There are certain settings that just always work in a horror movie. An old house that creeks and hosts ghosts is one. A college campus where a killer is hiding is another. There’s also the terror that results when a circus comes to town. Since a circus always comes with evil clowns and a person in charge who has some dark and terrifying plans, this setting is definitely effective.
The “Circus of Fear” horror trope is one of the scariest, evoking images of performances that start off fun and innocent and end with people getting killed. There’s a lot to know about this trope, which has been used in many films and TV episodes.
RELATED:The ‘Macabre Moth’ Horror Trope, Explained
Clowns have long been a part of the horror genre, withPennywise fromITandArt the Clown fromTerrifierbeing some of the most memorable villains. There is also a trope that is all about a circus and definitely includes some creepy clowns. According toTV Tropes, The “Circus of Fear” horror trope is when a seemingly fun and innocent circus becomes something sinister. The music is scary, people are going missing, and the ringmaster is evil. There is another horror trope called “Amusement Park of Doom” that sounds a lot like this one but has a different setting.
TV Tropesnotes that the 1920 movieThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligariseems to be where this trope comes from. Since the movie is a silent one, that makes it even more terrifying. The main character is a hypnotist who kills people. The film beings with two men sitting on a bench in a park talking about Cesare, who is controlled by Dr. Caligari and who commits murder. Dr. Caligari will hypnotize Casare and then answer questions from an audience who thinks that they’re there for some fun. Some of them die later on. Since this was such an early horror movie, it’s easy to think about how scary this must have been. It’s one of thebest horror classics.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligarisets up thishorror movie settingof a circus is that is hurting people instead of entertaining. It started the long tradition of the horror genre including seemingly innocent environments that are actually dark and horrible. Now fans are used to seeing stories about forests, beaches, small towns, and pretty old houses that are haunted and full of evil spirits. But in 1920, the idea that someone could run a circus, which is meant to be an enjoyable way to spend some time, was pretty new and fresh.
There are a few TV shows that have used this trope, fromAmerican Horror StorytoHeroes. Whenranking the seasons ofAmerican Horror Story,Freak Show, which is season 4, is one of the scariest. It takes place at a terrible circus where everyone is miserable and inflicts that pain on others. Fans still think about Twisty the Clown, who is definitely as terrifying as Pennywise and Terrifier. The beloved Jessica Lange plays Elsa Mars, who runs the circus and wants to hire Bette and Dot Tattler (Sarah Paulson), conjoined twins who have experienced personal tragedy.
Twisty the Clown is a stand-out here. Played by John Carroll Lynch, he’s the creepy clown that horror fans expect, and he proves that the “Circus of Fear” trope always needs a terrible clown who kills people to create a proper atmosphere. Twisty is, well, freaky and that makes him one of thescariestAmerican Horror Storyvillains. The entire season is one of the goriest, which only makes the circus atmosphere even more sinister.
In the fourth and final season ofHeroes, a carnival comes to town. Samuel Sullivan (Robert Knepper) runs the Sullivan Bros. Carnival and is a villain as he can make rocks and dirt move and change. Samuel gains more power if he’s near people who have magical abilities, which is what makes him so dangerous. WhileHeroesis said to start off strong and then fall apart, the circus setting does make these episodes fun. Samuel asks people who have abilities to join his circus and while he’s evil, they are attempting to live normally and enjoy themselves.
The “Circus of Fear” trope is much different from the"Nothing Is Scarier" horror tropewhich proves that ghosts can be as awful as a fear that characters can actually see. The clowns and characters of these stories are obviously horrifying. Twisty The Clown has a gross-looking mouth, for instance, and his rotten and dark teeth alone prove how evil he is. Because people think of a circus as being a cool place of creative performances and amazing stunts, it’s tough to reconcile that with evil clowns and ringmasters who are up to no good.
As the mostterrifying movie clownsalways prove, the “Circus of Fear” trope is clever. A freaky circus where people might not come out alive will always be an effective setting.
