Clown in a Cornfield (2025)

Strange thing to say about a slasher called Clown in a Cornfield, but the clown is the least interesting part. Frendo is a creepy mascot in a creepy mask, and that’s about all he ever gets to be. The town is where the good stuff lives. Quinn, played by Katie Douglas, moves to Kettle Springs, Missouri, with her dad, the new doctor, and falls in with a crew of teens the whole place blames for burning down the old corn syrup factory. It’s a dying small town that would rather point at its kids than look at itself, and that idea is genuinely sharp. Eli Craig, who made Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, keeps it quick and darkly funny, but the finale hits pause to explain its own message out loud, and Quinn’s new friends blur together. It made $13.9 million worldwide on a reported $1M. A 5.2 because the satire cuts deeper than the clown does. $752 says you skip the corn maze this fall and tell everyone you’re just not a maze person.

What works: The small-town satire is sharper than you’d expect, and Eli Craig keeps the pace quick with a dark sense of humor.

What doesn’t: Frendo never becomes a memorable villain, the teens are hard to tell apart, and the finale stalls to spell out its message.

Who it’s for: Horror fans who like a little social bite with their slasher, and anyone who has ever been creeped out by a mascot.