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Halloween-themed films are usually inclined to make the most ordinary things seem eerie. The horror genre's portrayal of clowns is one of the most typical examples of how a particular concept can be turned over its head and completely reinterpreted. Stephen King's characterization of Pennywise in IT intensified the horrors associated with the role of a clown.
Over the years, clowns have gone from being supernatural evil spirits and ghosts to ruthless serial killers and organized criminals too. While the Joker from Batman is essential to this reinterpretation, other slasher films have treated clowns as deeply wounded and brutally violent.
Terrifier 2, a sequel to the 2016 film Terrifier, was released on October 6, 2022, and is another slasher film with a horrific portrayal of a clown. The film is set during Halloween night when a teenage girl and her brother are haunted by Art, the Clown, who is supernaturally resurrected.
Here are more films like Terrifier 2 that will make for perfect watches this Halloween.
Clown slasher films like Terrifier 2 for Halloween 2022
1) The House on Sorority Row (1982)
The House on Sorority Row is a clown slasher film that is perfect for Halloween. It tells the story of seven women who play a prank during their graduation party. When the prank goes wrong, they are left with a corpse, which they manage to hide. However, an unknown witness to the crime begins to track down the girls and murders them one after the other.
The film has become a cult classic over time and has been regarded as one of the most popular slasher films to have been made. Although it didn't receive as much acclaim after its release, it found its own space as a well-made horror film.
The killer in The House on Sorority Row is masked as a clown and is depicted to have deep wounds from a traumatic past, making him a heartless killer. The film is a must-watch for fans of horror and is an excellent watch for Halloween night.
2) Hell House LLC (1988)
Found-footage horror films are among the scariest kind of cinema. Blair Witch Project and Hell House LLC are among the most popular found-footage horror films and have significantly impacted the genre as a whole.
In Hell House LLC, a documentary crew visits a crime scene five years after fifteen people were killed there. The film is eerily shot and feels natural, making it all the more personal and haunting. As they try to investigate the deaths, the crew themselves begin to experience supernatural activity at the other end of which is a clown-like figure.
Hell House LLC eventually became a film franchise, and two more films were made after the original. The authenticity in shooting makes Hell House LLC a perfect watch for Halloween night.
3) IT (2017)
While IT is more of a supernatural horror film, it also qualifies as a slasher film. Besides, any list of clown films would be incomplete without IT, considering how popular the film became. The movie is inspired by a Stephen King novel of the same name, and the movie's sequel was also released in 2019.
Pennywise, the clown, featured in IT, is one of the most haunting horror villains to have even been conceptualized. The story follows a group of children who are haunted and fed on by Pennywise, the circus clown. Apart from just the clown, the film also utilizes elements such as balloons and other children's play items.
While the sequel wasn't as great as the first part, both films gained wide popularity in the genre.
4) Haunt (2019)
Haunt is a slasher film that follows a group of friends who decide to explore a haunted house on the night of Halloween. Predictably, things don't go as planned, and the endeavor turns deadly as the evil spirits within the house begin to take down the friends. The killer in the film is masked as a clown and is shown to be brutal and deadly.
The film also turns into a survival flick but maintains the horror tone. Although it didn't receive great reviews, the film became a favorite among horror fans as it was packed with typical chills and thrills. Haunt is another film that would be perfect if you're looking for haunting experiences on Halloween night.
5) All Hallows' Eve (2013)
All Hallows' Eve is yet another film set on Halloween night and breaks the slasher film's typical format. It follows a young babysitter who discovers a VHS tape containing videos about how a clown murdered three of his victims. The film features Art, the clown of the Terrifier franchise, as an antagonist and is brutal to watch.
Like in most slasher films, the movie ends with a cliffhanger and doesn't explain too much, but that doesn't stop it from being extremely scary and disturbing. A sequel to the film was released but wasn't as well-received.
6) The Clown Murders (1976)
The Clown Murders is one of the earliest films to draw a relation between a clown's attire and supernatural occurring. This film, too, is set on Halloween night as a group of men dressed as clowns kidnap a woman to fulfill their political motives. However, the lightly planned crime turns violent, and the men realize that another brutal killer dressed as a clown is out for them.
While critics found the film boring at the time, it had many tropes that were extensively used in horror films that came decades later. The film makes for a good watch on Halloween, considering all the enjoyable cliches it houses.
7) Terrifier (2016)
Terrifier features the return of Art the Clown, as he now targets three women and wishes to kill anyone who comes in his way. The film was widely popular for how it reinterpreted Art the Clown, whose performance was widely praised amidst stark criticism for the film's writing.
However, the film did find space in the genre and was then made into a sequel that follows the same clown after he has been resurrected and is out for revenge. Terrifier 2 was released on October 6, 2022, and has been widely praised by critics, perhaps even more than the first. Considering its recent release, the two parts of Terrifier would also be an excellent pick for Halloween night.
Terrifier 2 has already been released in theaters, and its streaming premiere is yet to be announced.
