Clown in a Cornfield

On the road to Baypen, Dunne explains his motivations. He discourages Cole from characterizing the people of his generation as mindless killers. His motivation is based on an ideology, which he has held for many years, even before Victoria’s death. Dunne fundamentally believes that Cole’s generation is morally rotten, comparing them to a “blighted crop.” It is the responsibility of Dunne’s generation to cull that crop and prevent the world from getting infected with the same moral illness.

Cole protests that Dunne’s generation is ignorant of the way they caused the present state of the world. Dunne dismisses this point and cites the Founder’s Day prank as the event that drove many of the town elders to actualize Dunne’s ideology. Over the several months that their group, the Kettle Springs Improvement Society, met, Dunne pushed their boundaries and made them open to the idea of murder. Dunne explains that Dr. Weller was a member of the group, but because he resisted their ideals, they identified him as part of the problem and killed him.

A crucial aspect of Dunne’s plan is to frame Cole, Quinn, and Rust for the Frendo killings. This will make it appear as though Dunne and his collaborators saved the town from errant teenagers. Cole points out that Quinn has little motivation to kill anyone because she hasn’t been in town very long. Trudy, however, suggested that the three could be framed as part of a love triangle, so that Quinn could be accused of joining Rust and Cole’s plan to impress them and deal with the stress of leaving her old life behind.

Cole accuses Dunne of pretending to care, even though he admitted to supplying his generation with the ideology and the means to destroy themselves. Dunne mocks Cole by suggesting that he will add it to Cole’s fake suicide note, revealing the final part of Dunne’s plan to frame him for the murders. Cole’s death will also motivate his father, Arthur, to reinvest in the town and revive its economy.

Cole and Dunne arrive at the Baypen factory, where Janet’s stepdad is waiting. They talk about waiting for another collaborator to come down from the office so that he can say goodbye to Cole. Cole realizes that the collaborator they are talking about is his father, Arthur.

Quinn runs through the cornfield and reaches the Tillerson residence. The house is unlocked and appears empty, but when Quinn reaches the living room, she finds a dead Frendo killer on the couch. Quinn tries to use the phone, but the line has been cut. Quinn searches the living room and finds car keys and a cleaver.

Just as she is exiting the house, she bumps into Ronnie. Ronnie tries to get enough distance to shoot at Quinn with the rifle. Quinn hides in the bathroom, but because it has no lock, Ronnie gets inside. Quinn stuns Ronnie with the bathtub curtain, then kills her with the cleaver. With her dying words, Ronnie reveals that Cole was taken to the Baypen factory.

Quinn takes the rifle and finds the truck. However, the truck is operated by manual transmission, which Quinn does not know how to drive. She struggles to make sense of the gear shift mechanism just as Matt arrives in his car. Matt exits his car and tries to get to the truck. When Quinn figures out how to move the truck forward, she rams into Matt’s car, pinning him between the two vehicles. Quinn takes Matt’s car and drives to Baypen.

Trudy dies on Glenn’s operating table. Glenn pretends he is still treating her to avoid drawing his captors’ attention. When he realizes that his captors are no longer watching him, Glenn puts on Trudy’s clown suit and sneaks out of his enclosure, armed with a scalpel. He resolves to rescue Quinn.

Cole urges his father to let him go, but Arthur Hill refuses to see Cole as his son any longer. Cole explains that he acted out after his mother’s death from cancer. Arthur blames Cole for Victoria’s death and the destruction of the factory. Cole resigns himself, calling Arthur a bad father. This upsets Dunne, who claims that Cole’s generation is always blaming everyone but themselves.

Arthur reveals that he specifically asked for Dunne to kill Cole. Dunne, on the other hand, had to convince him to go along with the Society’s plan to disguise themselves as Frendo and expand his plan into a large-scale massacre. Arthur now agrees with Dunne’s ideology, though he still holds a particular grudge against Cole. The death of Cole’s friends was revenge for all his transgressions against Arthur.

