With echoes of “Joker” and other pushed-to-the-brink narratives obviously serving as inspiration, there’s a lot to unpack in director Patrick Rea’s totally deranged “Super Happy Fun Clown.” This film is dark, disturbing, and definitely not for the faint of heart, featuring a female antihero for the ages.
The seemingly quiet and mild-mannered Jenn (Jennifer Seward), has been mistreated, belittled, and ignored for years until one day, she finally snaps. Starting with delicious revenge killings of her no-good husband and nasty, sharp-tongued mother, she embarks on a blood-soaked serial rampage through Halloween night as she transforms into her violent alter-ego, Jenn-O the Killer Clown.
Jenn is a fascinating but unsettling character. There’s an initial sense of catharsis in watching her take revenge on those who wronged her, but the film becomes harder to stomach as she spirals further into madness. The kills start off as targeted but before long, she’s murdering at random (and the film starts to feel empty when its focus shifts to the brutal and gruesome murders). The more Jenn-O takes out people who don’t deserve it, the harder it is to care about her.
Rea certainly has a bold creative vision, and there’s a sick energy to the way her film unfolds. The unsettling imagery and strong lead performance from Seward keep you hooked, even when the movie loses a bit of its footing and doesn’t fully land its themes. Rea seems to be making a statement about celebrity culture, violence, and infamy, but beyond a few surface-level lines like “death can’t kill fame,” there’s not enough substance to really back it up.
Even so, “Super Happy Fun Clown” makes the most of its unique premise. It has plenty of style, a memorable story, and is totally deranged.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 