81 reviews
I went to the cinema to see 'Sinister', but it was full, so we went and saw Stitches instead. I'm so glad we did! This film was classic! I expected a horror, but I wasn't at all prepared for how much it'd make me smile. Ross does a brilliant job bringing his character to life, and the story and kids wrapped around the concept are just tacky enough to reek of stereotype, but just different enough to keep you entertained and smiling (such as Bulger doing the splits at the gym, or the 'bully' actually being the only character in a stable, functional relationship).
Brilliant film, a lovely surprise to what would have otherwise been a disappointing evening!
Brilliant film, a lovely surprise to what would have otherwise been a disappointing evening!
- sylph_uscm
- Oct 30, 2012
- Permalink
I love Ross Noble! So we jumped at the chance to see this as the closing film to Grimmfest this year! Im very glad i did! Stitches is a very funny take on the slasher genre, using comedy and horror combined, it reminded me of the latter Elm Street movies, where the villain has to use a comic gag to kill his victim! Ross noble seemed to revel in the role and proving to be a very convincing killer clown! He even went onto say in the Q & A about wanting sequels made, do we have a British Jason/Freddy in our midst! Maybe with a bit more budget and a stronger supporting cast and a little better writing, Stitches could become the UKs' very own slasher icon!
- hitchinlist
- Oct 10, 2012
- Permalink
If Peter Jackson had been from Ireland instead of New Zealand, Stitches is the movie he might have made first in place of Bad Taste. It's got the same dark humor, most of which falls flat but some of which hits the spot. There's the same gleeful gore, okay perhaps not quite as much as Bad Taste but close. The deaths are inventive and entertaining and the whole movie would have been improved by better editing, a better score and a bigger budget, just like Bad Taste.
The plot is basic slasher fare. Two parts Friday 13th part VI, One Part Nightmare on Elm Street, One part Stephen King's IT, but a dash of it's own originality thrown in as well. It's let down a little by some really odd pacing and editing choices that slow down the action where it should be building up. If you've seen enough low budget indies you'll probably know what I'm talking about, it's a fairly common amateur film problem.
Still, it's a damn good try and it's heart is in the right place. Regular folks will sit through this very bemused, or more likely turn it off after the first half hour, but horror aficionados will be at least entertained if not downright elated.
The plot is basic slasher fare. Two parts Friday 13th part VI, One Part Nightmare on Elm Street, One part Stephen King's IT, but a dash of it's own originality thrown in as well. It's let down a little by some really odd pacing and editing choices that slow down the action where it should be building up. If you've seen enough low budget indies you'll probably know what I'm talking about, it's a fairly common amateur film problem.
Still, it's a damn good try and it's heart is in the right place. Regular folks will sit through this very bemused, or more likely turn it off after the first half hour, but horror aficionados will be at least entertained if not downright elated.
- The_Dead_See
- Feb 28, 2014
- Permalink
I have to admit, I never had heard of the comedian Ross Noble before I watched this movie. And I wouldn't have been that intrigued by him, if I hadn't seen him perform live. Actually that means he opened the Frightfest and introduced Stitches a day later to the audience. The fact that he was talking about his movie made me believe he was the director. He got me fooled (met the real director too, a really nice guy) and maybe some others too.
But back to this movie, that is a real fun little horror movie, that plays with the fear of clowns. Some have a real phobia, those shouldn't watch this movie of course. Or if you are easily offended (be it by violence or nonpolitical correctness) - don't watch. Everyone else: Jump on the the train and have fun during the trip.
But back to this movie, that is a real fun little horror movie, that plays with the fear of clowns. Some have a real phobia, those shouldn't watch this movie of course. Or if you are easily offended (be it by violence or nonpolitical correctness) - don't watch. Everyone else: Jump on the the train and have fun during the trip.
I watched 'Stitches' mainly because, as well as loving horror, I'm also a big Ross Noble fan and was interested to see how his stand-up would transfer to acting. To be fair, he doesn't have much to do in the way of acting.
His 'unconventional' (sorry, Ross) looks make it easy for the make-up department to transform him into an evil, undead clown, hell-bent on seeking bloodthirsty revenge on the party of children who caused his death in the first place.
