Director and producer Damien Leone one-ups “Terrifier 2” in effects, characters, emotion and gore with his latest addition to the series, “Terrifier 3”.
The “Terrifier” franchise is synonymous with its over-the-top gore and frightening mascot, Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton).
The horror series is helmed by Leone. Whereas many directors come from a background of cinematography, production or screenwriting, Leone’s specialty lies in special effects. The attention to detail in SFX distinguishes Leone’s directorial style and the “Terrifier” series from other horror film franchises.
When the original “Terrifier” film was released in 2016, mainstream audiences were first introduced to Art the Clown.
Sure, there is no shortage of evil clowns in horror films, as clowns have always been in the public consciousness as a source of terror. Whether it be the infamous Pennywise from the Stephen King novel “IT” or the Joker in DC’s “Batman,” clowns are regularly depicted as horrifying.
Art the Clown takes the familiar concept to a completely new level. Whereas clowns are known for their jokes, almost to a nauseating level, Art never speaks. In fact, Art is more similar to a mime, utilizing no words, an expressive face and intense physique to present himself as a source of terror.
Art’s origins and motivation for killing has been drip-fed to fans throughout the three films, with many questions still remaining.
The first “Terrifier” film acted as an introduction to Art, revealing almost no information about him. As a low-budget horror feature, it acted as a way for Leone to find his footing as a director. “Terrifier 2” introduced a central protagonist, a hint of Art’s origins, and showed the extent of Art’s depravity.
“Terrifier 3” builds on the prior two film’s momentum as we continue the story of the protagonist, Sienna Shaw.
Five years after losing her friends and mother in the second film, Sienna returns from a psychiatric hospital to spend Christmas with her aunt and uncle. The story follows Sienna, left traumatized after an encounter with Art, attempting to adapt to her new life. Much to her dismay, Art didn’t die, and he’s back for his revenge.
One of the most interesting things about the “Terrifier” series is its increase in production value throughout the films. With each subsequent release, the budget of the film increased almost tenfold, resulting in “Terrifier 3” having a budget of two million dollars. With the amount of production design and effects, every penny is well spent.
As usual, David Howard Thornton delivers an impeccable performance as Art the Clown. Without mouthing an entire word, Thornton expresses incredible range, switching from humorous to terrifying in an instant.
Lauren LaVera does a great job playing the protagonist, Sienna Shaw. She embodies many of the qualities of a stereotypical final girl, yet still manages to have a distinctive personality. While her acting wasn’t bad, it came off as unconvincing in the second film. Luckily, her performance in this was much better.
Much of the dialogue of the other characters comes off as campy, but with all three films in the series doing this, it appears intentional. Surprisingly, it provides a balance to the over-the-top violence of the film.
Sienna’s brother, Jonathan Shaw (Elliot Fullam), comes off as unbelievable and unlikeable in his performance. Shifting to a supporting role in this film, Jonathan’s character is completely unnecessary in the film.
Jonathan’s inclusion in the film feels like the remnants of a b-plot that was cut out because the runtime was too long or because they were unable to film it.
Leone one-ups the creativity of the death scenes from “Terrifier 2”. He sets a new standard for SFX, while still managing to show appreciation to the SFX artists that came before. For those who are squeamish, this will be a tough watch.
“Terrifier 3” released Oct. 11 and is in theaters now.