“Terrifer 3”: Art The Clowns Returns, Violent And Bombastic Than Ever | Review
“We need to talk about your son,” my older brother told my mother some decades ago. I was in high school then and had just finished watching one of the unnecessary sequels of “Saw,” which mostly involved pointless torture. I realized I had to defend the genre I love for peace of mind. “Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute,” I jumped up and started an assertive speech. “There’s a lot of added value in these movies. Like, um, for example. And the part about the blah blah. Also, there is something else in the plot, and the visuals are interesting. What kind of sadism are you talking about, you crazy people?”
My brother and mother rolled their eyes, and they weren’t convinced for some reason. So I promised to do my homework and come back to them with a comprehensive and academic investigation, which would show what pleasure I get from such “Torture Porn” movies, which contain nothing more than physical torture of seemingly unfortunate characters. So to provide answers to relatives who think I’ve gone crazy, I went to film school, took a course on horror films, took a seminar on the pleasure of watching torture porn, read articles, watched thousands of movies, and even set up a website about horror. So I got some answers, if only partly because there are still films I feel guilty about watching, and mostly that I enjoy inexplicably.
I’m not telling you this because I think you care about my high school experiences, but because “Terrifier 3,” starring emerging horror icon Art the Clown, brought me back to this very conversation (and also reminded me that I forgot to get back to my mom with answers on the subject, but never mind).
On the one hand, “Terrifier 3” is a violent and super brutal film, even more extreme than its predecessors, which includes scenes that go far beyond the boundaries we’re used to seeing in horror films, cinematically and to a certain extent morally. On the other hand, as a fan of these films, I always thought they had the potential for something beyond an excellent villain character and a lot of violence. In my opinion, the third film went much more in the direction of “Torture Porn” than slasher and didn’t fix the flaws that were in the previous films.
So why the hell did I love it so much? And what does that say about us, horror fans, who made it the most successful unrated film ever in cinema? You may read this “Terrifer 3” review for all the answers.

Terrifer 3 Plot: Art The Clown Becomes Wilder
“Terrifier 3” begins with a scene that shows the rather disturbing direction in which the film is going. After the previous films occurred around Halloween, this time, the plot takes place at Christmas. If you’ve seen the poster, trailer, or videos of “Terrifier” published before the film as part of the film’s very successful promotional campaign, you probably know that most of the time, we see Art dressed as Santa Claus.
In the controversial opening scene, he sneaks into a family’s house with a bag that looks like a gift bag but contains weapons. Art brutally murders them – including several detailed scenes of dismemberment, which show that we are talking about body horror at the highest level here, with Art cutting off organs as if they were fruits in Fruit Ninja, severing limbs as if they were from cheap Barbie dolls, and abusing the victims as if he had studied at John Kramer’s academy.
After the murder, Art wipes himself with fruit and milk (because that’s what they prepared for Santa) and even washes dishes. After all, one should always be hygienic and live in sterile and bloodless environments so people won’t think the collection of severed organs and bleeding bodies in every corner of the house might indicate that there was something unusual here. What is distinctive compared to most horror films is that the opening includes the murder of children, even if it is done out of frame: that is, we see the results or understand what is going to happen. These scenes are not the first time children are killed in the world of Art the Clown (think, for example, of the final scene in “All Hallow’s Eve”), but here everything is a bit more extreme.
After that, we return to the final scene of the excellent “Terrifier 2”, in which, as we recall, Victoria (the survivor from the first film, or what the hell is left of her and her distorted face) “gave birth” to Art’s head, which was, severed in a confrontation with Sienna (Lauren Lavera) and her magical sword. From there, we jump forward five years and discover that Sienna is having trouble, unsurprisingly, coping with the previous film’s events. She got out of a mental institution where she was hospitalized from time to time after losing a large part of her relatives, and, unsurprisingly, suffers from trauma, survivor’s guilt syndrome, or whatever you don’t call it.
With her parents gone (I wonder why), Sienna arrives at the home of her aunt Jess (Margaret Anne Florence), her husband Greg (Bryce Johnson), and daughter Genny (Antonella Rose). At the same time, she tries to reconnect with her little brother Jonathan (Elliott Fulham), whose attempt to overcome the trauma is to start college so that tougher a-holes will bully him. There, he shares a room with a blond guy (Mason Mecartea) and his hot blonde girlfriend (Alexa Blair Robertson), who runs a podcast on actual crimes, which makes her very interested in the case of Art the Clown and Sienna. Of course, in the end, Sienna realizes that Art is back and that he is trying to kill those close to her until we get another confrontation in the fight between the two towards the end of the film.
Here’s the trailer for “Terrifier 3,” and as usual, watch it at your own risk. Not because it includes some extreme scenes but because trailers, in general, can ruin movies:
More Bodies, A Lot More Blood
If the list of these characters seems long to you, it’s no coincidence: “Terrifier 3” is much more bombastic than its predecessors, meaning the list of victims here is very long. Surely you can understand that a large part of the cast – and this is without mentioning some “random” characters, such as construction workers who come to the house where Art and Victoria are staying, or a group of men who decide to tease Art in a pub, or even innocent children who want to get a gift from “Santa” at the mall – will not be able to reach retirement age intact, to put it mildly.
The duo Art and Victoria take the madness to new heights, and here we see detailed, creative murder scenes full of severed limbs, some of which looked like they came out of the torture porn manual. If in “Terrifier” and “Terrifier 2” we mainly remembered one or two ruthless scenes – say, the cut in two through the blonde girl’s bottom, or the bedroom scene from the previous film – here there are about 5-6 such “abnormal” scenes. Some will probably get some “sexy” names, like “Terrifier 3 shower scene”, which I saw some people use, describing a brutal scene that shows once again that in horror movies, you should not go to shower, not to mention having sex in the shower.

