User reviews

Now that we've set the stage, Terrifier 3 makes history-not just for its exaggerated, gory kills or shocking gimmicks, but because it's actually enjoyable for me. Usually, bigger budgets don't mean better, but when passionate, talented filmmakers get involved and hire an editor who knows their craft, it makes all the difference. Good pacing can elevate even the goriest horror. Art the Clown is just as hilarious and terrifying as ever, but Victoria's wild performance stole the show-she's more terrifying than Art. Lauren LaVera, as Sienna, gives it her all, portraying raw PTSD. She might just be the most traumatized final girl ever. Shockingly, I'm now hyped for Terrifier 4.

Me and my wife both enjoy the terrifier movies. We finally had some time to watch the third tonight, it was not as good as I was hoping. I'll start with the positives. The first is this movies budget must've been the most by far, and it shows. It had some very creative horror scenes. The acting was great as well. I also enjoyed the run time, I thought that 2 hours was a good amount of time. Now for some negatives in my opinion. I thought that it was odd that terrifier didn't have the little girl in this movie and they decided to go with the other girl. I also personally don't like Christmas movies. The third act seemed very rushed. I may be in the minority here, but I feel as though the second movie was the best out of the three. This one had great shock value but the story was not up to par.

For gorehounds, Damien Leone's 2016 offering 'Terrifier' was a bloody good time. A violent splatter-fest that didn't try to be anything other than that, it followed Art the Clown on a murderous Halloween night rampage. It's follow-up, 2022's 'Terrifier 2,' was an improvement in almost every regard: bigger, funnier and bloodier. Both films were met with critical acclaim (from a certain kind of critic, that is) and did good business at the box office. Self-funded, Leone's first two 'Terrifier' films are gruesome, grisly, grand guignol masterpieces. Can 'Terrifier 3' live up to its predecessors?

The third instalment in the franchise once again follows everyone's favourite mute psychopath, Art the Clown. It is Christmastime and, united with his newly-birthed head (watch the second film for this to make any semblance of sense) and resplendent in a Santa costume, Art embarks on another killing spree. Meanwhile, Sienna Shaw- the heroine from 'Terrifier 2'- is trying to move on with her life, after her close shave with the fiendish clown five years earlier. Art, however, has other plans for Sienna.

'Terrifier 3' is not an insightful movie. It doesn't have a message, or explore any themes, or contain satirical weight. Leone isn't interested in that. He isn't trying to make 'It Follows,' or 'Smile,' or 'Rosemary's Baby.' He doesn't want to make a horror with depth and nuance. He is out to make a spectacle of splatter; a celebration of blood, guts and gore. He aims to out-do other horror directors by upping the ante when it comes to carnage, by throwing everything, including the kitchen sink and the plumber, at viewers in an attempt to provide thrills and chills. He succeeds.

Armed with a bigger budget than before, Leone crafts a brilliantly brutal festival of the extreme that is a worthy addition to the 'Terrifier' franchise. It is wilder, funnier and darker than its predecessors. Over-the-top and excessively bloody, if you expect Leone to operate within the confines of what is traditionally called 'good taste,' you'll be in for a bitter disappointment. He doesn't just push boundaries, he beats them up and breaks them down, with a hatchet to the head and a screwdriver to the spleen.

Having said that, scenes that don't feature any violence are generally hammy, lacking power or momentum. While Sienna is still a compelling character, Leone's often awkward dialogue and cliched characterisation means the film has a tendency towards the dull when Art, and his accomplice Victoria, aren't on screen. Although handled better than in the first two films, these moments- which are the bulk of the narrative, really- underscore the fact that Leone's strengths lie not with narrative or characterisation, but with creative, insane bloodshed.

Which, thankfully, the film is full of. The practical effects and make-up are breathtakingly gruesome, and the action sequences are fabulously unhinged and brutal- yet funny. The film is reminiscent of Sam Raimi's 'Evil Dead 2', successfully balancing extreme bloodshed with dark comedy. While not as accomplished or as consistently amusing as Raimi's film, it's still hauntingly hilarious, full of unexpected moments of macabre madness.