Arthur allows Dunne and Janet’s stepdad to bring Cole up to the noose they’ve constructed to kill him. Cole tries to resist but becomes despondent the closer he gets to the noose. Dunne exerts additional effort to get Cole moving, which causes his wounds to reopen even more. Just before Cole is hanged, Dunne remembers to insert the fake suicide note in Cole’s jeans. Suddenly, a voice orders them to stop. The killers look down and see Quinn holding Arthur at gunpoint. She threatens to kill Arthur unless Cole is released. Dunne draws his pistol and starts firing at Quinn.

Quinn sneaks into the factory and holds Arthur at gunpoint once she hears Cole identify him as his father. To her surprise, Dunne fires his first shot at Arthur, knocking him over Quinn. When Quinn recovers from the blow, Dunne holds Cole before him as a human shield, preventing Quinn from firing back. Cole escapes the grapple by pressing on Dunne’s shoulder wound. Dunne pushes Cole off the platform to hang him, but Janet’s stepdad gets his leg caught in the slack, preventing the noose from immediately killing Cole. Instead, the noose gradually strangles him as he hangs off the ground. Janet’s stepdad falls off the platform and is seriously injured.

A truck crashes through the wall of the factory, catching Cole and saving his life. Rust is the driver. Dunne redirects his gunfire at Rust, but he is no match for Rust’s shotgun blasts. Dunne retreats, so Rust orders Quinn to pursue him. Janet’s stepdad pulls Cole away from the truck, trying to get the noose to kill him. Rust kills Janet’s stepdad. Quinn follows Dunne, who is quickly losing blood from his wounds. When Quinn catches up to him, he can barely keep his aim straight. Quinn kills him.

Quinn returns to Cole and Rust, only to find them passionately kissing. Quinn realizes that they were the right match for each other all along. Rust explains that he escaped from the silo as soon as he lit the dynamite fuse. They are surprised by another clown, whom Quinn nearly shoots, but it is Glenn. Glenn apologizes for their move to Kettle Springs, then urges them to find medical assistance. The group escapes from Baypen.

Two months after the barnyard massacre, Cole, Rust, and Quinn visit the Eatery. Cole jokes about doing a livestream from the restaurant, which Trudy’s former colleagues don’t appreciate. Quinn apologizes on his behalf.

Since the attack, Kettle Springs’ population has decreased by 20%, partially because of the deaths and arrests that occurred since the massacre. On the other hand, the media coverage of the attack has brought in an influx of tourists to the town, reviving its economy. Glenn has decided to run unopposed for mayor. He plans to focus on reforming the town.

Still traumatized by the attack, Rust remains cautious of everyone at the diner. He has since shaved his head to treat his burns. His now-boyfriend, Cole, has taken on healthier eating habits. Quinn remains traumatized by the attack as well, but she was the one who argued that she and Glenn stay in Kettle Springs. To move away would prove that the Society was right to believe that they didn’t belong there. She remains assured that a wealth of evidence exists to exonerate her and her friends while also implicating Dunne and the Society for their roles in the attack. She also finds strength in the knowledge that her generation pushed back, driving the forward march of history.

Quinn observes that the town cinema is set to reopen. In the wake of the attack, Arthur Hill was declared dead, though his body remains missing. As the sole heir of Arthur’s fortune, Cole reinvested his wealth in the redevelopment of the town. Quinn doesn’t ask Cole if there have been any updates on the search for Arthur.

A pilot named Terry flies a chartered jet to Cuba. He suspects that his client, a lone passenger, is fleeing the United States to avoid arrest. He doesn’t question the job, however, having been offered six times his usual fee for the flight. The client is discreet throughout the entire journey.

The passenger is Arthur Hill. He reflects on the failure of his attempt to purge Kettle Springs of its blighted crop. Although his wealth kept him out of jail, he recognizes that he should have done what he wanted himself instead of relying on people like Dunne. As the plane approaches Cuba, Arthur gets into a Frendo suit and gets ready to kill Terry upon landing. He resolves to return home and finish the job he started himself.