This is also where my criticism of the film begins, which, contrary to its name – I didn’t find it too scary. It is like that episode of “South Park” where Cartman sees something so funny and is afraid that he will never be able to laugh again because everything will seem less funny. It’s not that I’m looking for realism in Art the Clown movies, but when there’s too much blood and disgust, and when some of these murders seem random in terms of the narrative, you become a little numb.
Even if I strangely found myself “enjoying” this bloodbath, sometimes literally (the demon-possessed Victoria enjoys soaking in a bath of her blood, and it turns out she also pleasures herself in some shocking way related to blood), the film won’t traumatize me because it just felt too disturbing. You can see it as a twisted version of a cartoon with a thousand differences. There is humor here, mainly a parody of holiday customs and Art’s role as Santa, along with inside jokes and guest appearances by actors that horror fans can recognize. All of these factors make the film very enjoyable.

Sienna Returns, Better Than Ever
With all due respect to the bloodbath and supporting characters, “Terrifier 3” is, first and foremost, Art the Clown’s show. David Howard Thornton plays him again with talent, which is difficult to appreciate because this talent mainly involves physical gestures, facial expressions, and hand movements because Art doesn’t speak. We already know most of Art’s tricks, and it is not that smart to change a winning combination as long as it works.
In recent weeks, I’ve seen reviews that have treated Art’s character with disdain and compared him, for example, to comic characters like Mr. Bean. It’s hard to deny this imagination, but the impression is that this is what the creators aimed for (Thornton has repeatedly testified that he took inspiration from comedians like Rowan Atkinson or Charlie Chaplin and horror characters like Freddy Krueger). I think the physical appearance makes the character unforgettable because Art’s appearance is consistent with his behavior and unprecedented fondness for human blood and cruelty.
The Cast Of Terrifer 3: Lavera Shines Once Again
The fantastic Lauren Lavera has become a super-popular name among horror fans since “Terrifier 2,” and rightfully so; the character of Sienna and Lavera’s performance created a beautiful final girl here. Lavea’s role here is more complex because there is emotional depth here, and she does it simply wonderfully. Lavera conveys the characters’ complex situation without hysterical and unrealistic displays, evoking apathy and managing to be tough as needed (and when fighting against the duo Art and Victoria, you have to be tough).
It seems that Lavera is well on her way to becoming one of the most prominent actresses in the genre – we will soon see her in several more horror films, “The Well,” “The Fetus,” and “The Monster” – and in my opinion in many more projects, because she deserves it. So, while iconically, Sierra’s character as a “superheroine” is a bit of a step back because the wing costume is missing here, and the sword will perhaps appear for a brief moment in the final scenes – but as a human character, Sienna becomes complete and much more interesting here.

