There never seems to be a lack of clown films on the internet. Why are clowns scary? Writer/director Michael Evans of the short film Clown-O-Gram knows. Maybe it is their joyous eyes that can peer into your soul and find your deepest darkest fears. Maybe it is their fake smile that sends a shiver down your spine as they try to make you laugh. Personally, I can not look at a clown without remembering IT. This film has cemented my fears of clowns.

When I open a door to a complete stranger I ask questions. When I answer the door and a clown stands in front of me, I slam the door and arm myself. The birthday boy, a young adult,  invites a strange clown into his home after mistaking his birthday date. The birthday boy is all alone in a big house and a clown appears. Every coulrophobian’s nightmare. The minute the clown said, “Can I come in,” I knew the end was coming.

Clown-o-gram played with the idea of hardships among clowns and the stigma attached to them. The clown was rubbish at trying to be a clown, but I could not blame the guy for trying to make a living. The monolog the clown delivered about clowns being stigmatized all thanks to horror film was priceless. The clown defended himself, it made me feel bad, but then he proceeds to stab the birthday boy with his knives while laughing.

Clown-o-gram was chilling and funny. Using an older birthday boy with a fear of clowns to express the growing hardships of clowns everywhere was a new twist to short horror films. I deeply feared for the naive birthday boy and I feared the intellectual clown. I think the lesson of this film is: Don’t trust a smart clown. Great short film and highly recommend it if you are seeking a reason to fear clowns.