A Book A Week

Earlier this year, I discovered Adam Cesare's hit horror novel Clown in a Cornfield. I devoured it, impressed by the way Cesare blended classic slasher tropes with timely commentary on politics, grief, and the inevitability of progress. He subverted expectations by leaning into the familiar beats of the genre, only to twist them in surprising ways. I quickly tore through the two sequels and then found myself waiting impatiently for the film adaptation of the first book. When it finally arrived, I was both excited and apprehensive. Horror is one of my favorite genres, and I worried the movie might not do the book justice.

Kettle Springs is the kind of small Midwestern town that time forgot. The abandoned Baypen Corn Syrup Factory looms over sprawling cornfields, a monument to economic decline and the widening generational divide. The town’s faded mascot, Frendo—a grinning clown in a porkpie hat—still clings to rusting signs, a ghost of better days. The older generation clings just as tightly to the past, while the younger generation only wants out. For Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas) and her father, Dr. Glenn Maybrook (Aaron Abrams), Kettle Springs is meant to be a fresh start after the death of Quinn’s mother. But while her father embraces his new role as the town’s doctor, Quinn sees only a dead end, counting the days until graduation.

Those plans shatter when tensions in town boil over and a masked killer—dressed as Frendo—targets the local teens. Caught between an older generation bent on “restoring” Kettle Springs and a defiant group of kids led by Cole Hill (Carson MacCormac), Quinn is pulled into a fight for survival. As the bodies pile up, she’s forced to rely on unlikely allies to escape the nightmare playing out in the cornfields. In a town at war with itself, the only rule left is kill or be killed.

Director Eli Craig, best known for Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, brings Cesare’s writing to life with both genre reverence and a touch of comedic flair. Like the novel, the film feels both timeless and timely, capturing the book’s tone while drawing from the rich history of slasher cinema. The Kettle Springs on screen matched almost exactly what I’d pictured while reading. While there are a few deviations from the plot, the spirit of Cesare’s work remains intact. My only real sticking point was Katie Douglas as Quinn. Her delivery is so deadpan that it occasionally drifts into disinterest. Thankfully, the rest of the cast steps up, breathing energy into the story. Clown in a Cornfield isn’t the best horror movie I’ve ever seen, but as an adaptation of a strong horror novel, it more than delivers. With clever kills and a few smart subversions of expectations, it’s a slasher that earns its place alongside the book.