Moreover, Olga Turka's production design is commendable, effectively contrasting violence with an innocuous Christmastime aesthetic. Leone and director of photography George Steuber's cinematography also impresses, compounding the film's suspenseful atmosphere. Paul Wiley's score is similarly effective at generating dread and mood, and the whole affair is well-edited, meaning that, even in its weaker moments, it doesn't drag.

As in the first two, the film's main strength lies with David Howard Thornton's incredible performance as Art the Clown. His is a masterpiece of physicality, as if Buster Keaton were reincarnated via some evil ritual. Thornton's background as a mime aids him immeasurably, and he portrays the sadistic killer's perverse glee and menacing mirth with aplomb. Over the three films, Thornton has created one of the best horror characters in years; his performance alone should have viewers clamouring for a 'Terrifier 4.'

Lauren LaVera also impresses in the role of Sierra, demonstrating the character's underlying trauma quite effectively. Although she has many awkward lines to deliver, she does so well, making for a compelling protagonist. Samantha Scaffidi is great in the all-too-small role of Victoria, Art's accomplice, while Antonella Rose and Margaret Anne Florence do fine work as Sierra's cousin and aunt, respectfully. Additionally, Daniel Roebuck leaves a positive impression as a doomed Santa impersonator, as does Alexa Blair Robertson as a podcaster. (Horror fans will also take note that the great Tom Savini makes an appearance, albeit in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo).

In conclusion, Damien Leone's 'Terrifier 3' is a bloody, brutal and brilliant horror comedy, brimming with the macabre menace the franchise is known for. Featuring remarkable practical effects and make-up, as well as an emotive score and fine cinematography, it is a wild ride from start to finish. Full of over-the-top violence, and boasting a terrific central performance from David Howard Thornton, 'Terrifier 3' is scarily good.

Too long, too disjointed, and more like a collection of random ideas strung together with duct tape. Sure, the practical gore effects are o.k. But beyond that? It's a hot mess. The plot is nonexistent, the messianic arc for Sienna Shaw feels forced, and continuity has taken a backseat to shock value. It's as if Leone's trying to ride the wave of the franchise's success by throwing every half-baked idea at the screen, hoping something sticks. Unfortunately, the only thing that sticks is the blood. Art delivers another night to dismember, but as far as coherent storytelling goes? Don't bother looking for it here. It's not horror, it's a lazy bloodbath that thinks shock value is a substitute for storytelling.

While the dialogue has never been top notch, and does 't have to be, especially the dialogues with Jonathan were beyond cringe this time around.

The movie delivered on the mindless slasher trope but I can't shake the feeling the extra budget went to marketing instead of actually trying to make a better movie.

The second movie had a scene that crossed a certain boundary and I was expecting the third installment to do at least the same, or more. It did add new things to Art's repertoire but it didn't have the same effect on me.

A lot more happened off screen that diminished the "in your face" attitude the first two movies had. And I'm not talking about a certain scene that went amiss towards the end, that was most likely the only bit of actual storytelling that took place and left the audience guessing.

No, probably budget cuts to.... Leave more money on the table for marketing.

Listen: I'm not traditionally a gore guy. So when my girlfriend asked me to watch the first two Terrifiers to get ready for this one, I was not too excited. Turns out I love ALL of them. But this one, Terrifier 3, is special. I mean it when I say I haven't laughed that hard in a theater in a long time. Leave it to art the clown's deviant ridiculousness to make me smile! It is so over the top, so batshit, to the point that the kills become some creative and intentionally hilarious that I can't hold it in anymore. He's a truly special villain because he's as scary as he is funny. That's very hard to do. And Damien Leone struck gold with art the clown. He's the 2020's slasher hero no questions asked. And this franchise will go down as one of horror's greatest. If you're a horror fan you definitely need to watch all of them. They each have their own identity. The 3rd one is my favorite even though the second might be the best and has the most classic scenes. So so fun!

I have so much respect for Damien Leone. He wants to do his movies, HIS way. And he found a way to do it. Also, the gore effects are top tier. They take it seriously, and do it right: minimal to no CGI. This is how it should be done.

He also said he wanted to make this more brutal and offensive than the previous installment. Was it? Yeah. Did he succeed? OH yeah. But was he TOO successful? Some would argue yes. And regretfully, I MIGHT be one of them.