It is impossible not to mention Victoria here, who perhaps “replaces” the Little Pale Girl from the previous film as Art the Clown’s sidekick. Beyond the fact that Victoria looks remarkably creepy, she is almost as cruel as Art. In terms of plot, the film sometimes uses her as the voice of Art (or the demon), and we get some explanation for her presence. In terms of the plot of the entire franchise, this world was left a little behind in its development, also because we had to say goodbye to the little pale girl from the previous film.
Again, there are many other films I would turn to for a perfect script with well-developed characters, where everything fits together well and without holes, but I think there was still room for improvement in the plot level on “Terrifier 3.” This is more relevant in a film that, like its predecessor, runs over two hours and is already supposed to provide more answers than it does regarding the backstory of the Shaw family and, of course, Art and the mysterious demon.
When An Indie Film Goes Mainstream
The “Terrifier” films, or the broader franchise that started with a few short films, have become every indie horror filmmaker’s wet dream. From films that looked like student productions, we’ve seen a massive quality improvement, and accordingly, in the budget, almost chronologically. “Terrifier 3” takes it a few steps further. After the previous had a budget of tens or, at most, hundreds of thousands of dollars, the incredible success of “Terrifier 2” (over $15 million) made it possible to increase the budget, which, according to reports, now stands at about $2 million. You can see the improvement in the budget levels, locations, and effects, which manage to upgrade even by the standards of creator Damian Leone. He has already shown us a sick talent for putting together bloody nightmares before our eyes from the beginning of his career. Giving him a budget for special effects is like taking a seven-year-old girl into a candy store with her parents’ credit card.
“Terrifier 3” was also written and directed by Leona, and this likable guy shows once again that he knows how to make horror. In a smart move, Leona decided to stay in the realm of practical effects and not turn to CGI, and some of the murders are longer and more detailed than ever. Art and Victoria, as mentioned, show that you can constantly improve on the level of cruelty. Not only in terms of dismembering the human body but also in the arsenal of weapons and their use: guns, axes, hammers, chainsaws, dry ice, and even rats and various traps.
There are no sophisticated games here like “Saw,” in which a character has to cut off his leg to free himself because it is clear that he has no chance against Art and his sidekick Victoria, who at one point also wears his character. We see Art enjoying every drop of blood – and there are countless of them – and we appreciate it, too, judging by the fact that the film was an extraordinary success. As of this writing, it has grossed over $88 million, the highest ever for a film in the Unrated category: films that are so violent and extreme that there was no point in submitting them to the rating committees. The film also received mostly positive reviews, which is not a given.
Is Terrifer 3 Also Terrifying, But Mainly Disgusting?
As is tradition, stories emerged at the time of the film’s release that contribute to its mythology as a cult film in the making, one that makes viewers vomit their souls during it, walk out in a panic halfway through the movie, and so on. Whether these descriptions are exaggerated or not, it is hard to ignore that this is an unusual film, even by the morbid standards of art clown films.
I managed to survive the scenes and even felt a certain distance from them for the simple reason that it was probably too extreme and too frequent, usually in front of characters we have nothing to do with except the fact that we see them dead. Seeing the cutting of a poor man’s intimate organs or a horrific scene involving rats being inserted into another character’s body is extreme at the most disgusting levels. Indeed, during the viewing, you will likely feel disgusted or ask yourself why the hell you are watching such films. You can see some of “Terrifier 3” audience reactions, published as part of its marketing, to get a sense.
And yet, the film remains, as mentioned, in the realm of Body Horror, with special effects, puppets that replace the actors in flesh and blood, and many other surprises, which are shocking during the viewing, but not confident that they will remain with you afterward. The film had almost no jump scares or suspenseful scenes, and something was missing regarding the “added value” or emotional aspect – which can upgrade a horror film and turn it into a masterpiece.
In my opinion, Leona manages to stay away from what could shock us and accompany us even after the film is over, even on an emotional level, such as the detailed murder of children or the fact that the heroine loses a character close to her again, but mainly outside the frame. On the other hand, my stomach is more potent than most horror fans, and films that are made in advance to shock, like “The Human Centipede,” “A Serbian Film,” and some of the “Saw” films are less effective for me because I see some of them as gimmicks, films that offer nothing but the desire to shock. Some of you may feel that this film is “too much” for them, which makes perfect sense if you consider what you see in the frame.

Do You Like Extreme Horror? Don’t Miss It
To a large extent, “Terrifier 3” is a masterpiece of cruelty, disgust, and violence, interwoven with a bit of black humor. The film continues to be an improvement on its predecessors in terms of colonial action, featuring villains who are already horror icons in the making and also improved performances from some of the cast (especially the excellent Thornton and Lavera), or at least less annoying from the rest of the cast (Jonathan, for example).
Although it is a more “complete” film than its predecessors, there is still something missing on the plot level that makes it much more than a film that takes the “aesthetics of violence” to the highest levels of Art. Even if Art disgusted me and mostly made me enjoy it for two hours, it will not return to me in nightmares, at least for now. For this to happen and for the film to become a masterpiece that will accompany me for years, from my perspective, a little more horror with a psychological dimension is needed, realism, some emotional process, and a more coherent plot within the film’s inner world, which does not have to make sense for us to accept it with love (because it is clear that it is impossible to find a logical explanation for what happens in the film, for example around Art’s severed head).
This film may not allow me to explain to others why I love watching horror films so much, even when they are too violent, or some would say pointless at times. I may feel embarrassed that I loved it, like all of our art films. I am not the only one, considering the huge box-office success and the positive reviews the movie got. But Leona has already announced a fourth – and perhaps final – film in the franchise. I am counting the days.
Terrifier 3 – Everything You Need To Know
Year: 2024
Director: Damien Leone
Cast: David Howard Thornton, Lauren Lavera, Samantha Scaffidi, Elliott Fulham
Screenplay: Damien Leone
Running time: 125 minutes
Country of production: United States
Language: English
Release date (United States): October 11, 2024
Budget: Approximately $2 million
Worldwide Gross: Approximately $88,000,000
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Ratings:
IMDB: 6.4
Rotten Tomatoes: 78%