The first “Terrifier” film had a distinctively “take it or leave it” feeling. Some viewers stuck around to be entertained by the b-movie campy aesthetic, excellent practical gore effects, and iconic performance from David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown. Others turned the movie off (*spoilers*) when Art sawed a live woman in half, upside down. Even as “Terrifier” slowly worked its way toward its cult following, there was always a sense of, “oh, you didn’t like it? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.”
Those conversations would run parallel to the debate over whether Art the Clown had established himself as a cinematic killer among the ranks of Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, or Freddy Kreuger. It makes sense—even with just the 86-minute original under his belt, Thornton embodied the character with absolute commitment and a wicked sense of comedic timing. All eyes were on Leone and Thornton to see how they would follow this up, with fans clamoring for more.
Return of the Clown
Luckily, the whole team seemed intent on delivering in the sequel. Leone promised the fans crazier kills, a broader scope with a more defined story, and more Art. An Indiegogo campaign for the film exceeded its funding goal by 450%. Covid delayed production, but the original gained more of an audience during lockdowns (this reviewer is one of them!). The downtime also allowed Leone to develop his practical effects. A runtime of 138 minutes was announced, among the all-time longest for a slasher. “Terrifier 2” is so massive that it makes the original film feel like a proof of concept. Fortunately, the movie holds up under all this weight. Leone proves that his world, style, and clown are ready to stand toe-to-toe with the best of them. Well, at least for those who don’t leave the theater to throw up.
The movie picks up after the first film’s events. “Terrifier 2” stars everyone’s favorite psycho, Art the Clown, resurrected from the dead after his Halloween night massacre. Quickly back on his giant-shoe-wearing feet, Art sets out for another night of mayhem. This time, he finds himself hunting two siblings, Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and Jonathan (Elliott Fullam), whose late father had some kind of connection to Art.
It doesn’t sound like a lot of plot, but compared to the original, it’s basically “Citizen Kane.” Leone has been open about his desire for Sienna to join the ‘Final Girl Hall of Fame,’ and LaVera’s screen presence makes a case for it. It’s nothing mind-blowing, but her arc is enough to keep audiences invested even when Art is off-screen. Viewers are going to care about her and want to see her succeed. And this is more than you can say for any of the characters in the first one. Most of the supporting cast acquit themselves less well, but poor acting from the red shirts feels in line with the slasher tradition. Still, having a main cast who audiences can get behind works. It goes a long way toward keeping audiences invested, even during the film’s most sadistic moments.
They Don’t Call Him ‘Art’ For Nothing
Just because Damien Leone proves he has a heart doesn’t mean that Art the Clown does. That is of course unless he’s pulling one out of somebody’s chest cavity, which is something he actually does here. We’re dealing with a VERY mean clown. David Howard Thornton hasn’t missed a beat, gleeful as ever in the role. He imbues Art with the pitch-perfect physical energy of what I can only describe as a murderous demon mime. The more brutal the act of violence Art engages in, the funnier and more exaggerated Art’s physical comedy becomes. It’s a balancing act that Thornton crushes every time. He turns in an iconic performance to the standard of Robert Englund or Doug Bradley with an iconic character to match. This guy puts Pennywise to shame with the gleeful carnage he inflicts, and it’s not close.
Art is the face of the franchise, but the other star is Damien Leone’s outstanding makeup and practical gore effects. If splatter cinema is your thing, I hope you’re getting the right impression: you’ll LOVE this film. The first “Terrifier” set a high bar for cinematic bloodshed, but “Terrifier 2” proves that Leone is far from out of ideas, and he’s here to make blood, guts, skin, teeth, hair, and more fly.
Also Read: Top Ten Horror Films that are ACTUALLY SCARY!
Art’s garbage bag he carries around is stuffed full of weapons, and he makes good use of them. Knives, guns, whips, swords, acid, metal poles, and even mashed potatoes are killing instruments, and their uses are often as creative as they are sadistic. One kill mid-way through the film (you’ll know it when you see it) goes so exceptionally far in its cruelty that, for me, it crossed some sort of threshold and became the single funniest thing I’ve seen in a movie all year. Your mileage will vary.
For Horror Fans ONLY…But Enthusiastically
Damien Leone made “Terrifier 2” on a budget of $250,000, over seven times the micro-budget of the first “Terrifier.” Still, that’s a small sum for a feature film in 2022. However Leone and company look to have stretched every penny to its limit. Every technical aspect sees an upgrade—especially the cinematography and camerawork. Even the lacking supporting cast is an improvement from the first one, and the cheesiness of those performances feels more like a feature than a bug. A certain musical dream sequence really lets Leone flex his muscles cinematically.
Despite the elevated budget, “Terrifier 2” stays entirely in touch with the spirit of the original. It never sacrifices its charm or compromises on its extreme nature. The only excess that works against the film is the length—you start to feel it by the time the third act rolls around. As a fan, I can’t say that I minded spending the extended time with Art the Clown, but as with everything in this review, your mileage will vary.
In the end, “Terrifier 2” is pretty cut-and-dry as far as a recommendation goes: if this is your kind of thing, you’ll love it. Hell, you probably already saw it in theaters this past weekend. It’s a gruesome splatter feature with likable leads, killer practical gore effects, and one of the modern era’s most memorable and despicably lovable horror villains. It’s a slasher of unexpected scope, handcrafted effort, manic humor, and sheer brutality that is right at home near the top of my list of films I’ve seen in 2022.
However, if this is not your thing, “Terrifier 2” isn’t going to change your mind. There are stories galore of walk-outs and throw-ups in the theater this past weekend. If you’re not in on the joke, treat this movie like Art the Clown—stay as far away as possible.
“Terrifier 2” is currently only available to watch in theaters.
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