Klown
Drafthouse Films | Release Date: July 27, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
4
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
IndieWireEric KohnJul 24, 2012
For American audiences, each gag has added appeal because it contains an uneasy humor that's often explored but never fully exploited in these parts. Read full review
85
NPRJoel ArnoldJul 27, 2012
The movie finds its warmest and its best comedic moments exploring the dynamic between this unlikely trio: the shy, uncertain kid; the sex-obsessed cad who couldn't care at all about him; and the uncle who's trying to care but has no idea how to connect with him. Read full review
80
MovielineAlison WillmoreJul 25, 2012
It's startlingly funny in an uncomfortable, envelope-pushing way that's all the more effective for how it sneaks up on you. Read full review
75
The PlaylistGabe ToroJul 26, 2012
Of course, it's because of the film's casually profane tone and commitment to pushing the boundaries of taste and acceptability that makes Klown a step above "The Hangover," a lack of fear towards the lawlessness with which those films only flirt. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayJul 25, 2012
Whenever Klown hits, it's hysterical. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzAug 2, 2012
Marvel at the audacity of Nørgaard and his cast, of how far they are willing to go for a laugh. It's a bumpy ride, but for those with the stomach for it, it's an entertaining one. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesSheri LindenJul 27, 2012
Crossing many lines, director Mikkel Norgaard's loony feature doesn't always rise above its high jinks. But at its best, it's a sly dismantling of a familiar comedy template built on male cluelessness and female responsibility. Read full review
70
The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerJul 26, 2012
The film, directed by Mikkel Norgaard, somehow manages the difficult trick of going into taboo territory without ever feeling dirty. And Mr. Hvam has a knack for misdirection. Just when you're wanting to give his character a hug and forgive all, off he goes into even more inappropriate behavior. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeJul 18, 2012
The premise, and the hijinks that follow, are about as outrageous as anything in today's crop of raunchy comedies. But Nørgaard offers them with a much drier wit than Hollywood typically delivers. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianShawn LevyAug 2, 2012
It isn't art, it's will-o-the-wisp thin, but it might well make you squirt your soda through your nose. And as there seem to be a number of people willing to pay good money for that sensation, there's glory for you! Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanJul 25, 2012
Klown, a comedy from Denmark about two men on a canoe trip who descend into all sorts of desperate debauchery, demonstrates how the semi-improv, jitter-cam mode of filmmaking has gone from being a style to a tic - a way to disguise how unreal a movie can be. Read full review
63
New York PostLou LumenickJul 27, 2012
Klown turns out to be one long, brutal life lesson for Hvam's hapless character until it finally crosses the line into just plain creepy at the end. Read full review
60
The New YorkerAnthony LaneJul 30, 2012
Even when the male of the species tries to do better, he does his worst; and the most merciless verdict in Klown is delivered not by the law, or by fate, but by the eyes of women. Read full review
60
Time OutJoshua RothkopfJul 24, 2012
For all its episodic, gleeful inappropriateness, the movie Klown most resembles - not that it tries to or anything - is Alexander Payne's half-soused flight from maturity, "Sideways." Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenJul 25, 2012
Penis-obsessed, man-child film comedies can crown a new king: the Danish import Klown. Read full review
40
Village VoiceNick SchagerJul 24, 2012
Raunchy dude comedy is hardly the sole province of American cinema, as Klown all too dispiritingly reconfirms. Read full review
38
Boston GlobeMark FeeneyAug 2, 2012
It can seem sometimes that Hollywood has a monopoly on stupid, obnoxious comedy. Anyone who sees Klown will learn otherwise. Comedy can be just as stupid and obnoxious in Danish. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineBill WeberJul 25, 2012
An ostensible Danish "Hangover" that more closely resembles "Two and a Half Men" with nudity and unexpurgated dick jokes. Read full review
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