There is nothing more scary than a clown in a horror film (Picture: Rex)
Terrifier 3 is bringing terror to the Christmas period as Art The Clown returns to Miles County.
In Damien Leone’s latest instalment in the wildly popular franchise, the killer clown (played by David Howard Thornton) is back to bring murder and mayhem to the townspeople for the holiday season.
Meanwhile, Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) is attempting to piece her life back together following the events of the second film, but she is soon plunged into chaos after seeing Art return.
Terrifier 3 has already garnered rave reviews praising its gore and shocking content, with its UK premiere seeing one person vomit and 11 walkouts – 9 of which were during the first ten minutes.
Art The Clown is a horror icon, but he is the latest in a long line of killer clowns that have graced our screens and haunted our nightmares.
So, let’s take a twisted trip to the circus with these 7 clown horror movies that will make you laugh and scream in equal measure.
Clown
Before finding fame with the Spider-Man films, director Jon Watts released his feature debut Clown in 2014 to terrify horror fans.
The film follows Kent McCoy (Andy Powers), a real estate agent who, when hosting a birthday party for his son Jack (Christian Distefano) alongside his wife Meg (Laura Allen), is forced to perform as a clown when the clown they hired cancels last minute.
He soon finds that the cursed suit he discovered in the attic to portray the character cannot be removed as Ken’s life transforms into a nightmare.
Where to watch: StudioCanal Presents via Prime Video and Apple TV, ITVX, and available to rent via the Sky Store
Stitches
A far cry from his usual comedic self, Ross Noble was the stuff of nightmares in 2012’s Stitches.
Directed by Conor McMahon, the iconic Irish horror film tells the story of Richard Grindle (Noble), aka Stitches the clown, who is killed while performing at Tommy’s (Ryan Burke and Tommy Knight) tenth birthday party.
Six years later, Tommy and his friends are put in mortal danger after Stitches rises from the grave and seeks vengeance on those he deems responsible for his death.
Where to watch: Prime Video and Shudder, and available to rent via Apple TV and the Sky Store
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
More than 35 years since its release, Killer Klowns from Outer Space remains as warped, hilarious, and disturbing as ever.
The iconic 80s horror film sees teenagers Mike (Grant Cramer) and Debbie (Suzanne Snyder) witness a comet crash outside their small town.
They cannot believe their eyes when a pack of aliens who look like clowns embark on a murderous rampage through the town, with the local authorities they warn believing their claims to be a prank.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Freevee, and available to rent via the Sky Store
31
Rob Zombie has given us not one, but two iconic horror clowns (more on that later).
Starring Malcolm McDowell, Sheri Moon Zombie, and Richard Brake, 31 follows five carnival workers with are kidnapped on Halloween eve by five homicidal clowns.
Their captors force them to play a twisted game called 31 in which they are chased through a maze by the clowns in a race of life or death.
Where to watch: Prime Video and Shudder, and available to rent via Apple TV and the Sky Store
Fear Of Clowns
Fear Of Clowns, released in 2004, will give you exactly what it states.
The film centres on artist Lynn Blodgett (Jacqueline Reres) who suffers from increasingly horrifying nightmares due to her fear of clowns, dreams that have gotten worse following her divorce.
She soon finds herself stalked by a terrifying clown who resembles the exact monster she has been painting.
Where to watch: Prime Video and Plex, and available to rent via Apple TV
House Of 1000 Corpses
Zombie graces this list once more with the first film in his legendary Firefly trilogy – House Of 1000 Corpses.
Sheri Moon stars in another of his projects alongside Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Rainn Wilson, and more in the film that centres on a group including two couples travelling across America to write a book about roadside attractions.
After meeting the unusual clown Captain Spaulding (Haig) at his macabre attraction, the group find themselves at the hands of the murderous Firefly family while looking for help due to car trouble.
Where to watch: Shudder via Prime Video, and available to rent via Apple TV and the Sky Store
IT
While it may not have been the first clown horror film, the original adaptation of Stephen King’s IT has been rumoured to have sparked an increase in coulrophobia- aka a fear of clowns.
Released as a miniseries in 1990, IT is set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, which is plagued every 27 years when a mysterious being – that takes the form of Pennywise The Dancing Clown – abducts and murders the children of the town.
It is up to a group of seven misfits to bring the clown’s vicious spree to an end and rid the town of Derry of an ancient evil that the adults seem to be oblivious of.
The film was remade in two parts by Andy Muschietti in 2017 and 2019 respectively – which are both available to rent via Prime Video, Apple TV, and the Sky Store.
Where to watch: Available to rent via Prime Video, Apple TV, and the Sky Store
Terrifier 3 is released in cinemas on October 11.
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