Apocalypse Clown is a madcap comedy that takes clowning to an entirely new level of silliness but struggles to find its footing—and not because of the oversized shoes.
★★✰✰✰
Apocalypse Clown tells the story of a group of washed-up clowns trying to take advantage of the apocalypse to get a shot at performing to audiences no longer tethered to their phones. Unfortunately, it tries to juggle far too many themes and plot-threads, resulting in a messy and convoluted narrative where you’re never really sure what the characters are trying to do. Directed by George Kane, known for the offbeat rockumentary Discoverdale (2012), this low-budget clown feature reunites him with the Irish comedy/music troupe ‘Dead Cat Bounce’. While the film’s ramshackle nature and gag-a-minute sketch-style is rather painful, the more cheerfully offbeat and zany performances do make it a peculiarly appealing watch.
David Earl (Afterlife, Brian and Charles) leads the eccentric ensemble with his portrayal of Bobo, a depressive and wildly inappropriate clown with his “Cheaper than a babysitter” slogan plastered across his ancient Renault 4. Bobo spends his life pining for wannabe-journalist Jenny (Amy De Bhrún) after they drunkenly hooked-up at a party a few years back. Fionn Foley’s talentless and insecure mime, Pepe, and Natalie Palamides’ inadvertently terrifying “Scary Street Clown” Funzo, join him on a bizarre journey to pay tribute to the legendary clown, Jean Ducocque (pronounced “dew-c*ck”).
As society faces an electrical wipeout due to solar flares, the clowns embark on an aimless adventure of self-discovery across Ireland, encountering oddballs, such as the recurring pair of killer statue performers, and getting into antics along the way. The Great Alphonso (Ivan Kaye), a clown that stole Bobo’s act looking to fill the void left by Ducocque, and Jenny—sent out to write about his funeral—also tag along with no one else to turn to for help.
Palamides, a standout Edinburgh Award-winning comedian and the creator of the Netflix show Nate – A One Man Show, steals the spotlight as the enigmatic Funzo. Clad in a deranged blend of Pennywise and Chucky, with an undetermined ‘European’ accent, her commitment to the role adds an extra layer of hilarity that works absurdly well. David Earl’s melancholic performance often pales in comparison as he spends most of the runtime moping over lost love and trying to give up clowning.
Unfortunately, for a film about clowns, there is very little ‘clowning’. Aside from some cringe-inducing song-and-dance from Bobo and child-terrorising from Funzo, we don’t see any clown acts or gags until the finale. Apocalypse Clown works best when it leans into the sillier elements, such as threats of death by “industrial custard” or Alphonso’s big-top attempt at becoming “Global Clown Emperor”. For a concept this wacky, it’s a waste to do anything but go all-in.
The story unfolds as a series of increasingly absurd sketches, loosely strung together to form a narrative. Following the power outage, the story has no real direction or clear goal in mind. Out of nowhere, Alphonso decides he’s hellbent on using an army of children to take over the world as some sort of clown warlord that forces the masses to watch his act, therefore becoming the sudden antagonist of the third act. Kane’s approach tries to keep the audience engaged, firing jokes and gags rapidly, leaving little time for reflection. This works both to the film’s advantage and detriment, as some jokes could have been executed with more finesse.
Visually, Apocalypse Clown embraces its low-budget roots, sporting a mixed bag of clown-costumes and makeup. Pepe’s look is a blue take on the traditional mime outfit of a stripy shirt and suspenders, with his face caked in white paint, whereas Bobo’s clown fit is rather tame: brown trousers; burgundy jacket; a crumpled hat; chequered yellow shirt; and a pink flower on his lapel. His look is much more dishevelled and lived-in, probably because he rarely takes it off. What bonds Bobo, Pepe, and Funzo are each of their signature bright-red clown noses, a symbol of their dedication to the dying art form of clown-hood.
The film hops from one modest location to another, with the occasional missed opportunity for better backdrops. A no-frills field in Dublin and Kildare plays host to an extended, existential sequence where the clowns have to face their bleak reality and share their real names. Whilst this showcases both the film’s resourcefulness amidst its low-budget constraints, it comes off as a boring and uneventful build-up before the final confrontation with Alphonso: a sequence in a big-top that finally gives audiences the bizarre circus action they were looking for.
The Verdict
Apocalypse Clown is a carnival of hits and misses. Kane’s film won’t convert everyone to the dying art of clowning, mostly taking digs at it for cheap gags. Much like a wobbly clown balancing on a tightrope, the film struggles to find its footing and deliver consistent laughs. The humour doesn’t tickle any funny bones as often as it should, but the quirky charm and enthusiasm of the actors in their better moments make it hard to resist joining in the fun.
Apocalypse Clown will be in UK cinemas from 1st September.
Words by Kieran Webb
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.