I really liked and appreciated his film. It's everything he said it would be, and more. He said the opening scene would be extreme, and it was. He delivers everything he promised and more. But, and this is coming from a horror buff and gore hound, he may have went too far with this one. I both loathe and respect how far Damien Leone goes with this one. He has full creative control, and damn, he makes even the most seasoned and desensitized horror fan (such as myself) feel uncomfortable with this one. But it also makes us kind of wonder if we have limits after all. Maybe that's a good thing, maybe not. All I know is that I felt very uncomfortable during a couple scenes, and was even a bit nauseous. And I thought I had a stomach of steel.

My second biggest complaint was that Art wasn't as funny as he was in the second movie. Yes, he has some GREAT moments in this one. Especially what he constantly does to a character during the film's climax, despite how serious and intense the scene was. And yeah, David Howard Thornton's miming experience definitely is still apparent in this film, and I don't think anyone could do the character better. But still, I found this one too serious, and sort of failed to balance the acrobatic art of balancing humor with horror as well as the previous installment did. There definitely were some humorous moments, but most of them in the second half just didn't register because the nature of the second half was just too heavy and sadistic.

A lot of people are complaining of a lack of story. I disagree. There's plenty of story AND character development. More is revealed about the nature of Art and "The Pale Girl." The story goes places, and the ending leaves so many questions. There is definitely a story. Anyone who says otherwise is probably expecting a storyline on the same level as say, Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad. Let's be honest with ourselves folks, we're not here for the bleeding story.

It's good. But it's definitely not for everybody. And if you want to see it out of morbid curiosity, if the second movie was too much, you should definitely avoid this one.

EDIT: After further reflection, I found that I cannot stop thinking about this film. Also, I had to raise my rating from a 7 to an 8, and then eventually, from an 8 to a 9 without even seeing it a second time. It's still an incredibly disturbing film to watch, even for someone like me, but I now accept that I love it. It's so effective and well made I respect the hell out of it. And what a cliffhanger!!! Fans of any of the previous 4 films (yes, 4 films, not two) in which Art the Clown makes an appearance, should at the very least be satisfied with this one.

After watching the first two films... I was so excited to see this sequel!

I was hoping it'd be as good as the first two and turns out that Terrifier 3 is better than it's predecessors.

This film is truly not for those who do not like gore as this is the most disgusting and brutal Terrifier film yet!

Seeing Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) back is great and once again she shines as the modern bad-ass final girl!

David Howard Thornton "terrifies" once again as Art The Clown, he truly does give me the creeps! Wouldn't want to be killed by this guy XD

I am very happy to be part of the first reactions to this brilliant film, truly a 10/10 and you should totally see it when it's out in theatres!

DISCLAIMER: I just want to say that some other reviewers have been saying this film (and franchise in general) is just violence against women.

First of all, it is not. Men get killed in gruesome ways just the same. The other reviewers have also said that anyone who enjoys this are "depraved" and are assuming only the teenagers are watching this "trash"

I don't think these people understand that there are more adults that watch these type of films over teens. They also don't seem to understand what opinions is either. I just want to say... don't feel ashamed for liking these type of films, they are slashers and are just films. You are not sick "disgusting" or "depraved" You like what you like and you should be allowed to enjoy these films without feeling guilty or ashamed.

Everyone rating this movie a 1: There's no story; it's just an excuse for gore.

Me: Have you heard of Friday the 13th? Every sequel is kids going to camp (or NYC, or outer space LOL) and getting killed in more and more creative ways.

You'd think anyone watching the third installment of the Terrifier franchise would know what to expect from this movie. Given that, there's no real plot other than Art is on a holiday killing spree; this time, he's accompanied by Victoria instead of The Little Pale Girl from the second movie. While the whole movie is perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing (the Christmas aspect looks great and the gore/effects are more realistic), I prefer the raw and gritty feel of the original. There are some very imaginative kills--to the point you wonder who even thinks of these things--which adds the shock and dark humor that fans will appreciate. There isn't as much of a fantasy and supernatural aspect as Terrifier 2, which I didn't care for anyway, so this movie is a nice return to form for Art and his victims. Good opening sequence with lots of suspense, good amount of screentime for Art's antics, good climax and conclusion that sets the table for Terrifier 4 (which has already been confirmed). See it!