In short, Ross Noble steals every scene he's in. Sadly, he's not in it enough. He doesn't really come into it (proper) until midway through and, by then, you've been forced to watch your usual 'teen drama.' As this is a British film, I was hoping for something a little more original than 'uber-geek falls in love with beautiful girl who just so happens to be going out with an arrogant jock.' Sadly, that's all we get. All the (non undead clown) characters are total stereotypes. You'll know exactly who'll die the moment you see them.
And die they do. That's where the film excels. I'm guessing it had quite a small budget, but it really makes the most of the gore. Some of the death scenes are truly disgusting (and hilarious in their over-the-topness).
Stitches is worth watching if you like horror and Ross Noble. He provides all the comedy and gore which will satisfy you. However, sadly the film can never truly be a classic, as the first half is pretty bland and the second half is only ever really alive when the (dead) Ross Nobel is on-screen.
It's a good film that's (sadly) wrapped up in the oldest movie cliché going.
His 'unconventional' (sorry, Ross) looks make it easy for the make-up department to transform him into an evil, undead clown, hell-bent on seeking bloodthirsty revenge on the party of children who caused his death in the first place.
In short, Ross Noble steals every scene he's in. Sadly, he's not in it enough. He doesn't really come into it (proper) until midway through and, by then, you've been forced to watch your usual 'teen drama.' As this is a British film, I was hoping for something a little more original than 'uber-geek falls in love with beautiful girl who just so happens to be going out with an arrogant jock.' Sadly, that's all we get. All the (non undead clown) characters are total stereotypes. You'll know exactly who'll die the moment you see them.
And die they do. That's where the film excels. I'm guessing it had quite a small budget, but it really makes the most of the gore. Some of the death scenes are truly disgusting (and hilarious in their over-the-topness).
Stitches is worth watching if you like horror and Ross Noble. He provides all the comedy and gore which will satisfy you. However, sadly the film can never truly be a classic, as the first half is pretty bland and the second half is only ever really alive when the (dead) Ross Nobel is on-screen.
It's a good film that's (sadly) wrapped up in the oldest movie cliché going.
- bowmanblue
- Mar 7, 2015
- Permalink
- Kuschelwurm
- Jun 25, 2013
- Permalink
To be honest I didn't expect much when I decided to watch this movie.A cast I hadn't heard of, an irish production and a comedy-horror story involving a killer clown, how good could it be? Well, I liked its cover and I like horror stories a lot so I decided to rent and watch it anyway. The result? I was really surprised about how good and refreshing this movie was. Don't expect to watch a really scary movie though. Stitches has some gory killing scenes but even during those scenes you will probably find yourself laughing (It might scare you a bit if you are not used to watching horror movies but that's it).Yes, the most unique and intriguing point of this movie is its dark, weird and even at times disturbing humor. If you can accept this kind of twisted humor that doesn't take anything seriously you will enjoy this movie a lot like I did. In addition, Stitches has some nice effects and even the killing scenes look decently natural and well-made. The flow is the movie is good and I think it will keep you entertained for its entirety. Another point I liked about this movie is that despite having some sexual content it doesn't really have nudity in it. I have gotten bored of seeing naked women in horror movies just for the sake of fan-service. Of course, it has some bad points too. For instance trying to fit in a love story in the plot was probably a bad choice and there are some common clichés laid here and there but nothing too bad. I think Stitches is a hidden gem and definitely worth watching so give it a try.
- timelesswind
- May 13, 2015
- Permalink
clowns OK we like clowns in good horror movies but there I said it GOOD horror movies. Which I Can't say about stitches. It really is an teenage wannabe creepy movie just like many more NOT SCARY AT ALL, NOT FUNNY NEITHER! ANNOYING IT IS! Please people stop rating such a pathetic movie. Were to start : This movie really really is a waste of time if you want to see an decent horror/thriller. Bad acting, over and over predictable ... About the kills, C'MON pfff really. ps : RoccoRossFox you were totally right with your review!
Movie 1/10
ANNOYINGNESS 10/10 !! WASTE OF TIME 10/10 !!
Movie 1/10
ANNOYINGNESS 10/10 !! WASTE OF TIME 10/10 !!
