I recently read an Instagram post about how this Halloween would most likely be a tie between Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker and It’s Pennywise for the most popular costume. I was able to see both Joker and It: Chapter Two in theaters, and I have to say I’m not surprised. They were both exceptional movies and the clowns they had as their leads were quite unnerving to say the least. But why? When did clowns go from being a fun activity to rent for a birthday party to an infestation that got face-paint banned from my high school’s football games sophomore year? (True story.) Sure, they’re creepy, but if you ever decide to dig a little deeper, you’ll find the reason we find things creepy is pretty much the same reason you’re going to see a lot of red balloons this October 31st.
As humans, we like patterns. We like it in our schedules, we like it in our organization, and we especially like it in our emotions. When we’re happy, we like smiling and upbeat music. When we’re sad, we like listening to Billie Eilish and buying mac and cheese in bulk. If something doesn’t fit into that pattern, our brains get confused and we’re put on edge. You might think that sounds strange, but let me give you an example: How many horror movies have you seen that include some sort of child singing a nursery rhyme slowly while disturbing images appear on the screen? I’ll bet quite a few. And the reason for that is because of how disjointed it is. Singing children’s songs should be happy, playful, and sweet. But when you have them playing with a weird echo and creepy sounds, the emotions it’s evoking aren’t positive, and our brain reacts with fear and unease. The same thing goes for clowns.
Clowns are constantly smiling. With their facepaint and bright colors, they’re meant to evoke feelings of happiness and joy. It’s too easy to take that image and place it in a disturbing or scary context. When that happens, that mix of signals our brain is receiving causes what we know as fear. Really, it’s that simple. There’s nothing inherently creepy about clowns themselves — it’s the patterns that our minds search for that cause that fear. That and, of course, the creepy voice and facial expressions that Bill Skarsgård includes to capitalize on that fear.
This concept is used again and again in horror movies, and as a horror movie veteran, I’ve found that it’s often the base of the most disturbing scenes. Sure, you’ll see some gore and jump scares as well, but there are quite a lot of moments that are scary simply because of how they break the pattern. And understanding why we’re unnerved by a certain scene is the key to overcoming that fear. So next time you’re watching a scary movie and a little child starts singing “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” watch your friends get goosebumps while you stay calm, collected, and controlled thanks to your understanding of patterns.
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