Over a decade ago, Art the Clown showed his horrifyingly creepy visage for the first time in feature length for Damien Leone’s Halloween anthology, aptly titled All Hallows’ Eve. Even in a small dose—and played by a different actor—Art the Clown was a wildly unpredictable force whose silent laughter would chill you to the bone. Two mainline entries later, and this sinister black-and-white monstrosity has become a mainstay of the genre. His instantly-recognizable image can be found all over T-shirts and merchandise—for all accounts, Art the Clown has become an icon of horror that can stand amongst the greats. With Terrifier 3, Leone brings Art to a new holiday for the very first time. Also returning is final girl Sienna (Lauren LaVera), still recovering from the trauma of Art’s previous massacre. Seamlessly blending the macabre dark humor with holiday cheer, Terrifier 3 unleashes its over-the-top sensibilities on audiences everywhere. Just don’t forget to bring a barf bag.
Where we last left Art in Terrifier 2, he had been beheaded by Sienna; she and her brother, Jonathan (Elliott Fullam), just barely escaped with their lives, and plenty of scars to boot. Despite his head being very much not connected to his body, Art finds a way to return thanks to the help of victim-turned-possessed-accomplice, Vicky (Samantha Scaffidi). In the previous film’s post-credits scene, asylum-ridden Vicky birthed Art’s severed head from her convulsing body, then held it like a little baby. Or something like that. In part 3, mastermind Damien Leone wastes little time on continuing from that cliffhanger. Art manages to get his head back onto his body, albeit in impossibly gruesome fashion. Art and Vicky then hole up in a dilapidated house. The two lie dormant, growing cobwebs, as five years pass by.
A terrifying cold open that takes place on Christmas Eve comes first though, and features Art in a proper Santa Claus getup. By immediately throwing us headfirst into another of Art’s rampages, Leone opens the show with a gory exclamation mark. Nothing this time is off limits, even the sweet innocence of a child. There can be no denying the nasty relentlessness of the kills and jaw-dropping brutality will instantly turn off the more conservative folks in the audience. Not everyone will be doing bloody snow angels in delight at its mean streak, either. As with the previous two, 3 blazes a gory trail of impressive practical effects carnage nearly impossible to resist. But more on that later.
As for Sienna, she goes to stay with her kind aunt (Margaret Anne Florence) and uncle (Bryce Johnson), as well as her sweet, overly-curious cousin, Gabbie (Antonella Rose). The film manages to explore the aftershocks of Art’s wrath on the lives of both Sienna and Jonathan. The latter, at least, seems to have a semblance of a life at college. Sienna, on the other hand, tries hard to return to normalcy, but nightmarish visions of dead friends and murderous clowns plague her every waking moment. Whereas Terrifier 2 only hinted at the larger mythology behind Sienna and demonic supernatural vibes, part 3 allows much further exploration of these elements. Sienna’s character in particular emerges as a standout—LaVera embraces the complexities of the script, calling upon the proper scream queen energy to elevate every second she spends onscreen. If Art is the iconic figurehead of Terrifier, LaVera’s Sienna feels like its torn out, still-beating heart.
Needless to say, Sienna and Jonathan get more than bargained for when Art and Vicky emerge anew to stalk and torment the family and their friends. To say they simply ‘murder’ their prey would probably be the understatement of the century. Leone designs nearly every death as an epic sequence of pure unbridled horror, delivering multiple standouts that nicely align with the notorious bedroom scene of 2, or the body-splitting of 1. My two personal favorites were the chainsaw shower scene and a rat tube, both of which must be seen to be believed. The shower segment in particular will likely become a fan favorite. Of course, none of this would work without the miming power of David Howard Thorton’s performance as Art. Here, he actually gets to explore the more comedic side of the character, too, such as during a memorable bar scene where Art fanboys over Santa Claus. Thorton maintains a level of sadistic glee throughout, and at this point feels utterly unstoppable.
Terrifier 3 continues the surrealistic quality glimpsed in 2‘s Clown Cafe sequence, leaning ever further into A Nightmare on Elm Street territory. Cinematography also has never looked better, finding an ideal tone of throwback grindhouse that matches the twisted darkness of the series. This one comes with the addition of religious imagery to compliment its demented sensibilities; coupled with the Christmas theme, that actually manages to fit the movie like a reconstructed severed limb. For Terrifier 4, I would love to see Leone lean even deeper into the supernatural and bizarre. A two-hour slasher every couple of years feels like a recipe for success. Gift-wrapped perfection that maintains the sadistic consistency of this horror franchise, Terrifier 3 impresses, and will leave viewers hungry for more. Wash down some milk and cookies with this tasty treat, as only the signature vision of Damien Leone could deliver.
Celebrate the holiday season early with Art the Clown’s twisted garbage bag of gifts in Terrifier 3—now slashing through theaters everywhere.
