10 Scariest Movie & TV Clowns

The Clown Doll stands out as the scene that most people remember when they think about Poltergeist. The tension is built up so perfectly and it leads to an amazing jump scare that you aren’t prepared for.

Little Robbie is nervous of the clown doll sitting in the corner of his room and tries to cover it. He turns around and notices it is missing and looks over the side of the bed for it. Thinking it is going to jump out when he lifts the blanket, you are then caught off guard when it jumps out from behind him. Face twisted into a demonic snarl, it chokes him, dragging him under the bed before he fights it off.

The clown becomes scary on a whole new level when you find out that the mechanical doll malfunctioned and almost killed young actor Oliver Robins. Initially believing he was just acting, it took a while for Spielberg to realise what was happening and rescue him.

The remake in 2015 didn’t have the same effect as the original because the surprise wasn’t there. The clown looked scary, making it obvious that it was leading up to an attack. The 1982 clown looked normal before and after it was possessed by the malevolent spirit but suddenly evil while it was attacking.