Official Review
THE STORY – After surviving Art the Clown's Halloween massacre, Sienna and her brother struggle to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. However, just when they think they're safe, Art returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare.
THE CAST – David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullam & Samantha Scaffidi
THE TEAM – Damien Leone (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 125 Minutes
It's not Christmas without a bloodbath… that is, if you live in the world of the "Terrifier" franchise. Writer-director Damien Leone's third Art the Clown feature, "Terrifier 3," brings horror to the holidays, the kind of utterly depraved horror that has become the signature of these films. But in a movie where little comes as a shock anymore—it's not that it doesn't thrill, but at this point, we do expect the worst from Art—it was a pleasant surprise to see how much the franchise has grown while keeping its roots and its ideals, as twisted as they are, fully intact.
Right off the bat, "Terrifier 3" feels more polished than the franchise has ever felt before. The movie, to borrow a silly yet insightful phrase from a certain film's now-infamous press tour, actually feels like a movie, with more of a professional sheen over the whole thing. George Steuber's smooth cinematography, lightly laced with grit, pairs nicely with Leone's sick sensibilities, which really pop under such a sterile and conventional lens. Leone's script is his best so far, tying the mystical lore set up in the second installment to a robust emotional core built on the suffering of Sienna, played by Lauren LaVera, that will be the key to the heart of the rest of the franchise. His direction follows suit, laser-focused on the brutal and sadistic, so his heroine's triumphs impact us that much more. That tactic doesn't always work, but it nonetheless gives way to something that does.
Art puts Sienna through the wringer this time, hitting her where it hurts emotionally and, of course, physically—and LaVera's performance has a beautifully tragic realism about it that grounds such a fantastical story into the realm of possibility. Despite how horrifying he is, Art is ultimately a product of the surreal. But because of LaVera's strength as a final girl, following undoubtedly in the footsteps of powerful predecessors like Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott, his presence feels as close to us as it does to Sienna, forever lurking in the shadows behind her. Simply put, she elevates this film from schlock slasher to something more, as unexpected as that might be for this kind of gore-centric work. It's easy to get into LaVera's headspace because she makes it easy; She wears her battered heart on her sleeve and shows us what Art the Clown does to the body, psyche, and soul.
Speaking of that murderous clown, LaVera isn't the only one who adds depth to this blood-spattered horrorshow. David Howard Thornton reprises his role as Art, and he's the best he's ever been as the character in "Terrifier 3." Expressing himself entirely in the physical as per Art's signature style, Thornton ups the ante from previous films with a whole host of deliciously hilarious and depraved gestures that feel like part of a circus clown's box of magical toys. His interactions with the speaking cast, namely everyone but him, feel full and lived in without being two-sided because Thornton is so confident and skilled at crafting character in the physical. He's an absolute joy to watch, even—and maybe especially—at Art's most vile moments.
Some of those most vile moments involve intense and horrific male-focused violence, which evens the playing field a bit. The "Terrifier" franchise has long been under scrutiny for the extremity of its violence against women, but "Terrifier 3" is way less precious about who comes under Art's knife or chainsaw or hammer, and it's welcomed. Having everyone falling victim to Art's delusional antics makes the film feel less mean-spirited toward its women, who are, let's be honest, absolutely tortured throughout this franchise. The least Leone could do was balance the scales here. But no matter who is getting the ax, the twisted filmmaker continues to deliver on his promise of inventive and deeply disturbing kills that, despite their stomach-churning realities, feel exciting and terrible to watch at the same time. That said, moments like a choice one in a mall involving young kids or Art's pointed physical abuse against Sienna in the living room during the movie's final act perhaps unwittingly reminds us that Leone isn't afraid to be controversial and divisive even while doing some obvious people-pleasing this time around. This film as a whole shows that sometimes that approach works, and other times, it comes off crude and cheap.
Ultimately, this new jaunt in an all too familiar and frightening saga is more fun, engaging, and refined than the previous installments. Though it's nearly as long as the second film at two hours and five minutes, you feel the run time much less this time around with better pacing and a great sense of parallel between Art and Sienna's journeys before they collide once again.
By fixing that crucial detail, it feels like Leone has finally found the ideal tonal landscape for these films. All the elements that shine bright and bloody within this film—LaVera and Thornton's performances, Leone's direction and script, andpolished cinematography—push it to the best of the franchise, but who knows what "Terrifier 4" will bring, especially if Sienna is finally forced to face Art in Hell. It's nice to see Leone continuing to improve on a concept with endless potential to shock and delight lovers of the extreme. Where he'll go next, who knows? Is there anywhere left to go? Leone will undoubtedly find it if there is, but for now, "Terrifier 3" is bound to make a big impression on those who feel the true depths of its evil holiday spirit.