If scary movies aren't your thing, chances are that you are likely going to hate this thin, blood-soaked piece of independed cinema. But if you are a fan of traditional slasher flicks with creative kills and satisfying performances, this might just become your favourite one so far.

There isn't too much going on in the film plot-wise. In fact, a description of Terrifier 3's plot wouldn't be much longer than a summary of one Friends episode. Instead of answering the questions from the previous installment, the movie just brings up even more questions for the now-confirmed sequel, which may unsatisfy some fans, but at the same time already creates hype for Terrifier 4.

Production values are miles ahead of the previous films and it is pleasing to se Damien Leone improve so much in his craft.

As for the period before the release of the film, I personally think some of the marketing choices were a bit over-the-top, such as the release of an official hot-line, but that doesn't diminish the quality of the movie itself.

Overall, the movie is an improvement over the previous installments and it will definetely satisfy you if you are a Terrifier/slasher fan.

I've seen parts 1 and 2 and applauded this take on a new horror character to stand up with Freddy Kruger. The dark humor and crazy creative kills continue in part 3, but at times I felt that Art was mimicking himself and was too self aware and appreciative, rather than organically funny. (Like in the sun glasses scene in part 2).

The female companion to Art was interesting but I grew tired of her and she seemed to interfere with Art at times.

The special effects gore is off the chart and surprisingly realistic. I see part 3 as a worthy effort to explore some other avenues, but risks sending the overall concept on a detour that could easily end the series. I enjoyed parts 1 and 2 more. The last scene which lays some foundation for #4 looks like a good start. The producers have a goose that has laid some golden eggs, they need to be careful not to kill it.

Let's be real here. What on earth do the "fans" see here?

I am a huge fan of horror. I will watch anything from Saw to Silence of the Lambs to the Babadook to the good old fashioned Halloween and Scream. I am here for the gore (sometimes a little gross) and the psychological terror and even the dark comedy. BUT WHAT ON EARTH DO THE FANS SEE IN THIS??

Are you seeing the low budget prosthetics or the blood that doesn't even look like blood? What about the "guts" that look like we went to Spirit Halloween? Again, don't even get me started on the fake body parts because honestly it's like we went to JCPenneys and ripped it off a mannequin.

Please someone tell me where this "movie" gets 10/10. It's certainly not the acting. It's not the plot. It's not the cinematography. It's not the sound score (let's be real the sound does not even align with the murders).

And oh for the love of the good lord, can we not put this into the same categories as the great horror films and quantify this as a CULT CLASSIC?? You should all see a therapist and receive a proper diagnosis and establish a basis for why you are a "fan" of this movie and taking CHILDREN to see it. I am appalled.

The BEST you got is that Art is a creepy clown. Even then, he is nothing in comparison to the actual greats such as Michael Myers, Pennywise, Ghostface, Hannibal, Freddy, Jigsaw, shoot even Norman Bates is more terrifying.

Alfred Hitchcock is rolling over in his grave right now. You should be ashamed.

This is the third installment of the Terrifier film franchise. This movie had a bigger production budget that surpassed the combined budgets of the first two films. They filmed this on a budget of 2 million dollars. You can tell by the improvements and quality of the film, bigger budgets results in more effects. Now as for this installment without giving any spoilers, this film does surpass its previous two films in hardcore violence and gruesome deaths, which is to be expected given the fact its Art the Clown, not Mr. Rodgers. I know many have come down on this film for the excessive violence especially towards women. If you look at thrasher films like Friday The 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, or any in that genre mostly the targets of those films have been female leads. The Terrifier films is no exception. Now given how film has progressed with technology and special effects it makes the death scenes more gorey and violent which really is no different from films in that genre back in the 1980's where this slasher genre really got its launch in my opinion. Is Art over the top? Yes of course he is, but that is the trademark of this Franchise. Now as for the film, the plot is typical, and somewhat predictable. They do expand the character of Victoria better in this film. They also have actors you might recognize such as Clint Howard and Jason Patrick who played Michael in the Lost Boys, so that is a plus. This film relies on its violence to carry the film, but I would like the plot to be more developed in the next installment. You can reduce the gore and focus on development which would not hurt this film, but recreating blood baths no matter how imaginary they are become dull over time and audiences become desensitized. I gave this film 6 out of 10. Now people who hate on this film for the reasons I mentioned earlier, remember this is the Terrifier franchise and you have seen from the previous installments what you're in for with this film. If you despise these type of films simply do not watch them, they are not for everyone, that is why we all have the freedom to choose what to view. Now I agree this film should be for mature audiences, not children. If you have parents that allow their young children to watch these types of films, then they are more terrifying than Art the Clown. Overall the film is all right, but a better focus on the plot will keep this film from reaching the status of so many other slasher films in that genre. Art the Clown is the new guy on the scene, but remember he was actually introduced in film many years ago, and now is just building steam. Let's build on his status with better stories, and then he will be the true slasher film icon of this era.

