'Terrifier 3' Review: A Bloody, Festive Delight

Art The Clown is back to terrify audiences yet again in Terrifier 3, a sequel that is not only bloodier than its predecessors, but more entertaining and ambitious as well.

After the traumatic events of Terrifier 2, Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and Jonathan (Elliot Fullam) are trying to move forward in their lives, the former finally coming home after a long stint in therapy while the latter is trying his best to enjoy the college life. Unfortunately, Art The Clown (David Howard Thornton) is still alive and well, now embracing the holiday spirit as he unleashes his unique brand of horror on the residents of their hometown once more, forcing the siblings to confront their tormentor and end him once and for all.

The Terrifier franchise has been a wonder to behold and watch grow in popularity in recent years, Art now seemingly joining the pantheon of iconic horror killers. The second film was not only far more ambitious than its predecessor, but also began fleshing out the lore and mythology of Art and Sienna, a smart move on writer/director Damien Leone’s part. Terrifier 3 aims to follow in the sequel’s footsteps, growing that mythology even further while delivering the blood-soaked carnage and gore fans of the franchise have come to know, love, and expect.

It’s clear from the exceptional opening scene that Leone is far more confident and assured behind the camera, ratcheting up the tension and suspense while making this sequel feel the most cinematic in the series thus far. The film looks and sounds phenomenal, the Christmas-heavy set design and aesthetic providing fun environments for Art to play and torture within. The practical gore and blood effects are simply incredible, each horror set piece looking and feeling visceral and wholly immersive, which is sure to have some audience members looking away in disgust. Simply put, this is the goriest, most disgusting entry in the franchise yet and that is certainly a compliment and tip of the hat to Leone and his talented team.

The film also features some terrific performances as well. Howard Thornton continues to be a delight as Art, using his movements, facial expressions, and mannerisms to consistently make the killer clown magnetic and endlessly entertaining to watch on screen. In fact, the actor is clearly having the most fun as the character yet, relishing every second of screen time and making Art as playful and sinister as ever. LaVera on the other hand grounds the film emotionally with effortless ease. Leone made the right call exploring the emotional trauma and turmoil Sienna and her brother have been going through the past five years, haunting them every day and at the worst, most inopportune moments. LaVera not only makes for a horror heroine to root for, but she’ll break audiences’ hearts in this sequel with her terrific performance. It’s easy to call this franchise empty schlock, but Leone and LaVera’s passion always shines through to negate that entirely.

The film also effectively expands and grows the lore surrounding Art and Sienna, taking the baton from the second film and running with it. The blood and gore is absolutely the trademark staple of this series, but the mythology is becoming more and more fascinating with each subsequent sequel, laying a strong, promising foundation for future installments. Art and Sienna are slowly becoming the next Laurie Strode and Michael Myers and it’s difficult to not be excited about that growing prospect. Thornton and LaVera work wonders with one another and their scenes together never feel repetitive or dull, always incredibly compelling.

However, the sequel isn’t without its issues. For starters, like the previous film, it’s simply too long clocking in at over two hours. The sequences of blood and gore go on for far too long, sometimes crossing the line into gratuitous where it becomes exhausting to watch. The story here isn’t overly complicated and the trajectory is easy to predict so the film dragging it out for that length is unnecessary. The dialogue isn’t helping matters either, many exchanges coming across as cheesy or cringey. These films are clearly trying to embrace the vibe of the B-movie horror classics of decades past, but another pass of the script would’ve done wonders to mitigate this problem.

Horror fans get an early Christmas present with Terrifier 3, a sequel that should not only please fans of the beloved franchise, but get audiences in the holiday spirit, albeit in blood-drenched, horrifying fashion. Art The Clown has never been more fun to watch, solidifying him as one of the genre’s best villains in years. Leone is clearly just getting warmed up and it’ll be exciting to see where he takes the killer clown and this franchise next.

Grade: [B+]