Spooky Season 2022: Terrifier 2 Review

Suffice it to say that the Art the Clown made quite the impression for better or worse in 2016’s Terrifier, an incredibly-brutal indie horror film that has achieved somewhat of a cult status within a short period of time. Art may not have reached the pantheon of horror antagonists just yet, only time will tell, but he will definitely cause some nightmares as he leaves a trail of chaos in his wake. While the brutality of the original won’t be for everyone, the same is the case, perhaps more so, when it comes to the sequel. Terrifier 2 essentially turns the dial to 11 in pretty much every way with the most noticeable aspect being the longer running time, now nearly an hour longer than the original. While that certainly holds the film back, it also offers audiences much more of what they loved or didn’t love about the first Terrifier therefore it most likely will not be changing any minds. That same mindlessness of the original returns despite its attempt to provide a better grounding presence for the story and justify the film’s longer running time. However, at the end of the day, it is still just as silly if not more so and no one is going to care about anything else besides the carnage.

Terrifier 2 sees Art the Clown (Thornton) return to once again terrorize a teenage girl named Sienna (LaVera) and her younger brother Jonathan (Fullam). Utterly unremarkable in every conceivable way, the film attempts to give them their own subplots which are dull to watch while dragging and simply distracting from what audiences really want to see. The intent was to create a connection between them and Art, however, that connection was tenuous at best if it could be considered one as the film seemingly gives up on it as it goes on. That being said, it definitely gives audiences what they want to see, even more so here. The level of sheer brutality of the original remains as the film will unsurprisingly not be for everyone. The headlines of the film causing vomiting and fainting have meanwhile granted it some publicity but those claims are indeed warranted as it will challenge one’s disposition. Once again opting for shock value for shock value’s sake rather than plot, there are plenty of moments that will have audiences either squirming or jumping out of their seats though the appeal of this is limited.

After the film got its dull subplots out of the way and got to the moment audiences are waiting for, things got more interesting to watch albeit slightly. A showdown was inevitable but the fractured buildup to that showdown lessened any potential emotional impact. In order to illicit any kind of engagement, one must care for the character or characters in danger. Unfortunately, this was not here. Though Sienna and Jonathan’s ultimate character arc was predictable, it gets lost in the silly plot that surrounded it. In spite of its many flaws, there is still some entertainment to be had. However, many will be left wanting more. While Terrifier 2 was clearly never going to be a prestige piece by any means, it’s still not unreasonable to expect at least a little more from it.

The script and performances are each improved this time around as LaVera and Fullam do keep it watchable while Thornton once again does his thing as Art the Clown. Still the undisputed highlight of Terrifier 2, he shows more of Art’s playful side along with more brutality. He simply commands the screen, making it hard to look away, with his energy alone. In the end, he is still chilling and creepy to watch. As long as one overlooks a few leaps in logic, he is fun to watch which admittedly does sound wrong to say. The script and performance were not the only aspects that saw improvements as the practical effects also took a leap forward with some creativity shown with its deaths.

Terrifier 2 is simply more of the same for better or worse and there’s no reason why it can’t continue.

still courtesy of Cinedigm Entertainment Group

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.