This Terrifier series is fascinating. The first movie kind of sucks, having nothing memorable narratively or cinematically, really, beyond introducing a memorable villain and having impressively grisly violence. It's a slasher movie not broken down to its bare essentials, but driven down further somehow. It's a bit of a nothing movie, without a plot and seemingly not caring.

Then the second came along, made the villain even more memorable, and had scenes of bloodshed that proved more shocking. It also had a pretty good story and character development (don't think that's a popular opinion, but I liked it), and introduced more of an intriguing series mythology, for lack of a better word.

Terrifier 3 takes all that stuff the second movie did well and I think does it even better. Terrifier 2 felt a bit overlong, at 138 minutes, with Terrifier 3's slightly shorter runtime helping the pacing immensely. I still feel surprisingly invested in this series, which is becoming something genuinely fantastical. They could eventually overdo that side of things, and they almost do here, but I really dig what these films have evolved into.

The violence is disgusting. It's at least as sadistic as the second, maybe more. Art the Clown is hilarious when he's not killing people but I hate him deeply. I love to hate him. Unironically one of the best villains of the last 10 years. He's Harpo Marx if Harpo was also a serial killer.

The final act elevated this film immensely. Chainsaws have never sounded louder. I was worried I'd have a panic attack and I felt queasy. I feel a bit shaken after the whole thing, now that it's over. The sadistic violence played a part, but I think I also cared. These characters have all suffered so much, and I was so invested in them winning. The final scenes had me squirming in my seat more so because I was invested, rather than the violence. I think that's impressive, or maybe I'm just easily entertained.

There are some scenes here that look too cheap, and the pacing isn't perfect. Occasional rough line deliveries and inconsistent acting here and there, too. It sort of ties the first movie and the second together in a way that felt a bit rough early on. But much of the second half had me feeling so jittery, and I have to celebrate a movie that gets to me like that. The last month or so has had some high-profile disappointments new release-wise, so I'm really happy Terrifier 3 was a film that exceeded my expectations. This is the best of the series so far.

Well, well, well... I just finished watching this Oscar worthy film, just kidding but seriously folks... I really did just finish watching this film and as far as gore goes, it definitely delivered 3 fold. It wasted no time getting to business within the first 10 minutes and by the time the shower scene arrived, my aunt was out of her seat and I didn't see her until I got to the car. If you're not into slasher/Gore movies then stay home. If these kind of movies float your boat, then check your brains at the door and enjoy every bodily secretion that pours, drips, flows and splatters throughout this 2 hour slashfest.

This movie was exactly that, a GORROR (not horror) movie and not much else. The younger crowds will appreciate the practical effects sans any story what so ever. There is none, particularly in this blender frack of a movie.

Terrifer 3 gave about 5-7 minutes of a back story that told us very little. There is a bit more of the sy/fy nonsense or supernatural nonsense that clouds things up maybe leading us to a prequal or a headache. I am not sure which.

Leone needs to take a step back and realize there is a way to make less gore more horrific. This movie is like that one hooker who gave it away free as she came clamouring up to your car completely naked. In other words, what's next if everything is just given to you in spades?

