Movie Battle: 'Killer Klowns From Outer Space' vs 'IT'

Cosmic Fear and Carnival Chaos: How 'IT' and 'Killer Klowns From Outer Space' Became Accidental Twin Movies

In this edition of our movie battle series we are comparing and analyzing the strange occurrence of the near simultaneous arrival of 'Killer Klowns From Outer Space' (1988) and 'IT' (1990). The former is a neon soaked movie about alien circus creatures harvesting humans like carnival snacks and the latter is a psychological drama about a cosmic entity that often appears as a clown and feeds on the fear of children. On paper, these two projects couldn’t be more different. Yet, when placed side by side, they form one of horror’s most unexpected examples of the “twin movie” phenomenon: two works released around the same time that explore eerily similar ideas without directly influencing each other (we think).

*reader note: yes we are aware 'It' (1990) was originally released as a two part miniseries, but the episodes are now presented together as one contiguous film.

What is "The Twin Movie Phenomenon"?

This brings us to the broader concept of “twin movies.” Hollywood history is full of examples:

• Deep Impact' (1998) and 'Armageddon' (1998)

• 'Antz' (1998) and 'A Bug’s Life' (1998)

• 'The Prestige' (2006) and 'The Illusionist' (2007)

These pairs often arise from shared cultural anxieties, industry trends, or simple coincidence. What makes IT and KKFOS such fascinating twins is that they weren’t competing blockbusters or studio rivals. One was a low‑budget creature feature; the other a prestige television event. Yet they converged on the same idea of the clown as a vessel for horror at almost the exact same moment.

Their twinning isn’t about plot or production, but about cultural timing. In the late 1980s, clowns were undergoing a transformation in the public consciousness. The innocence of the circus was fading, replaced by a growing fascination with the uncanny. Both IT and KKFOS captured that shift, each in its own way.

Comparing The Two Films

Killer Klowns From Outer Space

(1988)

IT

(1990)

Source:	Original screenplay by the Chiodo Brothers	Based on Stephen King’s 1986 novel
Plot Summary:	Alien clowns invade a small town to harvest humans in bizarre circus‑themed ways.	A cosmic, shape shifting entity preys on children by exploiting their deepest fears.
Setting:	Crescent Cove, USA	Derry, Maine USA
Style & Themes:	Whimsical chaos with horror frosting. Absurdity, smalltown chaos, parody of sci‑fi tropes.	Emotional, mythic, and fear driven horror. Childhood trauma, memory, fear, cyclical violence, and friendship.
Mythology:	Light lore; aliens with circus themed biology and tech.	Deep mythology tied to cosmic horror, the Macroverse, and cyclical evil.
Tone:	Campy horror comedy, creature feature, B-movie charm.	Psychological horror, cosmic dread, trauma narrative.
Effects:	Practical effects, rubber suits, neon colors, carnival aesthetic.	Darker palette; surreal fear sequences; modern digital effects.
Antagonist:	A species of extraterrestrial “Klowns” that harvest humans like carnival snacks (cotton candy cocoons, popcorn spawn).	Pennywise the Dancing Clown (an avatar of an ancient cosmic being) that feeds on fear and returns every 27 years to consume children.
Protagonists:	Teenagers and young adults	The Losers’ Club (children, and jumping through time, then adults)
Cultural Impact:	Cult classic; beloved for its creativity and practical effects.	Mainstream phenomenon; Pennywise became a modern horror villain icon.
Scare Factor:	Stylized, cartoonish, and playful gore. Audiences describe the film as fun, weird, and gleefully grotesque.	Intense, emotional, and fear driven violence. Audiences describe the film as a very scary, dread inducing, emotional investment.

Similar Monsters

At the heart of both stories is a creature that weaponizes the familiar image of a clown. Both clown villains twist childhood iconography into something predatory, turning bright colors and exaggerated smiles into instruments of fear.

