Directed By: Damien Leone
Starring: David Howard Thornton, Jenna Kanell, Lauren LaVera
Plot Summary: After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to the timid town of Miles County where he targets a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween night.
Terrifier (2016) was a grimy, gritty DIY horror film that wore its earnest love for the horror genre on its blood-caked clown costume. It’s probably not a shocker that the big reason for this film’s word-of-mouth success was the central baddie, Art the Clown. It was extremely impressive for a film with such a modest budget. The filmmakers really made Grindhouse magic in simple yet highly effective ways. The mood, surreal tone, and maniac performance by David Howard Thornton playing Art are nothing short of mesmerizing. The film’s impact on the horror community was huge, and it soon spread into the general pop culture zeitgeist. Hell, David Gordon Green even “borrowed” the human jack-o-lantern concept for his big budget Halloween reboot/requel in 2018.
Flashforward to 2022 and the hype for the sequel, Terrifier 2, is insane, but nobody knew how insane until the teaser trailer racked up over a million views in a very short amount of time. The film was then released to sold-out screenings and incredible mainstream press coverage, further cementing it as an indie sleeper hit. It even went toe-to-toe with Halloween Ends and earned significantly more critical love. The film holds a solid 87% freshness rating as of writing this review. To date, the film has made over $6 million on a scant $250,000 budget. This context is important before diving head long into this colorful world of madness and clown paint. The film is smart in picking up right where part one left off. Then it goes forward a year. We are introduced to Sienna who really is the modern final girl we all have been waiting for. Lauren LaVera is effortlessly charming, and she is a welcomed addition to the series.
Like a good sequel, Terrifier 2 provides what made the first film so special yet takes things in a new direction. Now working with a bigger budget, Damien Leone is freed up to play with the more absurd aspects of the original film whilst also vastly expanding on them. This means more locations and fun set-pieces which give the audience a better sense of the scope of this world. Still, it wisely never gives too much away about Art the Clown. Although, a backstory is vaguely hinted at. It also raises the bar when it comes to its brutality. If you thought that the first film was gory, well, buckle up because this one really cranks up the carnage. It almost takes the violence to a level that is slightly fetishized in a way that Hellraiser (2022) should have been. The filmmakers realized what fans enjoyed about the last film and dialed it up to cartoonish levels. Once again, chunky, gross-out practical effects are masterfully used within the film.
Speaking of upping the ante, this movie clocks in at nearly two-and-a-half hours long. Thankfully, it is for the most part paced really well and is effective at keeping the viewer engaged. Leone always dishes out something for his gore-hungry viewers to lap up. Even with all of the heightened gore and glorious effects, the film’s plot and pace could have been tightened up by trimming off roughly 15-20 minutes.
Overall, this is much better than part one. It retains all its grimy charms this time around while also giving us more compelling characters. One being, Sienna, who anchors the film nicely. Sure, this movie is by no means a complex horror film. It is a candy-coated, gore fest that harkens back to over-the-top sequels from the 80’s which are amazing in their own right. While a lot of horror films are shying away from the slasher genre or deconstructing it, this movie fully embraces it–entrails and all. Terrifier 2 is, frankly, what David Gordon Green wanted in Halloween Ends. It’s a lean, mean, and epic follow up that very much feels like a natural continuation of the series. Move over Michael Myers; Art the Clown is the new horror hero.
Terrifier 2 is currently playing in theaters courtesy of Cinedigm, and it is available to stream on Screambox.
Move over Michael Myers; Art the Clown is the new horror hero.
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GVN Rating 8
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Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.