Terrifier 4, god forbid, lol should have a title as opposed to the generic whatever 4 or whatever 5. TERRIFIER 4EVER CARNAGE or 4TUNATELY TERRIFIED...yadda yadda.

We need a new(er) story and we need to be frightened along the journey. We know you know practical effects and how to spill blood and guts but do you REALLY know how to TERRIFY us using half of what you used this last time...although it would be to a greater affect?

I loved Terrifier and I did appreciate Terrifier 2, although something was missing. Terrifier 3 had an opportunity to wrap everything up with a pretty bow (pardon the pun) but did nothing of the sort. Why not do a Director's cut where you eliminate everything but the gore and carnage. You'd still get about an hour for such a movie which might be better than the convoluted story we did get with the full version.

This is definitely a horror/gorror movie for the younger connoisseurs in the 14-20 age range. Sometimes less is more which is difficult to explain to some people. Personally I give this movie a .5 which is half of one point although I averaged out my rating with the first two in the series. I'll tell you what, if Dommy Leone doesn't tighten it up a bit and take this movie series more seriously he's going to ruin it all.

90 minutes not 125.

Less unnecessary gore and more build up and tension. You don't need the brightest bulb in the pack for every gore scene. Also, using your imagination as a viewer is a good thing. T3 lacked any of that. If the next part can shake off it's...all in your face regardless of your face's thoughts...then perhaps the series can have a rebirth with a part 5 sometime around 2030.

If you're looking for gore look no further! Terrifier 3 had all the gore that we've been craving! However, if I'm being honest, none of the kills topped the salt scene in Terrifier 2. Overall I'd say there are more kills and gore than the second movie, but none of the kills (even the main kill) were all that over the top like the second movie had. Another thing, half of the kills were left for you to imagine since half of them either happen off-screen or have already happened by the time the camera pans to the scene. This was a major disappointment as a lot of the "main kills" should have been shown since they were supposed to be emotional. In terms of the plot, I think I liked the second movie better because the pacing of this movie was a little off. Between the time jumps, sienna plot, and art plot, the pacing just wasn't right. It also did very little to build up on Art or Siennas story. It just felt like there was a lot of down time between each kill. Also, you never really build an emotional connection in this movie with any of the characters aside from sienna. Lastly, the last 20 minutes really let me down. Almost none of the kills were shown on screen and that trust me those kills should've been shown. Overall I'd say Terrifier 2 was better.

As the third film in the series, Terrifier 3 is good but (why does it feel needless to say "needless to say") the weakest of the three films. We still get Art The Clown wreaking havoc all over with extreme graphic violence, but it just doesn't seem as powerful this time. Part of that is that in the first two films, there was some sort of method to Art's madness -- by chance, Art ran into Tara (in "Terrifier") and Sienna (in "Terrifier 2") and that chance meeting kicked everything into gear. And of course, in "Terrifier 2" we learn that Art's encounter with Sienna was *not* totally random, and that she and Art have a deeper connection. And all the violence flows from these encounters. In "Terrifier 3", everything just seems much more random. Art just shows up someplace and KAPOW! Even the opening segment (which will likely make casual viewers who are expecting a "fun clown movie" run screaming from the theater), is completely unrelated to anything else. Much of the film just doesn't have the same feel, it almost feels forced.

There is a lot of good, though -- Lauren Lavera is great as the Sienna, trying desperately to get her life together. David Howard Thornton continues to be the single scariest clown in the history of movies. The storyline is pushed forward -- although not as much as you might expect. And when the movie finally gets down to its core story -- Art vs Sienna -- it absolutely ROCKS. And, of course, the level of graphic violence is exactly what you'd expect, and the practical special effects continue to be out of this world.

Solid recommendation from me. But temper expectations. As I mentioned, a good chunk of the victims are random so you won't feel as invested. Leone tries to make a couple of sequences the "big scene" to try to compete with the "big set piece" from the first two films (won't spoil them, but IYKYK!) and does not succeed. And the movie doesn't really have an ending, it just sort of "stops" and pretty much announces a Part 4 to find out what happened.

Damien Leone continues the chilling saga of Art the Clown, a character who has becoming a modern icon in the horror genre. Building on the foundations laid by its predecessors, this installment amplifies the terror while unsuccessfuly trying to delve deeper into the psychological aspects of fear and survival.

