Kelsey McAvin
Executive Arts Editor
“Terrifier 3,” the newest ad- dition to the “Terrifier” trilogy continues to push horror to gruesome extremes. This film aims to be as disturbing as possible, with reports of audience members fainting and becoming ill in theaters due to the gore. Despite being suc- cessfully terrifying, this film is ultimately another pointless addition to the series.
All of the films in the “Terrifier” series, written and directed by Damien Leone, lack depth. Art the Clown, played by David Howard Thorton, is the antagonist who exists to terrorize and kill people. With a sinister smile, he commits brutal acts of violence on his victims, like hanging them upside down and slicing them in half with a chainsaw.
His appearance, covered in black and white clown makeup, along with his lack of speech adds to his horrify- ing presence. He has no clear motivation or backstory with his actions, making his purpose solely to inflict suffering and fear.
The absence of plot in all the “Terrifier” movies is a major critique and flaw of the series, causing the films to fall into a repetitive pattern of violence with a lack of plot twists and jump scares. The film jumps from one horrifying moment to the next without any pur- poseful buildup and does not have the necessary elements to create a compelling storyline.
“Terrifier 3” puts a holiday twist on the series. The movie opens with a little girl telling her mom she hears Santa on the roof, however she soon learns it’s actually a murder- ous clown.
Sienna Shaw, one of Art’s unlucky victims, gets released from a mental hospital to spend the holidays with her Aunt Jess, Uncle Greg, and younger cousin Gabbie.
She begins to have halluci- nations of her dead friends, paired with feelings that Art is coming for her next. After be- coming aware of Art’s murder spree she must fight in order to protect herself and others.
Unlike many horror movies where the characters can dis- cover clues on the villains mo- tives or weaknesses, Art has no motives or patterns, mak- ing their fight for survival even more challenging. This also makes the plot difficult to fol- low for viewers as it is nearly impossible to keep track of all of Art’s traits.
The storyline of “Terrifier 3” never made it to actual Christ- mas day, and director Leoe says what he has planned for the next movie is “almost ex- perimental.” The effects on audiences have made headlines, and some theaters are posting warnings for sensitive viewers. Although this proves the mov- ie’s success in creating an in- tense horror movie, “Terrifier 3” ultimately is more exhaust- ing than terrifying.
“Terrifier 3” is definitely ap- pealing to a specific audience: those who seek a brutal slash- er movie. However, for many viewers, they will regret step- ping into that theater. This is a film suited for those who want to test how much they can stomach, rather than those looking for an engaging thrill.
“Terrifier 3” was released on Oct. 11, and is available in theaters now. For more information, visit terrifier3.com.
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