Terrifier 3 Review
With his third installment in the series, writer/director Damien Leone (‘Terrifier,’ ‘Terrifier 2’) raises the stakes with a larger budget and some bigger celebrities, but the unmistakable draw of these flicks is the devilishly puckish mime who amuses himself with horrible, gory mayhem. These films are not very frightening, but rather somewhat hilarious in the sickest way possible.
This third effort, however, crosses a boundary by harming children; one of Art's pranks in a shopping mall quickly sparked copycat fears. Otherwise, expect an axe slaughter, gunshots, frozen body parts broken with a hammer, chainsaw mutilations, forced rat consumption, and even a nasty take on one of the Stations of the Cross. Obviously, this film is not intended for the easily offended.
These movies have an incredible purity about them. They're just interested in seeing Art hack up victims and cackle with joy as enormous streams of blood pour. He does not have a history or motive. He's just here to murder as gruesomely as possible and have a great time doing so.
A large part of the charm remains David Howard Thornton's portrayal as Art. Art, dressed in a black-and-white clown suit that resembles a mime gone horribly wrong, never talks or makes a sound. With his hooked nose, rotten teeth, and pinpoint pupils, he's a silent nightmare of unadulterated sadism.
This threequel takes up with Sienna, the heroine from the second film, years after her tragic events. Although the character and narrative are pretty basic, Lauren LaVera elevates the job with an unexpectedly and very terrific performance. She possesses the honesty required to be a great scream queen, and it is clear that this is the tradition in which her character and performance are conceived.
With this greater character development, Leone seeks to bring conceptual depth to his writing, and while it doesn't always work, it's wonderful to watch him grow as a writer. This entry's investigation of trauma follows in the footsteps of several slasher sequels, notably the Halloween franchise.
Terrifier 3 also tries to develop the mythos of Art the Clown, but the consequences are quite unclear. David Howard Thornton's wordless performance as the deranged mime is as entertaining and insane as ever, but in attempting to explain the character as more than a merciless murdering machine, Leone removes part of the mystique that made the character so appealing.
Terrifer 3 sadly does not do much with the Christmas setting either. Just two holiday themed kills and a costume change for Art.
The killers' victims are essentially disposable, which is nothing new for the franchise. Finally, this appears to be the most significant factor preventing the Terrifier films from being really terrifying slashers rather than mere entertainment. It's a really nihilistic attitude to horror, in which we want to see everyone die in the most horrible manner conceivable. When you care about the individuals being assaulted, you feel a lot more terror.
Of all, the major reason fans buy Terrifier tickets is to watch gruesome, cruel killings, and the third installment mainly delivers. Admittedly, the film peaks early, with the meanest, most imaginative scenes occurring during the incredible cold open. However, some moments interspersed throughout genuinely deliver, particularly those that are evocative of some of the most memorable scenes from prior films in the franchise.
The visual effects used in the film to carry off these moments are as good as ever, which to be expected given Leone's experience in special effects. Viewers who come into the picture expecting a lot of blood and gore will be satisfied. Still, this installment is a visual upgrade over its predecessors in a number of areas, including the 35mm photography, which is a break from the digitally filmed first two films and works well for the Holiday feel.
Terrifier 3 features some gratifying kills and great realistic effects, but with a playtime of more than two hours, it's unlikely to satisfy anybody other than the franchise's devoted supporters.