- Directed by: Colin Krawchuk
- Written by: Colin Krawchuk
- Stars: Michael Sheffield, Lelia Symington, Dalaney White
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 30 Minutes
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zaf7AeZzdE
Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone
A powerful and evil Jester shows up to terrorize folks for Halloween, seeming to fixate on one dad and his two adult daughters. The Jester looks and pantomimes well, the effects are excellent, and there were some interesting scenes. Kevin thought it was a solid piece of work, Brian was less pleased. But we both agree it could have used more origin story and explanation.
Spoilery Synopsis
John walks home alone late at night, and a man in a colorful suit and top hat follows him suspiciously closely. He gets glimpses of a strange little girl as he walks; is she real? He’s not sure since it’s his daughter, Emma. He calls her and is surprised that she picks up the phone. She’s not buying his apology. When she hangs up on him, the Jester shows up and kills him. As the Jester walks away, credits roll.
Later, at John’s funeral, Emma is there, which surprises Jocelyn and her friends. Afterward, she sees the Jester dancing by the grave. He sticks around to harass the gravediggers before killing them both.
Emma goes to talk to Jocelyn, her estranged half sister, that evening, but Emma doesn’t say anything about talking to her father right before his death. She runs into the Jester on the street after, and she’s creeped out.
Jocelyn has some friends over, it’s Halloween night, and there are creepy kids all over the streets. There’s a big Halloween party tonight, and they all plan on going. There’s a lot of talking about… stuff that isn’t important to anyone.
Emma recognizes the Jester from the cemetery, but he doesn’t speak. He kills himself in front of her, but then he gets right back up again.
Jocelyn and her friends go to the Halloween Festival, and it’s all pretty elaborate. She’s maybe not ready for all this and freaks out.
Emma calls the police about the Jester’s “suicide,” but they assume she’s drunk. The Jester shows up to prove her right, and the cops don’t appreciate it. Things go badly from there.
At the festival, Jocelyn runs into her dead father as The Jester takes her friend’s teeth and eyes.
The Jester comes to Emma and, through her mother’s voice, tells her everything. She runs into dead-John then, and they finally talk. He blames her for his own death and then puts the noose around her neck– then suddenly, she’s in the cemetery. She confronts the younger version of Jocelyn, and they argue about Emma’s parentage. Emma stabs Jocelyn–
And suddenly, they’re back in the real world, and Jocelyn’s been stabbed.
Time passes, and Emma goes to see John’s grave. She refuses the blame for his death, and suddenly, the Jester is there following her again. Emma meets Jocelyn later, and they’re both happy now.
Brian’s Commentary
The Jester is cool-looking, like a cross between Art the Clown and the guy from “The Black Phone” (2021).
Other than his stylish looks, the film is very slow-paced, maybe a little too slow paced. The acting is not bad, but no one really stands out. The story is confusing; at the very least, they could have told us why this was all happening. It was just random carnage, or so it would appear. Why???
Kevin’s Commentary
Overall, I’m going to say I enjoyed this. I thought it was well put together, the Jester was cool, the effects and cinematography were excellent. But the lack of explanation is a real sore spot. The Jester was referred to as a sickness that dad had and passed on to his daughter? So that manifested as a magical killing entity? But it wasn’t revenge or anything, he was killing innocent people that didn’t do anything wrong. Perhaps the sequel will shed some light on that.