Director: Damien Leone
Writer: Damien Leone
Stars: Lauren LaVera, David Howard Thornton, Jason Patric
Synopsis: Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.
Check on the certified sickos in your life starting next month. If you’re unaware as to why, it’s because Art the Clown is coming back to the big screen. After a colossal box-office run with Terrifier 2, the sequel to the little indie horror that could is nearly upon us. And with Terrifier 3, Damien Leone makes good on his promise to continually deliver cinematic depravity. You’ll certainly go in expecting excessive amounts of gore and pure evil, but Terrifier 3 certainly feels as if it’s pushing the limits of what general audiences will be able to handle. To be clear, this is all written and viewed with complete excitement. Leone appears to be operating in a very specific lane with both Terrifier 3 and its predecessor. And three things are apparent from his latest film. First, his commitment to expanding upon the lore of these films is felt. Secondly, the development of Sienna (Lauren LaVera) as a character shows some interesting and exciting ideas about what it means to be a final girl. And lastly, Leone seems determined to only be upended from the top spot of his own violent excesses by himself. Who knows how many of these films he’ll end up making, but the challenge to consistently one-up what’s depicted is seen and felt loud and clear.
I think back to when the first John Wick film was released. The world at large hadn’t yet understood the cinematic madness it would turn into. The action was obviously what drew everybody in, and for great reason. But for me, I found myself transfixed on the underworld the film was teasing. Especially being set in New York, it was easy for me to fully board the train of intrigue as I wanted to know everything about these secret hotels, the incredibly valuable and discreet currencies, and shadowy organizations operating in a major city. The next three films expanded upon that greatly. So it was an absolute pleasure to see Terrifier 3 similarly continue the trend set up in the previous film. Glimpses of a world larger than a mere slasher film were sprinkled throughout Terrifier 2. And make no mistake, these aren’t a few minor teases this time around. This is full-blown lore dumping onto the audience. Some of it sticks a bit better than others, but just like the previous film, there is a ton to latch onto. There’s an extended sequence that feels like a vision quest of sorts, and the imagery depicted is baffling in the best way; you can’t really process what you’re seeing in the moment, but it’s certainly enticing when thinking back. The promises made in the previous film to learn more about Art, Sienna’s mystical side, and her father are all kept. It does feel a bit like Leone is operating under a mystery box form of storytelling. That, in and of itself, has both its fans and critics, but within this franchise, all things considered it’s relatively contained. The point being: for as much gore and horror that is present in these films, it does feel like there are equal thirds of everything else Leone feels interested in. And none of that happens without Sienna, who solidifies herself as an all-timer final girl.
LaVera basically confirmed her status as a horror legend with her performance in Terrifier 2. But what she’s doing in this film is arguably more exciting. The reason being is exactly the fact that her legend seemed solidified. So with Terrifier 3, Leone and LaVera get to examine what happens after the fact. Sienna may have “won” in the previous film, but her presence in this film is the logical next step. This is a film that directly grapples with the aftermath of such slasher events. These films obviously live in a realm of fantasy, but the emotional toll is handled in a realistic way. Sienna is shown to have been staying in a psychiatric hospital for the past several years, with nightmares of Art and ghoulish visits from friends and family haunting her both while asleep and awake. Leone and LaVera embrace the notion that Sienna has been broken, but the film never tries to shame that notion. Sienna has been shattered, and LaVera captures something painfully honest when trying to pick up the pieces of a life that’s now been defined by tragedy. There are several scenes that serve as a showcase for LaVera to display dramatic acting chops beyond the typical horror performance. Because Terrifier 3 doesn’t shy away from the idea that people can be hurt mentally and emotionally over time. While we may be weakened from events in our lives, that doesn’t mean we should ever be counted out completely. And by the finale, when LaVera finds herself in one of the most insanely framed shots of the year, that triumph is felt. It can be argued that more of this triumph hinges on LaVera’s performance than the script at times, but at the end of the day, Sienna once again shines bright in a film that feels designed to torture her. It’s a delicate balancing act, despite feeling like the scales are heavily weighed against her.
There is no denying that the Terrifier films revel in their violence. There has been much criticism of these films, and the horror genre in general, that the gore is merely meant to shock. That it’s a torturous exercise in making the audience squeamish. But with these films, that also feels like the point of Art. Take another horror icon: Michael Myers. He is often defined as the physical embodiment of evil. Throughout the lengthy Halloween franchise, Michael leaves a trail of bodies in his wake. His slasher methods are usually a bit more subdued, but he’s dabbled in excess from time to time. There are countless horror icons that have become staples in the world of cinema over decades and franchise entries going into double digits. In just three films, Art the Clown has instantly been cemented into the pantheon of horror legends. And in a cinematic landscape where people are begging for original stories and characters to get the spotlight over character rehashes and reboots, that should be a triumph! Not to mention, all this excess in Terrifier 3 stands as a testament to the ludicrously great makeup and effects work. It’s proof that this work can still be done on a smaller budget, and all that’s required is a passion to bring that imagery to life. And finally, Terrifier 3 going to such lengths to torture its characters plays in conjunction with Sienna’s arc in this, and what one can imagine is the next film in the franchise. In a world where hope is so often crushed and attempted to be snuffed out by seemingly pure evil, it takes an inherent inner strength to rise above and shine bright.
A literal battle between good and evil feels like a potent direction to take this franchise in. In that very conflict is arguably where Terrifier 3 runs into its biggest issue. Terrifier 2 was such fun structurally because Art slowly immerses himself into Sienna’s life more and more. With that, it makes for countless horror sequences directly impacting our main character. While Sienna does still have many sequences where she’s being haunted, that direct interplay between the two is missed. There’s nothing like the scene in the costume store from Terrifier 2 present in this film. And while that may be the point, instead choosing to focus on the internal horror and guilt of being a final girl, audiences may still find themselves wanting a bit more direct back-and-forth between the two icons. Nevertheless, one can imagine that, whenever the fourth entry does release, Leone will provide plenty of interactions to be thrilled by all over again.
Terrifier 3 celebrated its world premiere at the 2024 edition of Fantastic Fest. It will be released theatrically on October 11.
