Film Review - Terrifier 3
Images courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment.
Fans of creepy clowns and excessive bits of viscera rejoice, because Art the Clown is back to paint the town red in Damien Leone’s splatter threequel Terrifier 3. Set five years after the previous film's events, Art returns to seek revenge on Sienna and the other remaining members of the Shaw family, this time being joined by the possessed Vicky, along with a newfound sense of holiday spirit. Yes, we've reached the point in the franchise where we get to see the murderous mime don the big red suit of jolly Saint Nick. Call it a Christmas miracle, but it turns out that Terrifier 3 is the best one yet.
I've had my own trepidations around the franchise, from downright disliking the short film collection All Hallow’s Eve, to an overwhelming “meh” reaction to the first Terrifier despite appreciating its efforts to channel 80s grindhouse sleaze, to liking but having mixed feelings about the sequel’s use of its massively inflated runtime. Finally, this third feature length outing sets the record straight, resulting in a film that not only delivers on all the gnarly kills one could want, but also trims away much of the fat in the edit, resulting in a hyper violent extravaganza that I can officially give a hearty recommendation, free from any major caveats. It's still a dumb, silly slasher at its core, certainly, but honestly, what more could you want from a third Terrifier film?
Much like I mentioned in my review of the previous entry, I've again seen this newest film twice before writing this review, and while the overall thrill of seeing so much unadulterated blood and gore on the big screen is a little dulled given that it's been just two years since then, I must say that audience anticipation and reactions seem even more heightened, both in the form of fully sold out sessions and much more hooting and hollering from excited viewers. Again there have been stories of walk-outs and audience members vomiting, with my friend Emma (whom I went to see T2 with on the Halloween of 2022) mentioning that she did actually witness two separate people faint during the Perth premiere at Monster Fest, and given this reputation, I should report that I didn't see anything quite like that at our Victorian MF premiere - blame it on the ever-changing Melbourne weather for hardening up our senses.
Leone's slasher franchise is all about gruesome murder, and this outing is no exception. In the tradition of Friday the 13th Part III (the first film in the series to have Jason put on the hockey mask), the third entry sees Art finally getting into the swing of things, and while it'd be misleading to say this is a story driven experience, it does start to make sense this time around. The kills are repulsively creative, featuring some nods for long time fans that play out like a “best of” compilation, all the while ensuring that each beat serves up an escalation of Art's signature brutality. None of the kills quite surpass the sheer gonzo bravado of the previous film’s infamous bedroom scene, but this Christmas story oscillates from violence to story beats and back again frequently, ensuring that the film feels consistently mean, culminating in a final showdown that's satisfying, even as the point A to B logistics going in to the final act are a little awkward.
There's been much dismay about Art's status in the current horror zeitgeist, with people quick to call him an “industry plant horror icon”, though I'd argue he's one of the few that was genuinely built from the ground up, given Leone’s background as a practical effects artist and the franchise's independent funding. Besides, what are the alternatives? No one wants to make movies starring Freddy or Jason, Pinhead is too hard to cosplay, and I could've sworn there were more people dressing up as Ghostface before 2022’s soft reboot of the franchise. Overall, Terrifier 3 proves that a little Yuletide seasoning and some punchy editing go a long way to finally giving Art the film he clearly deserves, a raucous and thoroughly cruel slasher fiesta that's sure to be a Halloween season hit.
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Terrifier 3 is screening in select cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.