10 Scariest Horror Movie Clowns

Throwing it back to 1928 and the silent film era, The Man Who Laughs is to horror clowns what Nosferatu is to the vampire subgenre, inspiring none other than the Joker as well as a slew of other creepy figureheads from the central characters permanently smiling face. Pushed to the point where it sits somewhere between a laugh and a grimace, Gwynplaine wears his disfigurement as a burden throughout the movie, relegated as 'The Laughing Man' of a travelling freak show.

Gwynplaine might not be a classic clown by any normal standard, but his influence over the genre and creepy black and white on-screen imagining are both perfect horror fodder and clown inspiration for the ages. He's definitely one worthy of placement for his understated, subtle creepiness, as well as for tracing back his influential lineage. He's a perfectly nice guy, but his perma-smile will at the very least set your teeth on edge. Which is somewhat ironic, considering just how close his are to busting out his face.