It's fair to say that it’s unlikely you’ll ever see a film quite like Apocalypse Clown.
It’s a post-apocalyptic, surreal comedy with a dash of horror, set mainly in the Irish midlands. The main characters? A bunch of washed-up, amateur clowns.
An Irish-Belgian co-production, it's supported by Screen Ireland and produced by Fastnet Films, who were behind the gripping famine epic Black 47.
Irish writing and directing talent are at the helm here, with the trio behind comedy troupe Dead Cat Bounce - Shane O’Brien, James Walmsley and Demian Fox - devising the screenplay, and direction from George Kane, who directed season three of Brassic as well as Disney's Wedding Season.
British comedian and actor David Earl, who plays Brian in Ricky Gervais’ After Life, takes the lead here as down-in-the-dumps Bobo. He becomes disillusioned with the clowning world after being fired from his children's hospital gig and replaced by a child magician.
Not long after, the funeral of clowning legend Jean DuCoque brings the Irish clown community together. When a skirmish breaks out between the motley crew, the shudder (yes, that’s the collection noun for a group of clowns) are thrown into prison for the night.
When they emerge the following morning, things are very different – it seems that a mysterious apocalyptic event has plunged Ireland into a blackout – leaving no power, no internet, and a breakdown in social structures.
The group of clowns decide to make the treacherous trek to Dublin, each with their own personal goals in mind, including The Great Alphonso (Ivan Kaye), a pompous ex-TV celebrity who aims to take his chance to step into the limelight once again.
They're joined by earnest but fame-hungry journalist Jenny Malone (Amy De Bhrún) who is determined to discover the cause of the blackout and bring the truth to the the nation.
While it's hugely positive to see something fresh and original being written by Irish writers and filmed on location in Dublin and Kildare, it’s very hard to know how to take this movie, as it’s a real mixed bag of hilarious moments - but also awful ones.
A major issue is that it lacks a sense of place. It’s an Irish-directed, written and shot movie, but that real sense of Irishness doesn’t really come through, which is a shame.
While the cast's performances vary, there are some strong turns – notably from Fionn Foley, who plays the pretentious classically-trained clown Pepe, who, for all of his training and dedication to the craft of clowning, freezes with stagefright when on stage.
The standout of the ensemble is American comedian and actress Natalie Palamides, whose transformation to Pennywise-inspired clown Funzo, is almost unbelievable.
Aided by strong (and highly unpleasant) hair and make-up, the actress (who actually has a clowning background in real life), commits completely to a character that is both totally deranged and hilarious, with some kind of European accent that is never explained.
Comedian Tony Cantwell, well known from his podcast and comedy sketches on social media, is not on screen long, but he delivers here also.
Overall, the hugely-funny moments outweigh the not-so-good, and stick with you long after the credits roll.
There is enough energy and originality here to make for an entertaining watch.
My advice is to not think too deeply about the story and tonal changes, and just enjoy the flying trapeze that is Apocalypse Clown.
It hits cinemas 1 September.
