Terrifier 3 (2024) Dir: Damien Leone

Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DSsPfKzjdxg/?igsh=Y2E0bHVxOGZ5cGQy

Last year, I watched the first two films in the cult horror franchise; 'Terrifier', and whilst they weren't entirely for me, I could still see why others had loved them so much. This third one, once more directed by Damien Leone, had been given the franchise's highest budget yet, which took a comparatively huge jump up to two million dollars, from the mere two-hundred-and-fifty thousand dollars that the second film had used. This jump in funds seemed to promise one thing; more blood, more guts, and more clown carnage.

Much like the prior two films, I thought the practical effects were both impressive and creative. These films have the feel of 80's slashers, but with more modern application and skills. One can argue about the purpose of the violence all day, but the execution of the special effects has consistently been very good across all three of these films, but particularly in the case of this one. I should also praise the retro-sounding soundtrack, which I liked quite a lot. This was particularly in regards to the original Christmas song, which had a cheeky and fun 'Terrifier' twist.

The narrative was loose to say the least, and lacked much in the way of cohesion or structure, instead focusing on a series of gruesome set pieces. I was at least somewhat prepared for this, because of my experiences with the other two films in the trilogy, although it was still pretty disappointing. The violence was very gratuitous - another familiar trait of these 'Terrifier' films - it irritates me a little that these films have failed to improve from a storyline or screenwriting perspective, even three films into the series.

Lauren LaVera returned to star in this third film, having put in a scream queen worthy shift in the previous film. I had thought she was one of the highlights of that second film, and much the same could be said this time around too. She always seems to be up for anything in these films, and while her acting in them will never win any major awards, she remains the one true heartbeat behind them, in my opinion. I found her one of the only genuinely interesting characters in the film, and the only one, aside from the main villain, worth bringing back for the fourth film.

David Howard Thornton, of course, returned as the infamous 'Art The Clown', who is fast becoming one of the more iconic cult horror villains of the twenty-first century, and provided another typically wild and unsettling performance. One thing is abundantly clear, and that's that Thornton is more than capable and comfortable with the persona, and it pays off hugely for these films. Without his commitment to the role, this franchise would have been lucky to get one sequel let alone two, with another supposedly on the way.

The film also saw the return of both Samantha Scaffidi and Elliott Fullam, with Scaffidi continuing to explore the bizarre downfall of her character with a fairly respectable degree of commitment. I was not all that impressed by Fullam's acting, though. He just felt like he was whining for the whole time he was on-screen. The film also featured performances from Margaret Anne Florence, Bryce Johnson, and, a little randomly; legendary wrestler and 'Fozzy' front man Chris Jericho, in smaller, but still notable roles.

Overall, I once again found myself slightly bemused as to why these films have been as popular as they have been. Sure, 'Art' is a freaky antagonist, but that's kind of all these films have. But then, clearly they have found their market, and who am I to judge that? What I will say is that I believe these films could be a lot better with some better scriptwriting. If one of these had a legitimately good story behind it, I think it could pay off hugely.