editor’s note: this list was originally published October 2023. It has since been updated with new entries. There are so many iconic horror monsters that have graced film screens over the years, striking fear in the hearts of audiences of all ages.
Vampires , werewolves , ghosts , witches , zombies , and...
circus clowns? Ostensibly, a clown is a comedic performance, making fools out of themselves for the laughter and happiness of their audience. But as anyone who’s had to counsel a crying kid after they interacted with a birthday party clown will know, they often provoke the opposite response instead. A 2016 survey by the Morning Consult found that 42 percent of Americans were, to some degree, afraid of clowns: admittedly, this survey occurred after a minor mass hysteria over a series of alleged evil clown sightings across America, but the fact that “evil clown sightings” were even a thing indicates there’s some deeper hangups involving the make-up clad fools.
Perversions of clowns or jesters and their sunny, goofy demeanor have existed in some form for centuries. In 1849, Edgar Allan Poe published a short story “Hop-Frog,” named after the central villain, a murderous court jester. One of the most famous operas of all time is Ruggero Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci,” which focuses on a commedia dell’arte theater leader who kills his wife and her lover on stage during a performance.
From those origins, the concept of the evil clown has spread, and it is now a co.