strain, Locke & Key, Abigail) at Geek’d Con last summer. He’d mentioned the film as one of his upcoming projects. Of course, he couldn’t say anything else other than he was in it – and I’m glad for the lack of spoilers for this one. As usual, Durand didn’t disappoint.

Once I looked a little further into the production info available at the time, I couldn’t help but notice that Eli Craig (Tucker and Dale vs Evil, Brothers & Sisters, Little Evil) was directing. I didn’t expect this corn-fed slasher spree to duplicate the brilliant lightning in a bottle that was Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010). I did, however, feel it was a reasonable hope that if Craig pulled off one of my favorite movies of all time as his horror genre debut, the chances were going to be good I’d enjoy Clown in a Cornfield.

The title alone is worth some giggles – especially when you realize it’s somewhat of a modern twist on a throwback teen slasher. You know, where the teens are all the ones getting slashed.

I enjoyed how the Clown in a Cornfield paid homage to the slasher villain staples from Scream (1996) and Friday the 13^th (1980) through Halloween (1978) and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), among others. There were laughs sprinkled through the tension. While this bloody fun ride didn't have the obvious elements of the near 4^th-wall breaking of some modern elevated horror, I did enjoy how Clown in a Cornfield poked fun at generation gaps and some of the tried-and-true clichés. It subverted expectations and when I thought I had it figured out, there was a twist out of left field.

Will Sasso and Carson MacCormac in Eli Craig’s CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD.
Courtesy of RLJE Films & Shudder. An RLJE Films & Shudder Release.

If you’re thinking to yourself that the Terrifier (2016) franchise has the killer clown sub-genre market cornered, think again. Frendo certainly isn’t Art the Clown, but neither of them is IT’s (1990 or 2017) Pennywise, either. There’s plenty of room at the Slasher Circus.

Aside from aforementioned Durand, I was generally pleased with the overall cast here, as well. There was a good mix of fresh faces with recognizable ones. Katie Douglas (Level 16, Mary Kills People, Lazareth) was absolutely a stand-out. I was also happy to see Aaron Abrams (The Lovebirds, Code 8: Part II, Children Ruin Everything) here too. (Abrams was actually one of the very few cast members that was in all 3 of the Code 8 productions, from the Kickstarter proof of concept short in 2016 through both movies starting with Code 8 (2019). I digress…)

What I didn’t realize at the outset of this bloody adventure through corn country was that Clown in a Cornfield was based on a novel. There is, in fact, a series of books featuring our friend Frendo. I am curious as to whether or not we’ll get to see more of them come to life in sequels.

For now, however, you can find Clown in a Cornfield on Shudder/AMC+ beginning Friday, August 8^th.

Frendo the Clown in Eli Craig’s CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD.
Courtesy of RLJE Films & Shudder. An RLJE Films & Shudder Release.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 73%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –57%
Metascore – 55%
Metacritic User Score – 5.0/10
IMDB Score – 5.6/10

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5

Movie Trailer:

Bloody Axe Wound (2024)

Streaming Service: Shudder
Movie Name/Year: Bloody Axe Wound (2024)
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Length:  1h 23min
Rating: R
Director: Matthew John Lawrence
Writers: Matthew John Lawrence
Actors: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Billy Burke, Sari Arambulo, Matt Hopkins, Jeff Riddle, Eddie Leavy, Jaden Slater, Sage Spielman, Lizzy Cenicola, Jahdey Wright, Molly Brown, Angel Theory, Margot Anderson-Song, Taylor Watson Seupel, Chet Siegel, David Littleton

IMDb Blurb: Abbie Bladecut's family business, a video store, has thrived by disposing of teenagers to mimic horror movies. As the first female slasher, she battles gender bias while realizing the harsh realities behind the mass murders.

Cat’s Point of View:
I’ve been intrigued by the trailers for Bloody Axe Wound. I got the vibe that it would be a nostalgic ode to the slasher genre with a splash of family dynamic and a little coming-of-age on the side.

I wouldn’t say that Bloody Axe Wound didn’t deliver those elements. It was successful in its own odd way in ticking off all of those check boxes. It was just… missing something.

Nevermind the plot holes big enough to drive a bus through, the production was just lacking something I can’t quite put my finger on.

All of the acting was pretty spot on, though. I wish there was more screen time for Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Rampage, Supernatural, The Walking Dead), but I did get a kick out of his trademark sadistic glee in the brief time he was there. Billy Burke (Revolution, Batman: The Long Halloween, Fire Country) was a great choice for the slasher dad. I also loved seeing Angel Theory (Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, Kinderfanger, The Walking Dead) playing another signing character here, and she had some sick dance moves.

