One Star Classics : Terrifier 3

Terrifier 3

Oct 18, 2024 / Clown Horror

I don’t think it’s possible to have a hot take about the Terrifier franchise anymore, but I’m still going to attempt one: These movies have not become crossover hits because of their gore; instead, they have become hits in spite of it. Of course, people passing out from graphic scenes will cause a word-of-mouth buzz, but if the movies had nothing going for them beyond that? They would not show up at the theaters, and Terrifier 3 would not be America’s number-one movie. (Granted, the latter is every bit as unbelievable as the plot of this movie.)

So what is it with these movies that resonate not just with gorehounds but with the average cinemagoer? The actors certainly are a part of it. David Howard Thornton has by now taken Art the Clown to a Freddy Krueger plateau, and the character’s demented comedic routines are genuinely funny. A childlike run-in with a drunk Santa may just be Thornton’s finest moment in Terrifier 3 and even the franchise as a whole. Lauren LaVera has equally made her Sienna a final girl with more personality than a stereotypical incarnation of the archetype — here, she ups the performance, too, and the forcefulness of her line delivery brings an intensity to scenes that usually would serve as filler.

That’s not to say I think people are lining up to watch Terrifier 3 for its plot-driven virtues. Which is fine. While Sienna and her brother, Jonathan (Elliott Fullam), deal with their psychological issues after the events of Terrifier 2, we’re not watching another A24-y trauma film. (Not that there’s anything wrong with those movies, but man, trauma is close to becoming a tired genre trope.)

The plot is in itself refreshingly simple — Art is back five years after the events of the second film, which ended with Terrifier’s final girl, Victoria (Samantha Scaffidi), rebirthing him. The latter serves as somewhat of a tool to give Art a minor backstory, but again… the plot is more of a driver to deliver impressive visuals and no-holds-barred horror. Go for the scenery, not the destination, so to speak. This is a simple Art-chasing-Sienna story at its heart.

Much like its predecessors, Terrifier 3 looks great, too. The whole franchise has a sort of washed-out, bleak look, which sets it apart from the golden glows or green-tinted horror aesthetics that have saturated the market for the better part of a decade. Terrifier 3 speaks an eighties visual language.

Really, the only thing I did miss from the first entry of the trilogy was its dream-like quality, which I truly enjoyed. I suspect that atmosphere was due to a lack of actors and locations, and it wouldn’t make sense to rethread it in a third film, but still — the heart wants what the heart wants, even when the heart is wrong.

All to be said — much like its predecessors Terrifier 3 offers a lot more than gore. The practical effects and make-up are all incredibly impressive, of course, but they also serve as set dressing. I watch these movies for Art’s Freddy-like schtick, great acting, and elegant visuals — and Terrifier 3 excels in all of them.

By Remi, Oct 18, 2024

Letterboxd summary: Five years after surviving Art the Clown's Halloween massacre, Sienna and Jonathan are still struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. But just when they think they're safe, Art returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare. The festive season quickly unravels as Art unleashes his twisted brand of terror, proving that no holiday is safe.