- killostront
- Apr 5, 2013
- Permalink
This movie is cheap and funny. Lots of mean but funny interactions between characters reminiscent of Return to Sleepaway Camp. A few party montages and even some nipples, see it with your buddies and you'll be quoting for days.
Who knew you needed 10 lines to submit? No respect between friends just like a typical high school crew. Funny. Cliché clown resurrection was brief, back to the party. Good soundtrack.
"Boring damned people. All over the earth. Propagating more boring damned people. What a horror show. The earth swarmed with them." ― Charles Bukowski
Who knew you needed 10 lines to submit? No respect between friends just like a typical high school crew. Funny. Cliché clown resurrection was brief, back to the party. Good soundtrack.
"Boring damned people. All over the earth. Propagating more boring damned people. What a horror show. The earth swarmed with them." ― Charles Bukowski
- terryldactyl
- Apr 12, 2013
- Permalink
There is a big difference between the "worst movie" ever and your least favorite. "Stitches" might be a bad movie, but I could hardly call it the worst. It's competently shot, decently acted and the gore effects are pretty well done. If I was judging on a purely objective scale, this film would probably get 3, maybe 4 stars.
However, once you take into account the actual viewing experience, you begin to realize why I gave it this grade. If you like "Stitches", good for you. I won't take that away from you. But for me, personally, it was probably the worst viewing experience I've had in my life.
I'm a fan of a good dark comedy, but it has to be good. "Stitches" isn't funny, and it isn't scary. It's dismal, gross, nasty and all around unpleasant. It's got a wicked mean streak, and it's not remotely funny enough to justify it. I think I laughed once, and it was a weak chuckle at best.
See it for yourself if you'd like, but don't say I didn't warn you.
However, once you take into account the actual viewing experience, you begin to realize why I gave it this grade. If you like "Stitches", good for you. I won't take that away from you. But for me, personally, it was probably the worst viewing experience I've had in my life.
I'm a fan of a good dark comedy, but it has to be good. "Stitches" isn't funny, and it isn't scary. It's dismal, gross, nasty and all around unpleasant. It's got a wicked mean streak, and it's not remotely funny enough to justify it. I think I laughed once, and it was a weak chuckle at best.
See it for yourself if you'd like, but don't say I didn't warn you.
- noahgoucher
- Sep 2, 2014
- Permalink
I just finished watching this and I must admit that I had MANY truly laugh out loud moments. ONLY the UK people can pull off something like this with the DEAD-pan sense of humour it takes to make this work. Sure, some of the comments the clown makes are pretty corny, but there are far more that are REALLY funny!
There are some nice classic Horror touches too. YES, it is a bit gore heavy; but, the effects are well done and very imaginative. I really appreciated the inclusion of the 'Cat' (YES, I love animals, but I love people too, so if you're gonna make a dang Horror film where a bunch of 'teens' are killed, well...) Anyway, back to the nice Horror touches... Gore withstanding (it's almost NEVER my favourite part anyway) the early scenes with the very creative Clown ceremony and mythology were quite entertaining. The guy playing the clown himself was bloody HILARIOUS! His deadpan comments, especially early on before the 'accident' were great!
So, if you DO like entertaining and well done Comedy / Horror, then this is your film. As mentioned by another reviewer, if you are really sensitive about gore effects, then you might want to proceed carefully (For me personally, this kind of 'cartoon' or 'fantasy' gore is all right, although it IS kind of pushing it. What I absolutely do NOT like at all are these 'Torture Porn' films where evil people are just doing horrible, cruel, and mean-spirited things to other people in ULTRA- realistic ways without any fanciful or supernatural context - Those are complete non-starters with me...)
I'd say that if you really liked 'REANIMATOR', you probably would really like this film. Lots of fun if this is your kind of thing...
There are some nice classic Horror touches too. YES, it is a bit gore heavy; but, the effects are well done and very imaginative. I really appreciated the inclusion of the 'Cat' (YES, I love animals, but I love people too, so if you're gonna make a dang Horror film where a bunch of 'teens' are killed, well...) Anyway, back to the nice Horror touches... Gore withstanding (it's almost NEVER my favourite part anyway) the early scenes with the very creative Clown ceremony and mythology were quite entertaining. The guy playing the clown himself was bloody HILARIOUS! His deadpan comments, especially early on before the 'accident' were great!