I also think that this had the potential to be real break out roles for Sari Arambulo (Abby Normal, A.P. Bio, The L Word: Generation Q) and Molly Brown (Senior Year, Evil, Dexter: Original Sin). I just don’t know if the overall production did them justice.

Overall, I was entertained by Bloody Axe Wound. I appreciated the scattered references to 80s movies – whether it be slashers or coming-of-age classics.

While I wouldn’t generally watch this movie again, I wouldn’t steer anyone away from it that is interested in watching. Just take this B-movie with a grain of salt. 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 27%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –58%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – 2.3/10
IMDB Score – 5.0/10
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5

Movie Trailer:

Skeletons in the Closet (2024)

 

 

Streaming Service: Shudder 

Movie Name/Year: Skeletons in the Closet (2024) 

Genre: Horror, Thriller 

Length:  1h 38min 

Rating: R 

Director: Asif Akbar 

Writers: Al Bravo, Joshua A. Cohen, Terrence Howard, Mira Pak Howard, Koji Steven Sakai 

Actors: Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Udo Kier, Louis Mandylor, Valery M. Ortiz, Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez, Clifton Powell, Appy Pratt, Mona Arkin, Deena Bacon, Randall J. Bacon, Marco Bisbikis, Niko Foster, Sally Kirkland, Landa, Reno Reyes, Khaleesi Rivera, Rebekah Samuel, JT Tomangi 

 

IMDb Blurb: Haunted by a malevolent spirit since childhood, a desperate mother allows herself to become possessed in order to save the life of her terminally ill daughter.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View: 

When we were looking over movies releasing in February, I was drawn to Skeletons in the Closet first because of its cast. I mean, seriously, - Terence Howard (Empire, The Walk, Showdown at the Grand) and Cuba Gooding Jr. (The Butler, Machete Kills, Bayou Caviar) are not small names in the industry. Then I saw a flash of Udo Kier (Dragged Across Concrete, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin, Hunters) in the trailer and I was intrigued. He always plays interesting and seemingly sinister characters. Call my curiosity solidly piqued.

 

 

I will be honest that there were moments of the trailer that gave me a couple red flags that led me to not include Skeletons in the Closet with my personal Top 20 for February. When we were offered an opportunity to screen the film, however, we were excited to give it a chance and see where the experience took us.

 

I wasn’t disappointed with Skeletons in the Closet, but at the same time I wasn’t blown away either.

 

There were just some moments where it was hard for me to suspend my disbelief.

 

 

Skeletons in the Closet could have benefited from a little tighter editing, as it felt like it drew a few things out a little longer than necessary. By the end, when I should have been at the edge of my seat as events ramped up to the conclusion, I was just fighting to keep my attention focused. I will add the caveat that my ADHD sometimes does that to me when I’m not immersed enough in a movie.

 

I don’t want to point any fingers at any of the cast or the story – there was a really solid idea behind Skeletons in the Closet. It probably just could have benefited from a little more tweaking in the execution. I have been excited for the recent surge of horror projects that bring other cultures to audiences. The fact that this story involved Santa Muerte was another interesting element that gave Skeletons in the Closet it’s potential.

 

 

By the time the credits rolled, I felt a bit like I had finished watching someone put a puzzle together and the picture looked right, but they had to hammer a few pieces in along the way that were maybe not quite in the right places; so it gave the overall end product a bit of an Uncanny Valley feeling.

 

Skeletons in the Closet wasn’t bad, per se. There are simply far better titles available on Shudder – but there are also far worse. If the concept of the exploration of the lengths a parent would go to in desperation to save their child, generational trauma and inherited curses, and cameos from Santa Muerte catches your attention… you might find Skeletons in the Closet at least intriguing.

 

Skeletons in the closet released on Shudder today, February 9^th, 2023.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None 

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None 

Metascore – None 

Metacritic User Score – None 

IMDB Score – 5.0/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2.5/5

 

Movie Trailer:

Suitable Flesh (2024)

 

 

Streaming Service: Shudder

Movie Name/Year: Suitable Flesh (2024) 

Genre: Horror, Thriller 

Length:  1h 40min 

Rating: R 

Director: Joe Lynch

Writers: Dennis Paoli, H.P. Lovecraft 

Actors:Heather Graham, Judah Lewis, Bruce Davison, Johnathon Schaech, Barbara Crampton, Graham Skipper, Brett Newton, Chris McKenna, JD Evermore, Giovannie Cruz, Ann Mahoney, Hunter Womack, Jonah Ray, Joe Lynch

 

Shudder Blurb: Psychiatrist Elizabeth Derby becomes obsessed with helping a young patient who's suffering from extreme personality disorder. However, it soon leads her into occult danger as she tries to escape from a horrific fate. Starring Heather Graham (Boogie Nights), Judah Lewis (The Babysitter), Bruce Davison (X-Men, Ozark) and Barbara Crampton (Superhost). 

