Written by Tom Moore
While clowns are generally known for their comedic routines and their wacky appearance, they’ve found a place in the horror genre rather than comedy. There are killer klowns, dancing clowns, and even the clown prince of crime and they all have terrified and, at times, made viewers laugh. However, what happens when these creepy clowns become real? Well, that’s what happened when a local South Florida legend, Wrinkles the Clown, whose real name is unknown, made these fears become real. For those unaware of Wrinkles, many parents would call him in order to stop their children from misbehaving and he eventually became a viral sensation. All of this and more is what filmmaker Michael Beach Nichols attempts to uncover in his new documentary, Wrinkles the Clown, and the result is an interesting narrative with some mixed results.
Right from the start, there’s just something so intriguing about Wrinkles and the impact he’s left on both children and viral culture. Maybe it’s the fact that he isn’t some boogeyman story or some creepypasta, but a real figure. Maybe it’s that his presence sparks some debate about the parents that call for his “services” as a form of discipline is beneficial or harmful to their children. On one hand, the obvious detractor from parents calling Wrinkles is that they create this horrifying entity that could be damaging for the children as they get older — something that I kind of wish Nichols explored a little more or could explore more in a future doc. On the other hand, it’s interesting to think of Wrinkles as a new kind of discipline in a world where spanking and other forms of discipline are frowned upon.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t necessarily agree with the parents using Wrinkles as a way to stop their children from misbehaving. However, it’s hard not to find this small aspect of Wrinkles as a character so intriguing and the film does a solid job exploring this through interviews with parents and kids as well as some audio of the voicemails Wrinkles receives from parents. As a whole, the film mostly stays in the middle when it comes to this debate, but there is some interesting insight that comes from the film’s main subject once he is delved into more.
Before that, though, Nichols looks into how clowns became such scary figures in pop culture and why Wrinkles is such an alluring figure for children even with his creepy appearance. Through expert interviews and interviews with kids, Nichols attempts to delve into the appeal of clowns as well as how kids have become obsessed with creepy viral trends. Aside from creepy makeup and the over-the-top violence in their routines, I wish Nichols went a little more in-depth as to why clowns have become such scary figures—especially because of how it pales in comparison to the depth of how he tackles how children are almost looking to be scared.
There’s a section of the film dedicated to how creepypastas and characters like Wrinkles introduce children to horror in a digital age and have become a part of the online norm. Maybe kids aren’t sitting around a campfire telling spooky stories, but they are still sharing stories across the web and are interacting with them in unique ways. It was actually fascinating to see how some kids created YouTube channels dedicated to being the characters, create their own stories inspired by the characters and interact with stories like Bloody Mary by following their rules. Honestly, I even found myself feeling compelled to give Wrinkles a ring and I think it speaks to our fascination with these kind of horror figures that’s nicely shown in the film.
Wrinkles is the true star of this show, though, and his story is easily one of the most fascinating aspects about the doc. It’s crazy how everyone literally knows his name, sees his stickers, and has their own theories as to who he really is and what his intentions are. This concept about people’s perceptions what make characters like Wrinkles so fascinating. In some ways, Wrinkles is like most celebrities. He receives praise, hate, and recognition from those that know of him and it’s an intriguing story to see unfold. Even just hearing his thoughts about the whole thing are really insightful and pride for creating such a highly regarded character as well as some regret for likely being part of the inspiration for real killer clowns, which is fascinating in itself, to terrorize America.
However, all of this intrigue is muddled by a late twist in the documentary that completely breaks the one rule set by Wrinkles: not to ruin the experience of the character. Aside from strange fictional narrative moments that Nichols throws into the film, the strongest thing about Wrinkles’s story is that there’s no distinct origin and a sense of mystery behind it. However, when Nichols finally opens viewers up to how Wrinkles came to be and how the “hidden camera” videos were actually created, it strips away all of the best parts of the story. Sure, you never see the face under the mask, hear his real voice, or learn his name, but the in-depth look the film provides makes the character less interesting and even makes the whole concept seem dirty. It’s like when you think something has a deeper, more ambiguous meaning and it ends up being a cheap and easy answer. It’s a gut-punch that’ll leave viewers disappointed and possibly even turned off by the character as a whole.
So, even with all of the intrigue that Nichols brings out of Wrinkles and the idea of clown fear, Wrinkles the Clown does a disservice to the kind of character he is. Frankly, while Nichols’ search for the truth behind this character is admirable, his efforts ultimately take away from what makes him special in the first place. In the same way that Wrinkles the Clown opens viewers up to a real-life boogeyman, it also spoils the fun of it.
