"The Visitor"

13 September 2023

60s

Nose escape.

DAVID has never forgiven the clown who burst a balloon in his face when he was eight years old. It was loud, scary, and a waste of rubber. That was at the circus at least, but what happens when an evil crown shows up at your house in the dead of night?

It's an ordeal no one should have to go through, but director Leigh Marling and his crew are a sadistic bunch. Their clown has a red nose, a tiny top hat, and a desire to scare the absolute shit out of the protagonist. He does just that, and may even jolt some viewers too.

Both sound design and camerawork are spot on here, whether it's the clown's demented laugh or a top-down, 'Vertigo' shot of the staircase. Even when you realise it's a plug for pure fibre broadband, there's one last twist in the tale that proves a nightmare clown's work is never done.

Canada

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