Spooky Season 2024: Terrifier 3 Review

Terrifier 3 is the third installment in Damien Leon’s slasher series, coming just 2 years after the massive sleeper hit Terrifier 2. Five years after surviving Art the Clown’s (Thornton) Halloween Massacre, Sienna (LaVera) and Jonathan (Fullam) 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. However, just when they think they are safe and the dust has settled, Art returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare. The festive season quickly unravels as Art unleashes his typical twisted brand of terror, proving that no holiday is truly safe. While it might be a bold statement to make following the massive leap from the original film to the sequel, and the cultural footprint it left, Terrifier 3 is easily the best in the series thus far.

Those going into this expecting to see a lot more Art the Clown, will not be disappointed. Taking advantage of an increased role this time around, he has never been more entertaining or dementedly hilarious to watch as he is even more playful and whimsical, delivering some of his most sadistic, disturbing, and gruesome kills to date. Those kills are nothing short of absolutely crazy and beyond gross out to the point that they will have many audiences looking away and squirming in their seats. It gives audiences everything they have come to expect for and hope from the franchise in all the best and most demented ways. The practical gore, effects, and makeup work are all incredible in spite of its minimal budget, without ever fully going into exploitation or borderline unwatchable territory. Writer/Director Damien Leon has stepped up his game, making for his most impressive work behind the camera to date.

This is the best looking, best acted, and most handsomely produced entry yet, and it’ll be interesting to see how much bigger of a budget the sequel gets due to the franchise’s success. The Christmas setting is utilized perfectly with Leone having a lot of fun implementing Art within that environment, while the Grindhouse way it is shot truly gives it a 1990’s Christmas vibe. Thornton, as Art, has solidified himself as a new horror icon, and it is impossible to picture anyone else in the role due to how expressive his facial reactions are and the intangibles he brings. LaVera once again kills it as Sienna, a character recovering from her past trauma but is still a total badass who doesn’t take crap from anyone when she needs to be. Fullam is also back as Jonathan, however, it feels like the film didn’t really know what to do with him, resulting in one of the more underwhelming parts of the film. Meanwhile, Samantha Scaffidi’s Victoria is given a much larger role. She is almost even creepier and more sadistic than Art at times as she brings a lot of madness to her.

Though not as long as Terrifier 2, it is still a bit too long, and there are points in the third act where audiences will be left waiting for it to wrap up. It’s easy to see why these films don’t work for a lot of people due to their excessive violence and gore, and while on par with the other films, it pushes the envelope with certain kills that may takes things just a step too far. That being said, the film quickly picks itself up and wraps up strong while leaving the door open for a sequel.

It sounds wrong to say that Terrifier 3 is a great time at the movies, but it is the truth and it’s kind of amazing how the franchise has progressively gotten bigger, gorier, and better with each installment. No matter what one’s thoughts about this film or the franchise may be, it is remarkable to see an independently produced film made for $2 million top the box office in its opening weekend and has made more than the franchise has in just 3 days alone? That’s the kind of stuff film fans should love to see regardless.

still courtesy of Dark Age Cinema

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/