Terrifier 3

Terrifier 3
Year: 2024
Director: Damien Leone
Screenplay: Damien Leone
Genre: Horror
Cast: David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Elliot Fullam, Samantha Scaffidi

The consecration of a horror icon that has now entered the collective imagination. A bloodthirsty villain who shows no mercy, a silent clown who kills anyone who dares to cross his path. A Christmas to remember.

This could summarize the third chapter of Terrifier 3, a successful saga born from Damien Leone’s mind. A chapter perhaps less intense than its predecessor, but one that pushes to the extreme what it had introduced. It is a film with a higher budget, over-the-top special effects, and a much more fluid narrative.

Plot of Terrifier 3

Art is believed to be dead after the events of Halloween. Siblings Sienna and Jonathan try to move on with their lives, reconnecting as Christmas approaches, but evil still looms over them. Art The Clown is alive, and this time, he’s not alone.

Considerations

It can be said that the character of Art The Clown has now entered the collective imagination. His muteness may remind one of the greatest horror characters in history, from Michael Myers to Jason Voorhees, in his own way, Leatherface, with his few grunts.

But Art The Clown isn’t just mute; he’s a true mime: his movements, gestures, and sarcastic smiles as he watches you die or mocks you like a schoolyard bully make him a unique character. Perhaps this has been Leone’s winning card. Where Eli Roth’s John Carver in the solid Thanksgiving failed, Art The Clown succeeded, creating a new Boogeyman to be feared.

Leone plays with this concept through the eyes of protagonist Sienna, a sort of Nancy Thompson facing Freddy Krueger, and who knows if Sienna will become the new final girl, especially considering the mythology behind her character and the sword like King Arthur. Only time will tell.

I’ve mentioned that Art The Clown is not alone. In this chapter, he is accompanied by Victoria Heys, already known from the first installment. The two become true nightmares, with their use of sharp weapons, tricks, and little care for appearances, showing themselves to us as killers similar to those in the successful The Purge saga.