 

Heather Graham as “Elizabeth Derby” in Joe Lynch’s SUITABLE FLESH. Photo courtesy of AMP and Eyevox. An RLJE Films and Shudder release.

 

Selina’s Point of View: 

I was a little iffy about Suitable Flesh from the start of the film.

 

The hokey beginning made it very clear that the film was going to be more on the corny/cheesy side than anything more serious. I’m absolutely fine with that. Some of my favorite movies take a cheesy path. It’s all about the execution.

 

I know most people are loving Suitable Flesh, but it is not for me. Every other scene is about five minutes of sex, a lot of the dialog is not quite right, and the story has a few loopholes that are glaringly obvious by the end. It’s simply not the kind of flick I’d ever choose to watch for myself.

 

Despite that, I do think that if you believe it’s something you’d enjoy, then you should give it a chance. It may just be that my particular opinion on Suitable Flesh is negative because I dislike movies that utilize certain themes without necessity. Which would mean I was always bound to dislike it. 

Maybe it’s best to go with Cat’s review for this one.

 

(L-R) Heather Graham as “Elizabeth Derby” and Johnathon Schaech as “Edward Derby” in Joe Lynch’s SUITABLE FLESH.  Photo courtesy of AMP and Eyevox. An RLJE Films and Shudder release.

 

Cat’s Point of View: 

Why, Joe Lynch (Knights of Badassdom, Mayhem, Creepshow)? Just… why?

 

I wanted to like Suitable Flesh. I had it listed as spooky #13 on my Top 20 List for this month; and yet perhaps my choice intended for fun was, instead, a bit of foreshadowing. I’ve enjoyed the works of both Lynch, who directed, and screenwriter Dennis Paoli (Bleacher Bums, Masters of Horror, The Evil Clergyman) who had brought us the classic mid-80s horror flick Re-Animator (1985).

 

Speaking of that cult horror classic, Barbara Crampton (Channel Zero, Stay Home, Superhost), who was in that film, had a prominent role in Suitable Flesh. With Crampton on board as well as the likes of Heather Graham (The Hangover, Horns, Oracle) and Bruce Davison (Pearl, The Manor, Ozark) I had hope. I was awash in the nostalgic haze of the memberberries, apparently.

 

Judah Lewis as “Asa Waite” in Joe Lynch’s SUITABLE FLESH. Photo courtesy of AMP and Eyevox. An RLJE Films and Shudder release.

 

As I’ve mentioned before, I love Lovecraftian horror. It’s twisted, psychological, and sometimes cerebral. It makes you think and not only shiver at the horrors that the Old Ones such as Cthulhu represent, but also the evil of mankind as well. They’re deep and resonate. Suitable Flesh was supposed to be an adaptation of Lovecraft’s short story “The Thing on the Doorstep.” The core premise of Suitable Flesh followed the gist of the overall arc of the original story…to an extent. Unfortunately, it seemed to only take the original tale as a suggestion and spun it off in the direction of late-night cable skin-flicks. For the content within the movie, however, there was less flesh than I anticipated from the decision to take the whole thing to sexy-time every few minutes.

 

I found it hard to suspend my disbelief. Perhaps, for someone who has not yet read the source material that spawned this cinematic treatment, it might be easier to like it.

 

Don’t get me wrong, there were moments here and there that executed well what I imagine they were aiming to achieve. I appreciated the consistency and continuity of character elements such as body positioning and mannerisms. I also thought the practical effects for most of the gore seen was generally on point.

 

(L-R) Heather Graham as “Elizabeth Derby” and Barbara Crampton as “Dr. Daniella Upton” in Joe Lynch’s SUITABLE FLESH. Photo courtesy of AMP and Eyevox. An RLJE Films and Shudder release.

 

For those that get motion sick with things like shaky-cam, I would caution that there are moments within Suitable Flesh that might not sit right with equilibrium. It’s not the cams themselves that are shaky over-all – it’s the dramatic effects that signify a particular plot element in the story. It happens quite a few times, however. There is also some full-out spinning of the scene going on. I was a little queasy by the end.

