Underrated Shudder Horror Movie Becomes Global Streaming Hit After Quiet Theatrical Release

The horror film Clown in a Cornfield, directed by Eli Craig (known for Little Evil and Tucker and Dale vs Evil), is gaining popularity on Shudder. Starring Katie Douglas, Aaron Abrams, Carson MacCormac, Kevin Durand, and Will Sasso, the movie first premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2025 and had a limited theatrical release in the U.S. in May, earning $13.8 million globally.

The movie Clown in a Cornfield centers around a father and daughter who move to a struggling small town, only to be terrorized by a frightening killer. Critics generally liked the film, giving it a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 157 reviews, but audiences were less impressed, scoring it at 54% despite the movie being aimed at horror fans.

According to FlixPatrol, the movie Clown in a Cornfield is currently the third most popular title on HBO Max globally (as of January 14th). However, it’s not available on HBO Max in the United States; instead, it can be streamed on AMC+ or rented through Prime Video. FlixPatrol’s data shows the film is a hit primarily due to its popularity in countries across Central and South America.

Worldwide, Clown in a Cornfield is currently the third most popular title on HBO. It’s only behind One Battle After Another at number one – a political thriller expected to be a strong contender for the Best Picture Oscar – and the 2025 live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon at number two. Both of those films were major successes in theaters last year.

Despite being a smaller release, Clown in a Cornfield is actually performing better than several popular movies like Hit Man, Karate Kid: Legends, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Sinners, and Jurassic World Rebirth. While its availability in certain regions might prevent it from staying on top of streaming charts for a long time, it’s still remarkable that it’s already achieving such high rankings.

The horror film Clown in a Cornfield was made by Temple Hill Entertainment and Rhea Films and released through RLJE Films and Shudder. Shudder has become well-known for distributing surprising and critically acclaimed horror movies, such as 2023’s Late Night with the Devil (97% on Rotten Tomatoes) and the upcoming 2025 film Good Boy (95%).

You can watch Clown in a Cornfield on various streaming services, making it easy to check out alongside other films from Shudder. Many viewers might also be interested in this movie because its look and feel are similar to those of the It movies and TV series, which you can find on HBO Max.

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2026-01-14 18:08