“Terrifier 3” is a splatter-horror masterpiece that captures some of the most depraved and disturbing content ever shot on screen in the past decade.
The film has been doing outstanding numbers in the box office by making $18.3 million, beating out its other clown competitor, “Joker: Folie A Deux” in a landslide with that film only making $7 million. As well as overall audience and critic enjoyment, “Terrifier 3” has an 88% audience score, with “Joker: Folie A Deux” only having a 32% on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Terrifier 3” has both audiences and critics raving, most particularly about the film’s obscene and graphic violence. The marketing of this film adds onto the film’s splattery spectacle by saying many viewers have fainted and fell ill during screenings, itching the curiosity of moviegoers and daring them to see the film. This isn’t the first time that the “Terrifier” series has been the talk of the town, the series has always been a cult favorite, but only recently has the general public begun to hop on Art the Clown’s bloody bandwagon and embrace his mayhem.
The “Terrifier” franchise has gained much infamy ever since the first one debuted in 2016. Although it wasn’t the major commercial success that the series is now, word of mouth circled around which gained more interest from audiences. The series is known for its depravity and heavy graphic violence but also for its low budget quality since these films aren’t produced by major studios.
Both of these qualities divide the general audience due to the franchise’s priority of shock value over story. Many audiences also turn away from this series due to its poor acting, writing, etc. Despite its poor budget beginnings, the “Terrifier” series never gave up from one-upping itself with each entry and that’s when people began to take notice of the series when “Terrifier 2” debuted in 2022.
“Terrifier 2” is the reason why this series is a household name. Although the first one had people talking, the film was still incredibly niche due to its limited release in theaters. “Terrifier 2” improved not only its theatrical releases but everything else that the first one was criticized for.
Critics and audiences claimed that the first one had no story, but in this one the story follows the movie’s final girl, Sienna Shaw, and her rivalry with Art the Clown. The directing is also improved since there are multiple locations and sequences in this film unlike the first one which is likely due to director Damien Leone’s budget going from $35,000 to $250,000. This film was an absolute success in terms of both audience engagement and box office success. More people were on board with what the series is about and the movie made $15.74 million at the box office.
It comes to no surprise that “Terrifer 3” is doing as well as it is and will continue to dominate the box office for a while. Many people love this series and for good reason because not only is each entry an insane and disturbing watch, but it can be darkly fun to see what kind of chaos Art the Clown is planning. David Howard Thornton is the soul of this series and why Art the Clown works the way he does. He’s on the same level as Robert Englund as Freddy Kruger due to his exceptional performance and iconography.
The story of this series, particularly this newest entry, is also very intriguing. Lauren LaVera puts on a strong performance as Sienna Shaw and displays an accurate portrayal of someone dealing with PTSD and survivor’s guilt. Shaw is put through the ringer in both “Terrifer 2” and the newest film, but she doesn’t give up which can be inspiring to audiences, which is why she’s highly regarded as one of the best final girls in horror film history.
The series is extremely controversial, which is also one of the many reasons why it is so successful. The controversy doesn’t only stem from the franchise’s gory kills, but from the victims and particularly in the new one, the Christmas setting. Churches and people online have called the newest entry “satanic” and that people who go to see this film are mentally-ill. Fans are constantly berated by these people which only motivate them to see the film more out of spite.
This is interesting because other Christmas-themed horror films have been put through the same critique such as “Silent Night, Deadly Night,” which was actually pulled from theaters on its second theatrical week due to protests from parents claiming the film “ruined the innocence of Christmas.”
The “Terrifier” franchise is without a doubt one of the most iconic and most successful horror movie franchises in the past decade. Also, a huge win for the independent film industry since “Terrifier 3” hit number one in America with only a $2 million budget.
Whether you like the series or not, there’s no doubting the impact it has on popular culture with fans embracing its disturbing traits and how the franchise’s nay-sayers are repeating film history by claiming it as satanic. The series is a relic of horror by homaging classic slasher and splatter films, while also setting itself apart from the classics by having its own iconic antagonist, creatively gruesome kills and a story that is so twisted and engaging that no other series has done before.
The “Terrifier” series will definitely leave a mark in cinema history. With “Terrifer 4” currently being in the works, it won’t be surprising that when that film debuts, it’ll be a huge success just like its predecessors.