At this point, readers should know that I love horror. I’ve recently learned to be less critical of my horror too, as sometimes the experience is more important to me than other factors. But Damien Leone’s “Terrifier 3” is truly the worst and most disgusting movie I’ve ever seen, and I am genuinely upset by it.
The first “Terrifier” was released in 2016 and was an odd, gory and even humorous film that my friends and I would put on if we were feeling brave. It was unlike any slasher we had ever seen. In 2022, we got “Terrifier 2,” and it actually felt like the franchise was going somewhere. There were likable characters, it had a graspable plot and some crazy kills. While still violent, they were not necessarily nauseating. I gave the film three out of five stars on Letterboxd, as it had all the great aspects of a slasher and a final girl I was actually rooting for.
Also — this is going to sound crazy, but — Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) is a fun character! He’s evil, yes, but his comedic timing makes him so much fun — when he’s not killing, of course.
That being said, I was naturally very excited for “Terrifier 3.” I was so eager to see Art in a different style and more of Lauren LaVera as Sienna Shaw that I even went on opening night, Oct. 10. This time, Art came to wreck Christmas.
But, unfortunately, right off the bat I knew I was not going to like it. Why? Because two children are brutally murdered and we are shown the mutilated, chopped up body of one of them.
Now, again, I love horror, but the one thing I will not do is enjoy a film that violently massacres children and shows their dismembered limbs. Actually, there’s one other thing I will not do — enjoy a film that shows gut-wrenching animal cruelty!
This movie felt like Leone and the other writers just thought, “how horrible and gross can we make this?” and didn’t scrap any of the ideas. These murders made me feel sick to my stomach — and don’t even get me started on how the women in these films experience the most excruciating, gruesome deaths while the men are either killed off screen or in a less appalling way. Not to mention how the actual plot made no sense.
Furthermore, the acting was garbage. I had high hopes for LaVera, as she was pretty decent in the second film, but here she completely dropped the ball. I didn’t feel as though her performance as a healing victim was entirely accurate or believable.
The one and only redeeming quality about the film is Thornton’s acting, because he absolutely exemplifies the qualities of uneasiness and wit that Art showcases throughout the franchise. Although it made me extremely uncomfortable, that was more than likely his goal. The actions of the character and their needlessness are more at a fault of the writers.
But Art is not even the real main focus in this addition to the franchise! The film more-so follows the actual evil that controls him, but since it is in another physical vessel, we see more of that character and their foul deeds.
I honestly just found every aspect of this movie to be disturbing and unnecessary. I don’t even want to call it a movie, as it is more of a gore fest or a “see how long you can last” challenge. I fully believe that Leone crossed the line when he brought children on screen.
At least other body horror centered movies like “Saw” have restraint. “Terrifier 3” does not even feel like an addition to its own franchise — it belongs in the same realm as “Human Centipede,” and I mean that as an insult.
If you plan on watching this movie make sure to check out the trigger warnings, but I recommend just saving yourself the time and money, and watching a respectable film instead.
0 / 5 stars
ajones11@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of BuhBah03, X
