"Clown" review

I'm petrified of clowns to no end and yet I was never scared of Clown. That being said, Director Jon Watts has crafted an eerily atmospheric film and sprinkled it throughout with enough creativity to warrant a solid recommendation.

The best thing about Clown is its basic premise: a loving, committed father is punished only for wanting to make his young son happy by dressing as a clown for his birthday. It's simple and tragic, as a good horror premise should be. What's disappointing is that the film establishes so little of a relationship between father and son before the clown makes an appearance, so when the slow transformation from man to monster occurs, the investment in that particular relationship isn't as strong as it could be.

Outside that particular relationship, there isn't much to dislike about Clown, given the correct expectations. This isn't your typical scare-a-minute studio flick; rather, it's an intense slow burn with a consistently dreadful atmosphere. The film also rears its dark sense of humor through a handful of clever gags and scares.

As long as you go into this film with the right set of expectations, you will enjoy yourself.