The Jack in the Box is now available on DVD and VOD, and the film is a must-see movie for those who appreciate clown horror. When it comes to the “clown horror” sub-genre of horror movies, there are one of two ways to take them to make them enjoyable. The obvious and more common way is to create a dark comedy film, embracing the comical nature of killer clowns to make something that’s much more funny than it is scary. These kinds of films certainly have their place and can be good for a laugh with horror fans.
On the opposite end of the dark comedy route is what you could call a “serious” clown horror movie. That is, a film that presents its evil clown (or clowns) as a legitimate horror, aiming to creep audiences out more than make them laugh. Going in this direction seems to be a far more risky venture for filmmakers, and if we’re looking at past examples, the strategy seems to fail more often than not. For its part, The Jack in the Box falls into this latter category, and fortunately, it does so with successful results.
The Jack in the Box features a simple horror story of an ancient clown wreaking havoc in a museum in England. Employees working in the museum are perplexed by a recent donation: an antique jack-in-the-box complete with a creepy clown doll that pops out upon spinning a lever on the side. Unfortunately, the clown (or the “Jack,” if you will) needs to feed when it is unleashed, taking on a demonic form to kill those unlucky enough to get close to it in the museum.
This film is not without its blood, but know going in that this is not going to be an absolute gore-fest. The Jack in the Box instead relies on suspense and atmosphere. Robert Nairne does a great job in character as the Jack when the clown comes out to feed, as he’s among the creepiest clowns to ever be seen in a horror movie. Similarly, the doll version of the Jack is especially creepy as well, as even the little things like having the doll staring at characters before coming out to attack can make for some rather unsettling moments.
Although I particularly enjoy watching these kinds of clown horror movies, I’ll also be the first to admit that most of the time, they’re really not that good. This makes The Jack in the Box a nice chance of pace from the norm, as I found it to be genuinely creepy with a nice and entertaining (but simple) scary story. If you enjoy “clown horror” movies like I do and you’ve been waiting for the next good one, you should definitely check out The Jack in the Box!
The Jack in the Box is now available on DVD and VOD. You can watch the official trailer for the film below.
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