Director: Minh Collins
Year: 2020
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: Circus Road
Genre: Killer Clown
Plot:
After being left on her wedding day, a humiliated bride and her party leave Las Vegas to get away from the situation and break down in the desert near a seemingly abandoned clown motel, but when they realize a gang of killer clowns who value their territory over outsiders is there must try to get away alive.
Review:
Overall, this one managed to get some enjoyable aspects about it. Among the best parts here is a noticeable dark and grimy atmosphere that comes through quite nicely. The initial stages of this one, showing the type of lifestyle she was exposed to with the clowns killing the outsider in front of her and the rude treatment they engage in with each other, shows that there’s a gritty, grimy atmosphere present for the most part that gets extrapolated much more later on in the main part of the storyline when they’re shown stalking and killing those who enter the motel. Given that there’s plenty of that throughout here, it comes off even better due to a fine filter featuring a dirty grindhouse aesthetic and plenty of enjoyable sleazy behavior from the girls for once.
There’s also a lot to like with the brutality in the kills on display, which goes hand-in-hand with the grimy atmosphere. The opening stalking in the motel comes off quite creepy and eerie with the shadows on the wall behind her before seeing the figure following her throughout the room, much like the enjoyable ambush on the boyfriend and his friend in their car which is quite obvious about what’s going on but is enjoyable nonetheless. Other ambushes here, from the attempted drowning in the motel bathtub to the clowns appearing at the hot-spring for an unexpected beating, there’s a lot of rather fun encounters that all set up the big final battle between the remaining girls and the clowns as a series of carnival games around the motel grounds which are quite fun and highly enjoyable generating some brutal kills and nice action along the way. These here are what hold the film up overall.
There are a few minor points involved with the film. One of the biggest issues here is the fact that there’s no reason for this one to drag on as long as it does here with the running time approaching the two-hour mark. This happens due to several reasons, mainly in the pointless dragging out of several scenes or not even needing them to be there in the first place. The exploits at the wedding chapel showing how they’re all opposed to each other and aren’t friends at all take way too long to spell itself out, a seemingly endless scene of her wandering around the hotel looking for a place to smoke or the pointless round of the boyfriend going toe-to-toe with the clowns in their demented games tend to run between going on way too long or not even needed at all and just serve to take up time in the running length.
The other real flaw to be had here is the complete lack of rational explanation for anything. There’s no sense if the clowns here are normal humans or supernatural beings as this one tends to make both arguments at various points depending on what’s needed for the scene and even tends to vary for the same individuals throughout the film. From the backstory of what’s going on at the motel to what’s going on with the group and the daughter getting along, there’s plenty of issues here about what’s going on with the clowns and everybody else that the film doesn’t make any real clear statement on and tends to leave this one confusing more than anything. Coupled with the low-budget look that some might have an issue with, these here are what hold this one back.
Overview: ***/5
With a nice grindhouse aesthetic and feel that tries to hide a lack of cohesion with everyone going on and some filler moments, this is a rather curious affair that has worthwhile and detrimental aspects to it. This is worth a shot if you’re into killer clown films or fine with a slightly flawed but watchable indie effort, while those turned off by the style or type of film present should heed caution with this one.
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