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In some ways, “Terrifier 3” is a triumph—not because it’s a cinematic masterpiece, but because it’s a self-financed film that managed to beat out “Joker: Folie à Deux” at the box office. A major studio’s $200 million project was overtaken by a brutal, unrated slasher made for just $2 million. It would’ve been even more impressive if it were an original film rather than a sequel, but it’s still a remarkable feat. The Terrifier series is slowly shaping up to be the “Elm Street” franchise of the 2020s.
In “Terrifier 3”, Art the Clown returns with an even darker, more terrifying agenda. After narrowly surviving the last massacre, Sienna and her family struggle with the trauma of Art’s previous attacks, but their attempts to move on are shattered when Art resurfaces, more bloodthirsty than ever.
I watched the first two Terrifier movies back-to-back in 2022, but my memory of “Terrifier 2” had grown pretty hazy over the past two years. Though the new movie jumps in time several times, it doesn’t offer a recap of events from the first two films. The plot—or what loosely passes as one—ties directly into “Terrifier 2“, so if it’s been a while since you last saw it, I’d recommend giving that one a rewatch.
You can forget about the human characters—they exist solely to be slaughtered by the true star of this movie: Art the Clown. David Howard Thornton delivers another memorable performance, and he’s easily the best part of the film. In fact, he’s the standout in every Terrifier movie, quickly cementing Art as one of horror’s most iconic characters, right up there with Jason, Freddy, and Chucky. Art steals the show in every scene, but the highlight has to be when he “fanboys” over a guy in a Santa Claus outfit—a moment that’s easily the funniest in the movie.
Many horror franchises fall into the trap of over-explaining their villains with each new installment, leading to low points like the three dream demons in “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare” or the Thorn cult in “Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers“. Damien Leone avoids this pitfall by keeping Art the Clown’s motives and powers a mystery; he’s a supernatural entity and that’s pretty much all we know. There’s no endless exposition from characters that often gets retconned later anyway.
While this keeps the spotlight on Art and his victims, it’s starting to feel repetitive. The first “Terrifier” was a low-budget film set mostly in one location. The second expanded the scope, adding characters with actual backstories and some connections to Art, making it the only slasher to approach a 2.5-hour runtime. “Terrifier 3” continues this trend, clocking in just over two hours, but aside from a Christmas setting, it doesn’t add much that feels new to the series.
The end result is a movie that delivers exactly what you’d expect, but nothing more. With the success of this installment, a “Terrifier 4” is practically guaranteed. At some point, Damien Leone should consider taking Art to the next level or introducing some sort of vulnerability to create an actual endgame. Without that, the next film risks being more of the same, much like this one compared to the previous two. It’s a delicate balance to strike, and I’m curious to see how he’ll develop this character moving forward.
