The 92nd Academy Awards are right around the corner, and with 11 nominations, Todd Phillips’ Joker has more nods than any other film this year. Joker was not the only big killer clown movie of the last year though, It Chapter Two also made waves at the box office. It’s safe to say, for whatever the reason, we like movies about clowns. So if Joker and It were your jam, check out these 5 other jester tales.
Gibtown (2000)
Directed by: Melissa Shachat
Starring: Ward Hall and Melvin Burkhart
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 63 minutes
Rating: TV-G
Unlike the rest of the movies you fill find on this list, Gibtown is a documentary. The movie focuses on the town of Gibsonton, Florida, which has served as a gathering place for carnival and circus people for several generations. This documentary introduces the audience to the colorful cast of characters who inhabit this special town. Another thing that sets this movie apart from the rest of the movies in this list, and Joker for that matter, is how positive it is. No evil clowns here.
The Heckler (2015)
Directed by: Ben Plazzer
Starring: Simon Mallory and CJ Fortuna
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 91 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
If your favorite part of Joker was Arthur Fleck’s attempt at a career in stand-up comedy, then you should check out The Heckler. This Australian movie centers around an egotistical stand-up comedian who finds his body possessed by the spirit of a heckler. He has to figure out how to evict his body’s new tenant before his blossoming career is ruined. If Arthur Fleck’s took over Murray Franklin’s body and they both had Australian accents you’d get The Heckler, sort of. Hey, isn’t a comedian sort of a clown?
HIM (2017)
Directed by: Luis Antonio Rodriguez
Starring: Oscar Javier Gutierrez II and Guillermo Iván
Genre: Horror
Runtime: 85 minutes
Rating: NR
File this one under clowns are scary. HIM follows a group of paranormal investigators who spend the night at an abandoned warehouse to determine whether it is actually as haunted as it is purported to be. As the dark takes over, the group finds themselves being stalked by a terrifying clown. Is this clown something paranormal or just a man in a mask? You’ll have to watch and find out. One thing is for certain, he is not clowning around.
It Hungers (2019)
Directed by: Dr Vonn
Starring: Stormi Maya and Karin Brauns
Genre: Horror
Runtime: 79 minutes
Rating: NR
If It was more your speed than Joker, then It Hungers is for you. And no, despite the title and the fact that this is a horror movie about a clown, it is not about Pennywise from It. It Hungers follows a beautiful young woman who is on the run. She finds herself ensnared in the trap of a terrifying and bloodthirsty clown. This movie is more your traditional slasher film with a paranormal twist than any sort of commentary on society. You can be sure for lots of jump scares and attractive women making dumb choices.
Once a Clown (2018)
Directed by: Murphy Rhodes
Starring: Murphy Rhodes
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 15 minutes
Rating: NR
If you couldn’t get enough of sad Arthur Fleck, then Once a Clown is for you. This British short film is set in a world where clowns are an ethnic minority. Once a Clown follows a recently divorced father, alcoholic, and clown, who struggles against prejudice to survive in a world that isn’t welcoming to people like him. After an attempt to become “normal” goes wrong, our titular clown finds himself going down a dark path. This short really does feel like a precursor to Joker.