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A life long cinephile from the Bay Area in Northern California. Aside from having written for various outlets since 2019, I've been podcasting since 2020.
(Currently Co-Hosting the Geekly Goods Roundup)
When I'm not indulged in a ridiculous amount of media consumption or losing track of days on my Nintendo Switch, I can be found at concerts or playing basketball.
Filmmaker Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3 is a slasher horror film that is not for the faint of heart. It’s mean, it’s gory, and it is at times hard to stomach. Leone has built a rabid, cult following based on these cold hard truths. In turn, he has created the next horror icon with the star of his Terrifier franchise: Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton). You either love Art or you don’t. Yet, a $87 million worldwide gross proves that most horror fans populate the former.
Spreading Christmas Fear
The first two Terrifier films were set around Halloween night, but we move to Christmas in this third installment. It is blatantly clear Leone is a fan of the 1984 slasher film, Silent Night, Deadly Night. The axe was the weapon of choice for the evil Santa killer in that film, and Art the Clown wields it for the first time here in horrifying fashion. His use of the axe is from my favorite sequence in the entire film. It is incredibly unnerving and brutal to witness in action.
The Christmas aesthetic makes for a visually interesting backdrop for a slasher. Black Christmas or Krampus fans would surely agree. However, the setting itself doesn’t exactly service the story in the same way that Halloween did in the first two films. Despite this, though, Leone does indeed craft some unforgettable moments that have to be seen to be believed.
A Rising Star
Sienna Shaw is the surviving badass final girl from Terrifier 2 and is played wonderfully by Lauren LaVera, who is the absolute best part of both films. From her rise to warrior angel in the previous entry to her now living as a traumatized, scarred victim, one can see her growth and maturity as an actor. Her loving personality is earnest and her fiery rage is compelling. Honestly, I felt as if Terrifier 3 needed more of her, not less. Literally every time we strayed away from Sienna, I could not help but get a little restless.
Much of Art’s mischievous antics are very disjointed and almost vignette-like in their presentation. Only when we return to LaVera’s Sienna do we truly start to feel a sense of narrative. Her interaction with a true crime podcaster Mia’s (Alexa Blair) obsession with her is an impressive highlight that also feels meta in its “super-fan” context.
More of The Same
The practical effects work—from prosthetics and makeup effects designer and creator Christien Tinsley, special effects makeup designer Heather Albert, and more—is top-notch and Leone definitely deserves his flowers for it. The same goes for Thornton, who portrays Art the Clown with a wicked playful energy that is entertaining and admirable. Also, hats off to Samantha Scaffidi as Victoria Heyes. Her role as Art’s partner-in-crime was actually quite chilling. However, my main gripe with this film and the entire Terrifier franchise is that for all of its blood and guts, the spectacle severely lacks suspense and thrills.
I actually sat through a full-on Art the Clown marathon, and by the time I got to this installment, it definitely felt like I had seen this all before. I appreciate the creativity of some of the kills and admittedly I laughed out loud in spots. Although, I definitely prefer my horror films to have a little bit more in terms of scares. Especially in a year full of fantastic original horror films like The Substance, Longlegs, and MaXXXine, Leone’s Terrifier 3 doesn’t even crack my top five. With all that being said, I believe this film will definitely please its huge loyal fanbase; it just may not please anyone else.
3/5 stars
Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3 is (maybe) still playing in theaters and is now available to watch digitally!
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A life long cinephile from the Bay Area in Northern California. Aside from having written for various outlets since 2019, I've been podcasting since 2020.
(Currently Co-Hosting the Geekly Goods Roundup)
When I'm not indulged in a ridiculous amount of media consumption or losing track of days on my Nintendo Switch, I can be found at concerts or playing basketball.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.