Santa Claus Is Out, Art The Clown Is In.
Hannah Hughes - Rotted Pumpkin Editor-In-Chief
David Howard Thornton in Terrifier 3 (2024). Credit: IMDB
If you want to cross blood-curdling gore, clowns with chainsaws, and a badass final girl off your holiday wish list, then I have the film for you! Terrifier 3 smashed its way into theaters two weeks ago and topped the box office charts, beating out the highly anticipated Joker 2: Folie A Deux. It’s well deserving of its rank and does an excellent job upping the ante and somehow topping its predecessors with its story, creativity, and above all, its depravity.
I have had my issues with the Terrifier franchise in the past. After finding the first film pretty horrifying, I still never understood the point in giving Art all this lore, a supernatural immortality. To me, that separates him from reality. Terrifier 2 didn’t do a lot to remedy that. The film was bogged down, shoving lots of backstory down the viewers’ throats with a plot that fell flat amidst the decent scares and shock and awe of the amazing blood, guts, and gore.
With Terrifier 3, it all finally clicks. We’ve simply just been building to this moment, Art The Clown in his best form, and he’s wearing… a Santa suit?
Oh yes, I forgot to mention, Terrifier 3 is a holiday horror film, taking place five years after the second film, just in time for our final girl, Sienna Shaw to return home to her uncle and aunt’s home for a marvelous Miles County Christmas, just as Art The Clown awakens from his hibernation.
Although she was strong in Terrifier 2, this film made me completely fall in love with Sienna Shaw. Christmas happens to be the perfect backdrop to explore her remaining guilt and trauma from the previous film, and how that affects her relationships. She confronts demons both figuratively and literally throughout the film, which allows Lauren LaVera to show off the full range of her acting skills.
LaVera’s performance stands strong against the powerhouse that is David Howard Thornton as Art The Clown, who turns out his most insanely delicious performance yet. From chainsaws to pipe bombs, he doesn’t hold back on spilling blood in the most gruesome of ways, but don’t worry, he’ll do the dishes and clean up after.
Director Damien Leone & David Howard Thornton pose on the set of Terrifier 3 (2024). Credit: IMDB
Speaking of blood, Terrifier 3 somehow tops the previous films when it comes to gore, which seems outlandishly impossible. Art has found some new favorite tools, one being liquid nitrogen, quite on-theme for the film’s festive time of year.
When speaking to Variety, special effects lead Christen Tinsley spoke about this in particular, saying they were “building a concept of how to create something that can break, not shatter or crumble, but also still ooze goo from the center.”
Without spoiling too much, I can say every kill will make your skin crawl, your throat tighten, and your stomach drop, in the best way possible!
Terrifier 3 is a welcome, and needed, edition to this series, making even my jaw drop. But what does it get on the rotted pumpkins scale?
If you can stomach it, Terrifier 3 is a must-watch. So grab your cookies and milk, stick those wrapped presents under the tree, and get ready for Art The Clown to crawl down your chimney.
