The Jack in the Box Trilogy

Jack in the Box (2019)

Directed, written and even produced (among others) by Lawrence Fowler

Starring Ethan Taylor, Philip Ridout, Lucy-Jane Quinlan, Robert Nairne… who are all actors I didn’t know, at first glance. They’re all pretty decent, or just decent!

I like “Jack in the Box”. It’s a trilogy that I enjoyed. At least, I didn’t hate it. Still, I don’t love all these films with evil clowns. Sure, they’re not masterpieces, but there’s the right amount of blood and fright. No really violent scenes, no unbearable gore or endless torture. And that’s fine by me! Those who are only in it for that will still be left wanting more.

It’s a classic little horror film that passes the time! It’s not bad, it’s quite watchable, even if it still feels like a low-budget film. And for a low-budget independent film, that’s fair enough. In fact, it’s obvious that this budget was put into the clown and his costume and nowhere else. This clown is relatively creepy… and doesn’t talk!

The story is simple, but sufficiently gripping because of its mystery. It may have all the usual clichés, but it keeps you entertained. Occasionally, there are a few false connections that are too obvious, but apart from that, the film is fine and the direction is rather nice. It’s not a film I’d recommend, but I knew I’d still watch the two sequels, mainly out of curiosity, because, basically, it’s neither unpleasant to watch nor a complete disaster.

Jack in the Box 2 – Awakening (2022)

A little B-movie that’s a pleasure to watch. I already liked the first instalment of Jack in the Box, but this one really blew me away…

This sequel is just as good, if not better, because the clown is even scarier. He really is a charismatic monster! What’s more, the mansion is creepy (I really liked the setting), as the closed-door aspect adds an extra touch of anguish and I loved discovering the story of the demon in the box! In short, a good sequel to a saga that’s well worth the diversions.

It’s true that it’s not a very dynamic film for everyone, given that the victims disappear one by one, but “Take it easy! We’ll carry on as normal!!!” Yes, no one looks as worried, or terrified as they really should feel.

A monster that moves at a snail’s pace, that can’t chase down a wounded person and that, what’s more, can also be wounded… that’s a change!

As far as I’m concerned, the shots are more dynamic and polished than in the first film. The editing, the sound effects, the acting and the quality all seem superior to the previous film.

The toxic mother-son relationship is beautifully portrayed. Much is made of the manipulative mother, but I think she only supported her son’s already unhealthy mind. After his first murder, he quickly stopped vomiting and used the box for every frustration. Yes, because he knows full well that he leaves no trace, no evidence. By the fifth crime, we see just how much he’s changed, gloating over his totally helpless victim.

The acting is a delight, but it’s just a shame that the black actress, Stacey, has clearly been used as a plant!

There are certainly quite a few repetitive scenes and the horror is more suggested than shown. A horror film purist will hardly be satisfied, unlike me!

It may not be original, but why not? We’ve had our share of murders, we suspect the latest victim… but, at the same time, I’m about to turn fifty, so it’s normal! For the less elderly, it might work better… ;-D

As in the first: still a bit of blood, no gore scenes as such, but the most unbearable sight is that of an enucleated eye on which the son puts his foot…
Yes, it’s not very glamorous or exciting !

The film is reminiscent of a very old Alice Cooper song that took up the theme of the fear/phobia of clowns that is “Coulrophobia”: Can’t Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me!

Jack in the Box Rises (2024)

I don’t think many people got into this latest opus!

There are those who didn’t like the first one, but still watched the others out of curiosity. Among them, there are those who preferred the second and must have thought it was going to get better and better. In this category, there are certainly those who only liked the second one. In short! I can go on and on like this…

Third instalment in the horror series centred on a demon trapped in a music box. This time, the action takes place at a public school for girls, where Raven, a new student, discovers the cursed box and unwittingly releases the evil creature. The film follows the students’ efforts to survive the demon’s attacks and try to contain it.

With Jack in the Box, Lawrence Fowler delivers a solid, visually polished sequel. The film builds on a dark, oppressive atmosphere, enhanced by more or less convincing special effects and creature design that is as good as ever. This time, the plot takes a bolder turn, delving deeper into the mythology surrounding the evil box, which adds real value compared with the first film. However, despite these improvements, some passages suffer from uneven pacing and underdeveloped characters, which can limit the film’s emotional investment.

The dark, oppressive atmosphere is one of the film’s strong points.

The biggest fans of gore and extreme violence will obviously find it boring and say things like: “Come on! A resurrection, one! Just to try and make as much money as possible on a ‘lousy clown saga’! It’s ridiculous and incoherent. The monster is grotesque. The story is dumb as hell and blah blah blah!!!”

So here’s the story: a young girl infiltrates a manor for young women whose wealthy parents have supposedly entrusted them with an excellent education. There’s only one headmistress, and she’s alone! The girl’s mission is to find a clown box to pay off her father’s debts. Three-quarters of the story takes place internally between the six or seven boarders, who don’t inspire much and don’t seem to have a very exciting destiny. Why only six or seven girls? Because this clown has to kill six girls! You can feel no empathy whatsoever for these young ladies who disappear one after the other. To each his own degree of empathy or lack of it!

Those who know Lawrence Fowler well will have realised that he’s been doing a bit better with each film since “Curse of the Witch’s Doll” or “The Ghost Within”, but that this film has put the brakes on his upward trajectory. After all, as in the other “The Jack in the Box” films, “Rises” is very choppy, with a sequence of scenes that lack any kind of link. The director has probably tried to play Agatha Christie, since we have to guess who opened the box and for what reason, but it’s fairly predictable.

In this unstructured closed-door setting, the same thing happens over and over again, with Raven exploring, arguing with the girls and then trying to find a solution. The murders will disappoint many, even though this killer clown has perhaps never been so imposing.

Yes, you might think that this franchise has never been good and that this third instalment isn’t either, that it’s bland and never entertaining. But to each his own.

Basically, the setting is promising – an isolated boarding school, a demon locked in a mysterious box, a dark atmosphere – but alas, the execution struggles to convince. The special effects are decent, the demon visually successful, but the pace is uneven, the characters unlovable and the plot too predictable. It’s enough to leave you more irritated than terrified.

For fans of thrills without gore or torture, it’s worth a watch! For the rest of us, it’s a disappointment.

My very personal conclusion:

A pretty good film, a nice story, but not incredible, but well done to whoever wrote it. I was a bit surprised at the end, I wasn’t necessarily expecting it. So I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed at the end, but despite that I had a great time and the actors were worthy of their roles, or at least pretty decent.