So, if you DO like entertaining and well done Comedy / Horror, then this is your film. As mentioned by another reviewer, if you are really sensitive about gore effects, then you might want to proceed carefully (For me personally, this kind of 'cartoon' or 'fantasy' gore is all right, although it IS kind of pushing it. What I absolutely do NOT like at all are these 'Torture Porn' films where evil people are just doing horrible, cruel, and mean-spirited things to other people in ULTRA- realistic ways without any fanciful or supernatural context - Those are complete non-starters with me...)
I'd say that if you really liked 'REANIMATOR', you probably would really like this film. Lots of fun if this is your kind of thing...
- lathe-of-heaven
- Mar 6, 2013
- Permalink
i sat down and saw this movie with some friends, and we had a fun time. the movie takes a bunch of horror movie clichés and make fun of them, in a funny way. comparing this one to a "scary movie" movie, this one is way better and work as a parody. the effects are cheap and bad, but i think thats on purpose. who haven't seen a horror movie with cheap effects? so thats probably what they were trying to do. i don't really have any negative thing to say about this movie, other that you cant expect too much from the story, because its a bit predictable. but i think that most people will enjoy it, especially if you are watching it with some friends.
- hr-boege-546-170392
- Mar 31, 2013
- Permalink
The clumsy and unfunny clown Richard "Stitches" Grindle (Ross Noble) goes to the birthday party of little Tom (Tommy Knight) and the boy and his friends play a prank with Stitches, tying his shoelaces. Stitches slips, falls and dies. Six years later, Tom gives a birthday party for his friends at home and the clown revives to haunt the teenagers and revenge his death.
"Stitches" is an unfunny and gore movie with a terrible storyline. I was curious to see an Irish horror movie for the first time, but the result is disappointing, despite the good special effects. My vote is four.
Title (Brazil): "O Retorno do Palhaço Assassino" ("The Return of the Killer Clown")
"Stitches" is an unfunny and gore movie with a terrible storyline. I was curious to see an Irish horror movie for the first time, but the result is disappointing, despite the good special effects. My vote is four.
Title (Brazil): "O Retorno do Palhaço Assassino" ("The Return of the Killer Clown")
- claudio_carvalho
- May 14, 2014
- Permalink
- acidburn-10
- Jun 13, 2013
- Permalink
I really enjoyed Stitches I thought it was a lot of fun an awesome gory comedy and Ross Noble did a great job as the clown I never really knew who he was until I came across and watched this movie I remember seeing the trailer and thinking this might be another stupid killer clown movie but I was wrong it was hilarious to me also the kills were fun to watch. (Spoiler alert) How he died was funny too one of the boys Vinny had tied his shoelaces together and Tom the birthday boy threw a soccer ball at him then he tripped and fell on a kitchen knife in the dishwasher,pulled it out to go for the kids then slipped on blood and the knife flew out of his hand and into his head. I just loved the kills and the jokes he made before he killed one of them off. There ended up being 3 survivors though I won't say who they were. I'd really recommend this for anyone who's a fan of killer clown movies and gory comedies.
- lev-nemkin
- Sep 25, 2016
- Permalink
The film opens with Stitches the clown have doggy-style sex with a fully clothed young lady. This pretty much sets the tone of the movie.
The plot line is pure and simple: mess with a clown and he will come back for you.
The film is neither graphic or terrifying or moving or titillating or extraordinary in any way. But its strength lies in the fact it doesn't pretend to be anything different.
About ninety percent of the budget is blown on the death scene effects - which are pretty standard but entertaining - so the rest of the film weighs on Ross Noble and the cast of unknown, young actors who give great performances. The story delves into their characters just enough so you invest in them.
The film is almost two stories one about a killer clown, the other about teenagers house party.
Nothing special here, but that really isn't a bad thing. If you like horror and fancy an old school slasher flick to burn up an odd 90 minutes then this is perfect!
The plot line is pure and simple: mess with a clown and he will come back for you.
The film is neither graphic or terrifying or moving or titillating or extraordinary in any way. But its strength lies in the fact it doesn't pretend to be anything different.
About ninety percent of the budget is blown on the death scene effects - which are pretty standard but entertaining - so the rest of the film weighs on Ross Noble and the cast of unknown, young actors who give great performances. The story delves into their characters just enough so you invest in them.
The film is almost two stories one about a killer clown, the other about teenagers house party.
Nothing special here, but that really isn't a bad thing. If you like horror and fancy an old school slasher flick to burn up an odd 90 minutes then this is perfect!
- thekarmicnomad
- Aug 9, 2014
- Permalink
Written for 14 year old's by 14 year old's.(who have no taste) After reading comments about this movie i thought to give it a chance and dam did i waist 90 min of my life. The acting, for so far there was was horrible and the murder scenes were just a joke. Predictable from start to finish but for me the most annoying part came from the inside jokes referring to a recent murder. People who have liked this movie, please FOR THE LOVE OF GOD stop rating movies on this site. People actual decide to watch a movie on behalf of these comments and then to end up with a movie like this is just a letdown.
Acting:1/10 Story: 1/10 Murders: 1/10
Total: 1/10
Acting:1/10 Story: 1/10 Murders: 1/10
Total: 1/10
- RoccoRossFox
- Apr 4, 2013
- Permalink
This movie is cheap and funny. Lots of mean but funny interactions between characters reminiscent of Return to Sleepaway Camp. A few party montages and even some nipples, see it with your buddies and you'll be quoting for days.
Who knew you needed 10 lines to submit? No respect between friends just like a typical high school crew. Funny. Cliché clown resurrection was brief, back to the party. Good soundtrack.
"Boring damned people. All over the earth. Propagating more boring damned people. What a horror show. The earth swarmed with them." ― Charles Bukowski
Who knew you needed 10 lines to submit? No respect between friends just like a typical high school crew. Funny. Cliché clown resurrection was brief, back to the party. Good soundtrack.
"Boring damned people. All over the earth. Propagating more boring damned people. What a horror show. The earth swarmed with them." ― Charles Bukowski
- cjbad-48614
- May 5, 2017
- Permalink
Don't waste your time watching this disgustingly awful movie. literally every thing about this movie is AWFUL. the actors, acting, the "effects", the "humor": it's was a huge waste of my time so thanks for that lmao.
- eckert_lindsay
- Oct 20, 2018
- Permalink
I am sure die hard fans of the horror genre will balk at the effects in this little gem of a comedy but then most die hard horror fans have a pole up their backsides the size of Nelsons Column judging by some of the reviews here at IMDb of other movies...
This is a delightful comedy romp that pokes fun of the horror genre much in the same vein as "Funny Man", even the effects are a parody of horror effects that underlies the difficulties in producing them...
Characterisation is simplistic and yet effective for a comedy (Nobody is expecting the type of characterisation of Anna Karenina in a simple comedy)...
I personally feel that Ross Noble did a good job in playing the slobby and vengeful clown and many of the gags made me laugh out loud, not least the site of him riding a kiddies tricycle...
If you want deep go and watch Anna Karenina or read war and peace but for a comedy this rings all the bells....
This is a delightful comedy romp that pokes fun of the horror genre much in the same vein as "Funny Man", even the effects are a parody of horror effects that underlies the difficulties in producing them...
Characterisation is simplistic and yet effective for a comedy (Nobody is expecting the type of characterisation of Anna Karenina in a simple comedy)...
I personally feel that Ross Noble did a good job in playing the slobby and vengeful clown and many of the gags made me laugh out loud, not least the site of him riding a kiddies tricycle...
If you want deep go and watch Anna Karenina or read war and peace but for a comedy this rings all the bells....
I really wasn't expecting anything from "Stitches", but to my surprise, it actually turned out to be an immensely entertaining slasher joint out of Ireland.
While putting on a half-assed show for a bunch of misbehaving brats at a birthday party, Stitches the Clown has an unfortunate mishap that results in his bloody accidental demise. Cut to six years later, those same kids are in high school and the birthday boy from the ill-fated party is still haunted by the death of Stitches, especially after having stumbled across a strange clown ritual going on in the cemetery following Stitches' funeral. While the teenage friends are throwing a big drunken house bash, Stitches rises from his grave for revenge...
As far as slasher-comedies go, I rarely see any true effort put into them - especially these days. "Stitches" is actually a pretty refreshing entry in the genre - being clearly of modest budget, yet still managing to come across as a professional looking flick with an unusually likable cast of characters, a reasonably memorable villain and a few instances where the humor actually worked. There's also a few decent and relatively gory deaths, cleverly themed after traditional clown tricks (one guy gets his head inflated like a balloon and popped). The one thing I feel like it could've done without, however, was the clown cult/painted egg thing that I felt didn't quite work and takes ya out of it a little toward the end. Otherwise, this one is definitely a fun way to blow an hour-and-a-half.
More Gorepump horror reviews at http://swinesewage.blogspot.com/
While putting on a half-assed show for a bunch of misbehaving brats at a birthday party, Stitches the Clown has an unfortunate mishap that results in his bloody accidental demise. Cut to six years later, those same kids are in high school and the birthday boy from the ill-fated party is still haunted by the death of Stitches, especially after having stumbled across a strange clown ritual going on in the cemetery following Stitches' funeral. While the teenage friends are throwing a big drunken house bash, Stitches rises from his grave for revenge...
As far as slasher-comedies go, I rarely see any true effort put into them - especially these days. "Stitches" is actually a pretty refreshing entry in the genre - being clearly of modest budget, yet still managing to come across as a professional looking flick with an unusually likable cast of characters, a reasonably memorable villain and a few instances where the humor actually worked. There's also a few decent and relatively gory deaths, cleverly themed after traditional clown tricks (one guy gets his head inflated like a balloon and popped). The one thing I feel like it could've done without, however, was the clown cult/painted egg thing that I felt didn't quite work and takes ya out of it a little toward the end. Otherwise, this one is definitely a fun way to blow an hour-and-a-half.
More Gorepump horror reviews at http://swinesewage.blogspot.com/
When you begin watching this movies trailer you see that it has been rated "Restricted: Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian"... Well, having seen this movie I definitely think that people over 17 are the ones who will actually be having a hard time watching Stitches.
When I looked this movie up I had in mind the clown character from Spawn. I was expecting blood, gore and some smart humour. Well, there's plenty of the first two, but none of the later.
All you'll get out of this movie is a couple of laughs, nothing more. Its really not all that funny. Very, very predictable and pretty much ridiculous. The plot is absurd and all that goes on serves as a poor excuse for blood, guts and gore.
I could have enjoyed this if I was in my teens, but I'm not. If you are not in your teens as well, this is not the worst movie you'll ever see, but you can definitely find a better thing to do with your time.
When I looked this movie up I had in mind the clown character from Spawn. I was expecting blood, gore and some smart humour. Well, there's plenty of the first two, but none of the later.
All you'll get out of this movie is a couple of laughs, nothing more. Its really not all that funny. Very, very predictable and pretty much ridiculous. The plot is absurd and all that goes on serves as a poor excuse for blood, guts and gore.
I could have enjoyed this if I was in my teens, but I'm not. If you are not in your teens as well, this is not the worst movie you'll ever see, but you can definitely find a better thing to do with your time.
Clowns, teen party, gore galore and a few laughs. That pretty much sums up Stitches. I would definitely categorize this one as a teen scream, it still gets major points for originality and the gore is not just disgusting, its also funny. But seriously, its extremely gory, like jaw dropping, stomach turning gory. For example, there is a scene where a clown rips of a student's genitals, ties it to a balloon and lets it float away
Enough said. So I'll give a warning for the gore and an FYI for Irish accents. I think that most will enjoy this movie knowing ahead of time that it's a gory teen slasher comedy. Overall its pretty goofy and gory.
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- ihearthorrorfilm
- Feb 16, 2013
- Permalink
I don't care how good a movie is, if theres wonton animal murder, I will turn that movie off and stop watching. And this movie wasn't even that good! Halfway through of this fairly typical slasher, and the one cute moment, the cat dribbling the clown nose like a basket ball, and for that it gets murdered? I think the screen writer and director need to be checked for Sociopathy!