In director Patrick Rea and screenwriter Eric Winkler’s Super Happy Fun Clown, Jennifer (Jennifer Seward) began as a precocious child, clever and creative. Despite her auspicious beginnings, she committed career suicide by getting a philosophy degree and now finds herself in a dull job with a deadbeat husband waiting at home and a mother (Deborah Madick) who misses no opportunity to remind Jennifer of her wasted potential. The only light in Jennifer’s life is her clowning side hustle, a love that dates back to her childhood and is only rivaled by a fascination with serial killers.
In the run-up to Halloween, Jennifer finds a way to combine her two passions and earn the notoriety society has long expected her to. The action takes time to get going, but once the bloodshed commences, about halfway through, there’s enough strangulation, stabbing, whacking, and even a bit of electrocution to satisfy anyone who hankers for a bloody evening where the bodies pile up in wicked fashion. This is a revenge fantasy for every child who bore the burden of being labeled “gifted” and let their resentment curdle over time. Rea delivers a horror movie homage for the fans, by a fan, replete with sly nods and outright references.
“The only light in Jennifer’s life is her clowning side hustle, a love that dates back to her childhood and is only rivaled by a fascination with serial killers.”
Rea and Seward reconvene with Winkler, all having previously worked on monster horror I Am Lisa, as well as the short film version of Super Happy Fun Clown, released in 2023. It’s a happy reunion, as they clearly match each other’s freak. Seward does her best work when Jennifer switches to her clown alter ego, Jenn-O, and wreaks havoc. Winkler’s script is gruesome, sometimes grotesque, and Seward follows it to the letter. Rea leaves nothing to the imagination. All three deliver with jester-like glee.
What keeps this film from being the full-on chaotic thrill-ride it intends to be is the sluggish start and, surprisingly, the score, dominated by a droning electric guitar meant to evoke ominous dread. That energy is at odds with Seward’s lively performance, the carnage of the story, and the comedic elements of Wrinkler’s script.
Subsequently, Super Happy Fun Clown is not a super happy fun time, but it does deliver a grungy killer clown story meant for fans of the genre who want to squirm at the grossness, cheer at the violence, and indulge in the nonsense.
"…does deliver a grungy killer clown story meant for fans of the genre who want to squirm..."
