WFG RATING: A

A WhattheHeck Films/Hench Productions. Directed, lensed, and edited by Mark Hensley. Produced by Mark Hensley and Katy Mahard. Written by Mark DaPonte. 

Stars Joe Heck, Katy Mahard, Max E. Williams, Monazia Smith, Zachariah Axel, Rachanee Lumanyo, and Josdon Thong. 

A down on his luck performer attempts to turn to crime but things don’t go as planned in this low-budgeted comedy from director Mark Hensley.

John has been having a bad life as of late. Working as a clown, he just doesn’t have the heart in it anymore. With a desperation to make ends meet, he decides to attempt to be a criminal. However, he doesn’t exactly have the chutzpah to pull anything off. After attempting at robberies tend to be futile due to his inability to succeed, he gets an opportunity to prove himself. 

He gets hired to track down and assassinate a young woman named Elaine. However, upon finally coming face-to-face with the unhinged Elaine, he discovers that they may have more in common than what is led to believe. Will John complete his mission or will he have another plan set in motion to change his life?

Shot on a budget of only $4,000, director Mark Hensley makes this film look like a six-figure caper full of eccentricity that would make the likes of even Quentin Tarantino proud. This is the kind of film you would most likely find in an old school video store in the 1990s and yet once you pop in that tape, enjoy the hell out of it and it’s thanks to not only the story, but the performances of its cast. 

Joe Heck is excellent as John, our clown who looks to start his life over but in the worst way imaginable. However, the major problem with his attempts at crime is that he’s either anxious or he just seems too much of a nice guy to be able to pull off anything. It is when he is given a chance to become a hitman for a good payday that he tends to prove he can be a bad man. But, once he comes across Elaine, the target in question, everything changes again.

Katy Mahard’s Elaine is the definition of “unhinged”. It is as if she possibly could be bipolar. One minute she’s sweet and innocent. The next, she snaps and well, for John, if he doesn’t do the job, she might retaliate. However, as the film goes on, we see the two go from hitman and target to a bonding friendship. Of course, this leads to a series of mishaps that come together for a finale that may be a bit predictable but fun and will have you rooting for both John and in some crazy way, Elaine. 

Clown-N-Out is a witty fun homage to great caper comedies with Joe Heck and Katy Mahard giving it their all and the fact that this looks like it could be an A24 film and yet it was shot on a $4,000 budget makes it more the appreciation for independent cinema.