by David Slifer

Nothing says Halloween like a silent killer clown who is dressed like Santa during Christmas. “Terrifier 3” is written and directed by Damien Leone and stars Lauren LaVera and David Howard Thornton. This film is the third installment of the Terrifier franchise. These films are independent, meaning that they do not have ties to big studios, and this is evident throughout the entire film.  

At the time of writing this article, “Terrifier 3” has made 25 times in comparison to what its budget was. This film had a budget of two million dollars, and that number continues to grow. To say that Leone and the studio made their money back is an understatement; this movie has shattered multiple records and so much hype has been supporting this movie.

This movie takes place five years after “Terrifier 2” and starts out in typical Terrifier fashion: Art the Clown viciously annihilating a group of people. Once we catch up on our antagonist, we then see our protagonist, Sienna. She is still coping with the events of the previous film, and she is going to be celebrating Christmas with her aunt, uncle and cousin. This does not go how she hopes though.  

One of the many things that these films are known for is the vicious and graphic deaths. Like the last two films, this film does not shy away from it, and they probably heightened more in this one. Art is out for revenge, and Sienna has to face her past head on to defeat him.  

LaVera plays the main protagonist, Sienna. She does an amazing job throughout the run of this film. She conveys every emotion so perfectly, and her mixture of emotions with the trauma she is dealing with is so well executed; she is the perfect person to play the main character. She also has many action-related movements, and she does a great job with her fight choreography. She is perfect for this role, and it is exciting to see where Leone and LaVera take that character. 

Art the Clown is a character who is very different from other horror and slasher villains. Whereas other horror villains have a particular group they go after, Art is different. To him, anyone is up next on the chopping block. Through Thornton’s actions, he perfectly shows who this character is. The character he plays is basically a question mark as we do not know much about his past, who he was before the events of these films or why he does what he does. With Thornton’s performance and the mystery behind this character, Art the Clown is such a well-made and performed character who could definitely become one of the make horror movie villains that stands the test of time. 

This film is great, and many fans are intrigued to see what Leone brings to this story along with Sienna and Art the Clown. If you do plan to watch this, keep in mind that the movie is very graphic when it comes to violence. To make sure you understand the overall story, do watch “Terrifier” and “Terrifier 2” before seeing “Terrifier 3.”