20 Creepy Movies About Circuses and Carnivals

Just like clowns, carnivals and circuses are supposed to be innocent fun, something kid- and family-friendly, something that evokes a sense of nostalgia. And just like clowns, there’s something deeply creepy about these locales. An ominous aura lurks beneath all the vibrant colors, the lights, and the wondrous. The funhouses and masked carnies create an unsettling juxtaposition with the cotton candy and stuffed animal prizes. There’s something off-putting about all the rickety rides and noises. A certain mystery surrounds the circus and those work it. Two words come to mind when thinking about these carnivals, circuses, and fairs: hidden darkness. 

Because of their distinct sinister undertone, carnivals and circuses make the ideal setting for horror movies. The 20 horror movies listed below prove just how terrifying they can be. 

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is an integral work of cinema—it’s the first German Expressionist movie, it pioneered the horror genre, and it set the stage for arthouse films to come. The silent picture tells a dark, bizarre tale about two friends, Franzis (Friedrich Feher) and Alan (Rudolf Lettinger), who meet Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) at a carnival. With him is Cesare (Conrad Veidt), his sideshow attraction, a somnambulist who’s kept in a coffin and who commits murder under the titular evil hypnotist’s control. The artwork in the film transcends anything ever seen before, even in modern cinema. Watching this film is one of the most unnerving and unhinged experiences. 

The Unknown (1927) 

The renowned Freaks isn’t Tod Browning’s only circus-themed horror movie. Five years earlier, Joan Crawford and Lon Chaney starred in his film The Unknown, whose tagline read: “A superb mystery thriller, unusual and startling even for a Chaney film. Lon as ‘The Unknown’ eats, drinks, shoots a rifle and dresses with his feet. Don’t miss this startling spectacle!” The film follows a criminal on the run who fakes having no arms and works as an “armless” knife thrower in a circus. He’s infatuated with his beautiful  assistant, a woman who has a phobia against being touched by any man. His obsession with her his drives him to unimaginable acts.

Freaks (1932)

Tod Browning’s Freaks remains controversial to this day due to its casting of disabled performers. There’s a divide between those who find it exploitative and those who think it compassionate of its subjects. Arguably, the pre-code horror movie is a misunderstood work. Tod Browning risked his career to humanize a marginalized group who was viewed as taboo in the 1930s. That it was widely considered grotesque and disgusting at its time of release, labels that got it banned in the UK, Australia, and several American states, proves the point. The story involves a beautiful trapeze artist, Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova), who gets married to Hans (Harry Earles), a circus sideshow little person, to kill him and inherit his money. He and his community of outcasts seek revenge when the truth is exposed

Night Tide (1961)

Night Tide offers a unique spin on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale, “The Little Mermaid.” A young Dennis Hopper plays Johnny Drake, a sailor on leave in an eerie, noir stylized town on the California coast. He meets the beautiful Mora (Linda Lawson) at a local jazz club one night and falls in love. The young woman plays a mermaid at a sideshow attraction that sits amongst many on the boardwalk carnival. For her, it’s no act, for she believes herself to be descended from a line of sirens. Despite the warnings of others and a long list of her exes who have disappeared, Johnny can’t stay away. If you want to watch something heavy on atmosphere, mystery, and dread, then this one’s for you. 

Carnival of Souls (1962)

Carnival of Souls might not be the attraction you imagine—it might not be what you picture at all when thinking about a horror film—but this list wouldn’t be complete without Herk Harvey’s surreal classic. For those who haven’t watched, the dreamlike film follows Mary Henry (Candace Hilligloss), who mysteriously survives a car crash and moves to Salt Lake City to take up a job as an organist. Her attempt to rebuild is thwarted by a ghoulish-like figure, who only she can see, stalking her every move. These visions alienate her from others and paint her as “crazy.” As the apparition becomes more frequent, Mary feels more and more drawn to a deserted carnival pavilion. Carnival of Souls is an unsettling, disorienting experience—one whose ending will forever haunt you. 

Vampire Circus (1972)

Hammer Film Productions is well regarded for their horror catalog, which in its heyday mostly consisted of period pieces, the gothic, and vampires. Set in 19th century Serbia, Vampire Circus is no exception. Count Mitterhaus (Robert Tayman) is staked by local townsfolk, and uses his dying breaths to curse those who killed him and their children. Fifteen years later, the village of Stetl is suffering a widespread plague and has become quarantined. People rejoice when the Circus of Night arrives in town, having mysteriously gotten past the blockade. Little do villagers know that it’s not entertainment that has arrived, but a vampiric menace determined to get revenge—and revive the count.

