Terrifer 3 (2024) No Spoiler MOVIE REVIEW!
Terrifying or Frightless gore-fest?
Modern horror legend Art the clown is back with another diabolical butchery streak that will surely satiate the deepest desires of gore and horror fans around the world, but are his new tricks really worth it?
Terrifier 3 follows the story of Sienna Shaw, who is now released from a psychiatric hospital, 5 years after the events of T2, with her brother Johnathan now a college student. Art the clown manages a way to resurrect himself involving Victoria Heyes, last seen in Terrifier (2016), the first in this trilogy.
Sienna is trying to get back to a normal life, but it isn't all fine and dandy yet. Sienna and Johnathan may have an idea of what’s going on and must stop the terrifying clown and his apprentice once and for all.
It goes with an 80s-esque feel with a slightly grainy, grimy look, while paying homage to horror classics like ‘The Shining (1980)’, and even ‘Pieces (1982)’ among others. To really elevate this aesthetic, Damien also goes one hundred percent practical effects yet again, but in a way that it is very easy to tell. Don’t be fooled by this statement, however, as is doesn’t mean it’s any less brutal.
I also really admire the character building between the family, using genuine humor and that silly energy dads often carry which playfully pisses off moms. It’s very simple and sweet and helps connect with these characters, with Damien allowing them a decent screentime to really
Family humor aside, even Art is more energetic and charming this time round, with more of that awkward humor and excitement, acting like what a 7-year-old might think 'weird and popular' looks like. It's pretty enjoyable, and I often let out a chuckle here and there.
New and side characters are very interesting this time round
Touching some more technical levels, the film is also edited really well, as compared to T1 and T2, as it feels more memorable, with scenes that flow among each other with ease, suppose the scene in which sienna is talking about being creative and it cuts to art the clown with a LIQUID NITROGEN cylinder! The cinematography is also good, and you see pretty much everything they want you to, and that too in a thrilling-enough way.
T2 was more about adding as much pain to the kills as possible, but it lacked in creativity, comparatively. Art reveals stuff that had me hyped up, and I was just thinking how brutally Art could recreate ‘Jason X’s’ iconic head bash. It went a totally different direction, but it was still pretty refreshing. Even the signature kill by the end isn't as horribly painful as T2 or even T1 for that matter, but it is more painful to watch, before the deed even starts. This made it better than the competing kills which have come before. All this matched with those insane practical effects, the kills are covered (and yes, you can expect people to walk out or vomit).
The kills are brutal as they are, but this time round, the movie tries to go disturbing with stuff other than the kills, and although it doesn’t happen too often, it seems experimental in a successful way. It has an odd, don’t-wanna-see effect which I love to see. T3 also has that ability to easily tightrope along the line of being too much and just all right, but never crossing it. The teaser trailer put a few people off with the implication that children would be involved in the brutality, and I wouldn’t blame those people. Damien Leone handles is really well, however, and although it has its shock factor, it's not too bad.
With this shock factor also comes sorrow. In the final showdown, the signature kill not only comes with a slow, hard-to-watch kill, it also comes with genuine sorrow. There's something that happens during this scene that makes the death a lot painful to the character than the kill itself, and a small while later, we as viewers might even feel worse. This emotion I felt just elevates it slightly over T2, personally, as I can feel some love for the side characters, and not just for the joy of seeing a clown kill people.
The shock factor also has some bold, fun choices, and by fun, I mean surprising… We see a variety of weaponry used here, and you’ll know what I’m talking about once you see the flick, and probably think I’m a bad person, but I honestly don’t care enough…
The acting and dialogue is also a step up from its predecessor, with Sienna still proving to be a commanding presence and Johnathan really upping his acting game (though he’s still sad and depressed). Everything is mend together by better dialogue as well, which reminds me of the title call Sienna makes, for the first time “I have to go back to the Terrifier”, which I personally thought was cold as Hell, out of context.
Sienna Shaw, played wonderfully by Lauren LaVera
Everything aside, we get a few new plot openings, with some more supernatural elements added to the mix to hold the series together and contributing to a Terrifier 4. It’s not the most inventive thing ever, but it’s nonetheless good, and adds some new dynamic to the series, making it more than just a clown killing people, unlike T1 and T2. We get to see a glimpse at Sienna’s dad in a flashback scene, and I really wanna know more. It also implies that Art and Victoria do have a motive, albeit a weak one, as they just enjoy killing people. Overall, it works!
I do think the story is still slightly less defined in its objective, but again, it will never truly be revealed till Terrifier 4, as the hype is there to get me a front row seat to follow on with the conclusion. But overall, I would say that Terrifier 2 had a more compelling and comparatively more complete story, if that makes any sense…
I have a couple of minor complaints too, however, with the complete omission of the possibility that police do exist. They could be helpful in looking at CCTV footage to find and lock this clown, but no, police aren’t called or seen once. Maybe Art is a government experiment? I dunno...
Other than that, there are a few appalling decisions made here. Sure, they could be due to the in-the-moment pressure, but it honestly could easily be better, especially during the conclusion of the final Art vs Sienna sequence. Some characters were also roughly handled, with me wanting to know more about what the actual heck happened. It is slightly predictable as well, provided Terrifier 4 was announced right after the release of this film, but I won't dock points off for this reason.
Overall, thankfully, Terrifier 3 is yet another success in the already iconic franchise, cementing Art’s status in the horror legends’ list. It’s entertaining, creative and brutal, just what fans have come to see and admire, and more, and while new, fun elements add some dynamic to the story, some issues lie along decision-making. Overall, I’m excited for what’s in store for us in the future and will restlessly be waiting for updates!
Rated: R