Despite their tonal differences, the alien clowns share a surprising amount of conceptual overlap. Both:

• arrive from beyond Earth

• use humour or playfulness as a façade for violence

• target smalltown USA

• blend the whimsical with the horrifying

These parallels make the two stories feel somewhat spiritually linked, even though their creators were working in completely separate creative lanes.

Pennywise has certainly been the more successful clown villain, becoming an enduring pop culture icon with the success of it's remake, and then tv series spin-off.

In KKFOS the story revolves around alien clowns (plural) who invade Earth and capture humans in cotton candy cocoons. The clowns are an extraterrestrial species whose biology and technology naturally resemble circus clowns, using carnival weapons and tricks to hunt and harvest humans. They’re not shapeshifters or supernatural beings, just bizarre alien predators with a civilization built around circus logic. The clowns’ designs are grotesque but cartoonish.

In 'IT', the alien clown is an ancient interdimensional being that actually is a ball of light, it can manifest as anything it chooses, clearly favouring to manifest as a clown to lure children. Its anchor point in our world is where it crash landed beneath the town of Derry and that's why it resides there. The clown looks like a real human in costume.

Two Different Paths To The Same Nightmare

The similarities become even more striking when you consider the timeline. Stephen King’s 'IT' novel was published in 1986, but the ABC miniseries didn’t air until 1990. Meanwhile, the Chiodo Brothers had been developing KKFOS for years before its 1988 release. Neither project was reacting to the other, they coincidentally emerged at the same cultural moment, a period when clowns were shifting from harmless entertainers to uncanny, unsettling figures in the public imagination.

Both films take different approaches, yet both tap into the same primal discomfort: the idea that something wearing a smile might be hiding something monstrous. The themes in these films highlight different aspects of horror.

KKFOS focuses on absurdity and satire. It plays with the idea of clowns as figures of fun turned deadly, mocking both alien invasion tropes and circus culture. The story is straightforward, with a clear good versus evil conflict and a focus on entertainment.

'IT' explores fear, trauma, and friendship. The story delves into childhood fears and how they shape people’s lives. Pennywise represents not just a monster but the embodiment of fear itself. The film also examines how a group of children confronts their fears together, adding emotional weight to the horror. This depth makes 'IT' resonate beyond just scares.

Why These Two Films Feel Linked

Part of the eerie similarity comes from how each story reframes the clown archetype:

• Pennywise uses the clown form as camouflage, a mask for something ancient and malevolent.

• The Klowns are clowns, biologically and technologically, as if an alien species evolved around circus logic.

Both interpretations suggest that the villain(s) is not merely a clown performer, but a shape that horror can inhabit; a vessel for fear, deception, and the grotesque.

Their settings also echo each other: Derry and Crescent Cove are both small towns where the extraordinary erupts into the everyday. Both stories feature groups of ordinary people trying to understand an impossible threat. And both narratives blend humour with horror in their own way.

Conclusion: Twin Movies Born From the Same Cultural Pulse

'IT' (1990) and 'Killer Klowns From Outer Space' (1988) stand as one of horror’s most unexpected pairs of twin movies, two works that arrived within two years of each other, both centered on monstrous clowns from beyond, yet created with entirely different intentions. One is a psychological epic about trauma and cosmic evil; the other is a campy, imaginative absurdity. But together, they mark a turning point in horror history, when clowns shifted from harmless entertainers to icons of fear.

Their accidental synchronicity is part of what makes them so compelling to compare. They didn’t imitate each other; they simply tapped into the same cultural current at the same moment. And in doing so, they helped cement the clown as one of horror’s most enduring and versatile monsters.

You may be wondering if there was some plagiarism or perhaps KKFOS spoofed Stephen King's novel. The truth is... we will never know if the Chiodo Brothers came up with their screenplay after reading Stephen's King novel. The Chiodo Brothers insist they came up with their alien clown idea independently, and we have no reason not to believe that it was anything but a coincidence.

We highly recommend both films, visit their film pages to find streaming links, trailers, and more details.

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-Pumpkinhead