The Funhouse (1981)

Tobe Hooper’s atmospheric slasher, The Funhouse, is the pinnacle of carnival horror. It offers everything fans could possibly ask of the subgenre—small town carnival mystique, downright dirty and demented Americana, macabre oddities, glowing lights, troublemaking pothead teenagers, fortune telling, animatronics, bizarre carnival staff, and lots of camp. You can practically smell the funnel cake and corn dogs from the screen. Despite being forbidden by her father from going to the traveling carnival that’s in town, Amy (Elizabeth Berridge) goes anyway with her date Buzz (Cooper Huckabee), best friend Liz (Largo Woodruff), and Liz’s boyfriend Richie (Miles Chapin). While there, Richie dares the group to spend the night in the funhouse, where they witness a murder. The deformed masked killer won’t let them leave the dark ride. 

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

The highly atmospheric Something Wicked This Way Comes is the perfect watch for a cozy day in autumn or during Halloween. The story, which is way too haunting and unsettling for kids, was surprisingly brought to the screen by Disney. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Ray Bradbury, who also penned the screenplay, the movie is set in the idyllic, sleepy town of Greentown, Illinois during the early 20th century. It follows two 12-year-old boys, the bookish Will Halloway (Vidal Peterson) and his rebellious best friend and neighbor Jim Nightshade (Shawn Carson). Dark’s Pandemonium Carnival arrives in town by train one evening, promising to be a magical place that can grant wishes. The boys discover that it comes at a Faustian price. In order to save their home, they must confront the ringmaster, Mr. Dark (Jonathan Pryce), who has the residents under his influence.

The Last Circus (2010)

The Last Circus is written and directed by renowned Spanish filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia, the creator of the horror series 30 Coins. The Spanish-language film opens in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War, then flashes forward 36 years later to 1973 to tell a grotesque love story in which two rival clowns vie for the affections of a beautiful acrobat. In order to fulfill his deceased father’s wishes, Javier (Carlos Areces) joins a circus as its Sad Clown. There, he falls in love with a trapeze artist, Natalia (Carolina Bang), the abused girlfriend of Sergio (Antonio de la Torre), the carnival’s Happy Clown. The love triangle spirals into a violent, insane, sinister frenzy. 

Hell Fest (2018)

Hell Fest features a particularly special type of carnival, a traveling horror-themed park filled with dark rides, haunted houses, games, mazes, and all manner of macabre. With fantastic set pieces and impeccable visuals, this haunted attraction horror movie is defined by its setting and cinematography. If you want a watch that’s just vibes, then this should be your go-to. The movie begins with a young woman being brutally killed by a masked figure at Hell Fest. Her body is mistaken as a prop and is’t found for three days. Three years later on Halloween night, a group of college students visit the carnival and are hunted down by the psychopathic killer. 

Where the Devil Roams (2023)

Where the Devil Roams is a beautifully stylized movie by the talented Adams family, the minds behind The Deeper You Dig (2019) and Hellbender (2021). This is their most abstract piece of work—an arthouse film that deserves more recognition. Buckle up for a trippy ride! This entry is the most bizarre and macabre movie on this list. The film is set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and follows a murderous family of circus performers as they travel town to town on the dying carnival circuit, Maggie (Tobey Poser), Seven (John Adams), and Eve (Zelda Adams). Don’t go into this one for the plot, but rather to immerse yourself in an experience. 

More circus- and carnival-themed horror movies…

Circus of Horrors (1960) After performing a botched operation on a socialite, a plastic surgeon flees to a circus under a new identity, where he soon becomes owner. He begins hiring disfigured women to transform them for his “Temple of Beauty.”

Circus of Fear (1966) After a heist, a gang of bank robbers escape through the Barberini Circus.  

Berserk! (1967) Joan Crawford stars in another circus horror movie, this time as Monica Rivers, the co-owner and ringmaster of a traveling circus, where several performers start meeting what look like accidental deaths. There’s actually a killer who is sabotaging the productions.

Carnival of Blood (1970) A serial killer chooses his victims, who he murders and dismembers, on a carnival ride. 

Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988) After spotting a glowing object landing on earth, two teenagers discover a spaceship resembling a circus tent, where clown-like aliens are harvesting humans in cotton candy cocoons.

House of 1000 Corpses (2003) Rob Zombie’s movie about two couples who stumble across The Museum of Monsters and Madmen, which turns out to be a murderous roadside attraction where visitors are mutilated, tortured, and much worse. 

The Devil’s Carnival (2012) A short musical horror film about three dead people who are forced to relive their past sins in a special carnival they’ve been invited to by Satan himself—Hell.

Circus of the Dead (2014) An insane movie about a group of sadistic clowns who force a father to play a deadly game if he wants to save his family. 

31 (2016) Written and directed by Rob Zombie, the movie is set in 1976 and focuses on five carnies kidnapped by a gang of homicidal clowns, who force them to play a twisted survival game.

Further reading:

• Scary Clown Horror Movies
• Horror Movies About Haunted Attractions
• Horror Movies Based on Urban Legends