Overall, Killer Klowns from Outer Space is exactly what you’d think from the title: silly, entertaining, and fun.
For my second entry in this year’s Halloween Fifteen, I’m taking a look at Killer Klowns from Outer Space—a cult favorite from 1988 written by the Chiodo brothers (Edward, Charles, and Stephen) and directed by Stephen Chiodo. If you know their work from Critters, you won’t be surprised that this one leans heavily into creature feature territory, with a big dose of 1950s sci-fi B-movie inspiration.
The premise is exactly what the title promises: aliens land on Earth looking like creepy circus clowns. Their spaceship resembles a giant big top tent, and they wield circus-themed weapons—balloon animals that come to life, ray guns that wrap people in cotton candy cocoons, popcorn that sprouts into little clown monsters. It’s absurd, colorful, and pretty inventive.
The cast includes Grant Cramer as Mike, Suzanne Snyder as Deb, John Allen Nelson as Dave (Deb’s ex and a local cop), and the always entertaining John Vernon, best known as Dean Wormer in Animal House, playing the skeptical Officer Mooney.
Now, this is a B-movie through and through—it doesn’t take itself seriously, and neither should you. Some of the jokes land, some fall flat, and it’s not really scary unless you already have a phobia of clowns. Personally, clowns don’t bother me, but even I’ll admit the designs here are unsettling enough to give someone nightmares.
It’s often called a “gateway horror” film since it’s PG-13, with no gore, nudity, or over-the-top violence. Aside from one F-bomb, it’s tame enough to show at a family-friendly Halloween party, while still being weird and spooky enough to fit the mood.
The Blu-ray extras are also worth noting—especially the Chiodo brothers’ early stop-motion projects, which really showcase the talent they had even as kids. For a $2 million low-budget production, the effects still hold up better than you might expect.
Overall, Killer Klowns from Outer Space is exactly what you’d think from the title: silly, entertaining, and fun. It’s not a masterpiece, but it delivers on the campy, colorful chaos it sets out to create.
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