From the outset, the film establishes a relentless pace, immersing viewers in a nightmarish world where Art the Clown reigns supreme. Leone's direction is what you could expect in this genre, balancing gruesome horror with moments of dark humor that provide brief respites from the tension but without a real story that could give you explanation why is all this happening in the particular order. The narrative is lacking in depth or character development, as the focus leans heavily on the horror elements. Additionally, the film's relentless violence may not be suitable for all audiences, as it pushes the envelope of what is considered acceptable in mainstream horror. I have to mention that the cinematography is capturing both the grotesque and the surreal, which enhances the film's unsettling atmosphere.

The performances in "Terrifier 3" are quite good, particularly that of David Howard Thornton, who reprises his role as Art. Thornton's portrayal is both menacing and captivating, bringing a physicality to the character that is both terrifying and oddly charismatic, if I am allowed to say that with all the gore surrounding him and which was unapologetically graphic, pushing boundaries and eliciting visceral reactions from the audience. This dedication to practical effects over CGI not only enhances the realism but also pays homage to classic slasher films, making it a treat for this type of horror aficionados.

While it may not resonate with everyone due to its graphic content and simplistic plot, it undoubtedly cements Art the Clown's place in horror history.

I had a palpable feeling of dread while watching "Terrifier 3", but I'm not sure if that was because of the movie itself, or because of my experiences watching the first two movies: I bailed on "Terrifier" during the hacksaw scene because it was making me feel sick. I went back and watched it in preparation for the second one, which ended up making the first look tame. "Terrifier 2" made me feel genuinely distressed in one scene, like somebody had filmed one of my nightmares. If this third entry was going to top that, I thought, I didn't know if I could handle it.

Funnily enough, it really didn't top it. Nothing in this one made me feel as anxious as the first sequel.

I guess where they did raise the bar was in terms of budget. This series has been a really surprising success story, so this one has the biggest budget yet.

I can't believe how much things have changed. When I was a teen in the 2000s, kids went to Saw and Final Destination and Hostel movies for a shock and a giggle at some graphic violence. And some of those movies were panned by critics for their violence, eg. I have never forgotten David Stratton giving zero stars to "Hostel" because he was "repelled by it".

The Terrifier series makes all those movies look like episodes of "Sesame Street". I remember how surprised I was when I saw that the majority of critics gave the first film a positive review. Luckily Stratton had retired by then, it would have given him a heart attack.

This is how much things have changed: I had a rep for being a gorehound in high school, and as I've already said, I quit on watching "Terrifier" the first time. Now it seems like average high school kids are watching this stuff. Does the average kid today have a stronger stomach than a gorehound from twenty years ago? What caused this change? I have often wondered if the increase in sex in TV shows is a result of the cable networks trying to compete with the porn that seemingly everyone watches constantly these days. Is horror movies becoming this much more violent a result of the actual footage of real-life gore we have available to us now, perhaps more easily available than it was in my youth? Or is it that kids have grown up watching that stuff from ever younger ages, so they've arrived in their teens much more hardened than we were?

You see, to me Terrifier is more interesting as a sign of the times than as a film series. I watched it, admittedly, out of curiosity of how much further it was going to push the envelope. I do appreciate the way Damien Leone is sort of able to conjure a kind of nightmarish atmosphere at least some of the time, and the music is also good. I thought the movie held itself back with some unnecessary plot points and call-backs to the previous ones that weren't really necessary. One of the returning characters, in particular, didn't really seem to add anything and I'm not sure why he was in it.

It still kept me entertained for most of its length.

"Terrifier 3" excels as a thriller due to its seamless fusion of relentless suspense, visceral horror, and subtle dark humor. Director Damien Leone expertly cultivates a chilling atmosphere, intensified by Art the Clown's ominous presence and unyielding pursuit of his victims, keeping viewers perpetually on edge. The film's innovative use of Christmas imagery, contrasted with its brutal violence, offers a fresh and unsettling viewing experience. With top-notch special effects, compelling performances, and a gripping narrative, "Terrifier 3" stands out as a thrilling and unforgettable entry in the horror genre.