 

Here's the thing. I don’t regret the nearly 2 hours I spent watching Suitable Flesh. I was curious and satisfied my curiosity. It was not what I was wanting or expected. Some critics and audience reviews out there are singing Suitable Flesh’s praises. Clearly there is an audience out there for Suitable Flesh. This is something that will be judged based on individual preference. This film simply wasn’t for me. 

If this seems remotely interesting for you, however, I can only recommend you give it a try and see where your opinion falls on this particular spectrum.

Suitable Flesh will be available to stream on Shudder starting Friday, January 26th, 2024.

(L-R) Heather Graham as “Elizabeth Derby” and Barbara Crampton as “Dr. Daniella Upton” in Joe Lynch’s SUITABLE FLESH. Photo courtesy of AMP and Eyevox. An RLJE Films and Shudder release.

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score –  84%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 60% 

Metascore – 64% 

Metacritic User Score – 5.8/10 

IMDB Score – 5.3/10

 

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 2/5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2/5

 

Movie Trailer:

2067 (2020)

 

 

Streaming Service: Hulu

Movie Name/Year: 2067 (2020)

Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery

Length:  1h 54min

Rating: Unrated

Production/Distribution: Screen Australia, XYZ Films, Futurism Studios, The South Australian Film Corporation, Adelaide Film Festival, Create NSW, Elevate Production Finance, Grumpy Sailor, Kojo Productions, Freedom Films, Arcadia, RLJE Films, Netflix Australia, Hulu

Director: Seth Larney

Writers: Seth Larney, Gareth Davies, Galvin Scott Davis, Davie Paterson

Actors: Aaron Glenane, Andy McPhee, Checc Musolino, Damian Walshe-Howling, Deborah Mailman, Finn Little, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Leeanna Walsman, Matt Testro, Ryan Kwanten, Sana'a Shaik

 

Rotten Tomatoes Blurb: When Earth's air becomes unbreathable, a message from the future sends a man on a dangerous mission to an unknown world to save the human race.

 

Cat’s Point of View:

Have I mentioned before that I’m a sucker for Sci-Fi? If the concept is even remotely interesting, or if I’m drawn to members of the cast, I’m down to watch (even if I know it’s going to be questionable).

2067 was one of those movies that I had a few question marks in my mind about but wanted to see it all the same. It helped that Ryan Kwanten (Them, Expired, Glorious) was in it. He’s not just another pretty face, though. As a fan of the books, I was an avid watcher of True Blood (2008-2014), and Kwanten got my attention through his take on Jason Stackhouse. (Yes, I know True Blood didn’t follow the books. Let’s not get stuck on that.) Since then, I’m generally down to watch anything he’s in. He tends to be underrated as an actor, in my opinion. I digress…

 

I had enough reason to expect a decent performance from Kodi Smit-McPhee (ParaNorman, Slow West, Alpha) as well, even though I wasn’t as familiar with his work. 

While 2067 didn’t make Selina’s Top 20 list for October 2020, the production was a solid #12 for me. 

Without further gilding the lily, I’d have to say that 2067 was alright. Just alright.

I wish I could be doing cartwheels for it or something like that, alas it just wasn’t exactly as thrilling as I thought it might be from the trailer. This was actually my 2nd viewing of 2067. I remember watching it back in 2020 as soon as it became available through one of my streaming services or cable network. Here’s the thing though… I only remembered after my daughter piped up and reminded me. We had watched it together back then, too. I’d utterly forgotten. 

 

The message about the environmental damage that mankind has wrought upon the planet is clear. It pretty much gets beaten over our heads while at the same time encouraging hope and highlighting the ingenuity of human desperation. 

The effects were actually surprisingly good for what had to be the shoestring budget they were working with, too. I believed every minute of the visuals of this dystopian future… for the most part. There were a couple things associated with a plot hole or so that took me out of the movie for a few moments, but it wasn’t enough to wreck my experience. There were just a few flaws in the fundamental science of the story.

 

The plot was twisty, but not entirely unpredictable. Unfortunately, at this stage I can’t tell if that was because I remembered my first watch-through and thus already subconsciously knew the twists and how things turned out. 

If you like time travel paradox type Sci-Fi, 2067 isn’t a horrible way to spend a couple of hours, though the concept has been explored more successfully by other films in the genre for sure. 

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 31%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 39%

Metascore – 39%

Metacritic User Score – 5.7/10

IMDB Score – 4.9/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5

Trust the Dice: Parental Advisory Rating – PG-13

 

Movie Trailer: