What The Clown & The Candyman is all about without spoiling the show
Two of the sickest serial killers might have actually had a connection according to thise true crime documentary. The Clown & The Candyman proposes an idea that John Wayne Gacy and Dean Corll may have been part of a pedophile ring extending across the United States. The documentary looks at both cases and evidence to suggest Gacy wasn’t working alone and that he was merely a sequel to Corll’s Texas mayhem.
Did you know anything about The Clown & The Candyman before watching?
Both cases were ones I knew about. Gacy is one of the most well-known serial killers out there. Corll, as sick as he was, isn’t nearly as known. It could be because he never received full justice. Gacy has been portrayed in many forms of media with Corll’s biggest one I’m familiar with being an appearance in Mindhunters from one of his accomplices.
The potential connection between the two is something I had not heard before. From the start, I was intrigued to see if the creators could convince me.
Will The Clown & The Candyman make people feel uncomfortable?
Pedophile-focused crimes give me the heebie jeebies. There may not be two more notorious pedophile murderers than this pair. They combined to kill and torture dozens of young boys. From what we know about each of them, it’s not hard to see why they remain boogeymen.
On the uncomfortability scale, I did think this documentary strayed away from getting too detailed about many of the crimes. It’s only partly about facts. The other aspect of this documentary is a conspiracy theory. Nonetheless, the topic is creepy and uncomfortable.
What was good about The Clown & The Candyman?
This documentary wouldn’t have been anything special if all it did was cover the killings of the two men. Those films or series are hardly worth watching when there is so much coverage already. The Clown & The Candyman separates itself by proposing a theory about how Gacy and Corll may have been part of a sex trafficking ring.
Is it crazy? The fact that they were able to commit so many crimes and get away with them for as long as they did makes it possible. There is indeed evidence to show maybe each case wasn’t a typical serial killer situation where what they do in the dark is in secret.
In a post-Jeffrey Epstein world where we know disgusting things like this can happen and with prominent people involved, The Clown & The Candyman opens up a door nobody wants to see on the other side of. This documentary stands out from many others. They aren’t rehashing information everybody knows. It’s unique and the kind of story that can be told only once. Fortunately, they did it well.
What could The Clown & The Candyman have done better?
I’m sitting here trying to remember anything I didn’t enjoy about this documentary. The topic did feel a bit outlandish at times. It’s not that I don’t believe it’s possible. To build a whole six-part series on a notion like this is daring.
The Clown & The Candyman doesn’t do anything wrong. What it lacks are people directly involved. This is a problem for any case this old. Short of a confession from someone, the documentary is mostly speculatory outside of covering the Gacy and Corll crimes while attempting to find parallels.
Is The Clown & The Candyman worth watching?
I’d recommend it. The topic is unique. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill story about a well-known serial killer. There’s new information out there. In Corll’s case, we learn a few things that haven’t already been covered hundreds of times. Even casual true crime followers are familiar with Gacy. Corll was someone I didn’t know until around 2020 when I began listening to true crime podcasts. As a briefer explanation of his crimes, this will cover viewers.
Overall Score: 8 out of 10
The Clown & The Candyman does everything right, does nothing wrong, and is certainly memorable. Too much time between the crimes and today might be the biggest enemy of this documentary. It doesn’t hurt the score too badly.
Interested in watching The Clown & The Candyman or learning more about the case? Below you will find affiliate links to the series as well as other information about this case. By using this links, I may receive a small commission of any purchase you may make.
Watch The Clown & The Candyman on Amazon
The Big Book of Serial Killers: An Encyclopedia of Serial Killers by Jack Rosewood
Dean Corll: The True Story of the Houston Mass Murders by Jack Rosewood
If you have a series or film you want to know my opinion on, please leave a comment below. I may have already written about it. I can save you some time from watching a dud.
Practically Trouble 