TheTerrifierfranchise is beloved byhorroraudiences who prefer slashers to any other kind of movie. Ever since the first movie was released in 2016, fans have been waiting impatiently for sequels, and everyone is eagerly anticipatingTerrifier 3’s October 11th, 2024 release date. WhiletheTerrifierfranchise could become more commercial, I like that theTerrifiermovies stand on their own and feel different from other stories about masked, costumes killers going after high school or college students or residents of a creepy yet charming small town.
Based on Damien Leone’s 2011 short film,2016’sTerrifieris a great example of how effective the creepy clown trope can be. Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) is back inTerrifier 3, andI think that the movie is setting up two compelling trends for futureTerrifiermovies.
What Trend Could Terrifier 3 Set?
I think thatTerrifier 3could set two exciting trends for any future movies in the franchise: a holiday setting and a realistic horror story. Since the third movie is set at Christmas, it’s fun to think thatotherTerrifierfilms could be set during other holidays such as Easter, Memorial Day weekend, or Labor Day.
It would be funifScream 7had a Christmas settingand there have been many excellentscary movies that happen during the winter holidays. But I think that other holidays, particularly summertime ones such as Labor Day, would also work for theTerrifierfranchise.Art the Clown is moving beyond Halloweenand deciding to target people during other times of the year, which is important sinceit makes him even more dangerous. If people trying to have a nice Christmas celebration don’t think they will meet a killer clown, they also aren’t going to expect him at the pool or the beach on the first weekend of September.
I also think thatTerrifier 3could set a trend ofArt the Clown being in a more realistic setting. This also makes him scarier since audiences wonder if this kind of villain could truly exist in real life. Writer/director Damien Leone shared withVarietythat the third movie in the slasher franchise is going to feel more grounded than the second one. He said:
“There’s a lot of people who didn’t love the fantasy, or at least they need more explanation as to why that’s all happening. That’s why I want to course-correct a bit; let’s go back to ‘Nightmare on Elm Street Part One,’ as opposed to going further into ‘Dream Warriors.’ That could be very helpful criticism and help me make a better movie moving forward. But we’ll see.”
WhileArt the Clown is thought to be a mysterious, supernatural being inTerrifier 2,it sounds like he’s going to be more human inTerrifier 3. Although the sequel was great, I think that the horror franchise needs to focus on a human villain who dresses like a clown since that is more genuinely horrifying than a paranormal entity.
The debate ofwhether characters or kills are more important in slashersrages on, but in theTerrifiermovies, the most compelling character is Art the Clown himself. While audiences get to know the other characters, not a lot of details about their lives are shared. I think that works well since the focus is definitely on the cruel and violent clown killer. I think it’s great thatTerrifier 3is moving on from Art as a supernatural villain and bringing him back down to reality. This speaks to the entire point of Art the Clown: a powerful villain who no one can beat.
What Are Terrifier And Terrifier 2 About?
BothTerrifierandTerrifier 2, which ends on a fairly positive note,tell thebrutal story of Art the Clownand his desire to kill as many people as possible. The first movie revolves around Tara (Jenna Kanell) and the second tells a scary tale about Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera).Both main characters attend Halloween partiesand this spooky holiday creates an eerie and evocative setting for each movie.
What Horror Movies Has Filmmaker Damien Leone Made?
While there aremany horror movies that fans should watch at Halloween, I thinkTerrifierandTerrifier 2are two of the best picks since they center around a particularly horrifying and gruesome villain who kills people on October 31st. Settling in at home with snacks and a double feature of these well-crafted slashers featuring Art the Clown is a great way to celebrate All Hallow’s Eve (which is another horror movie by Damien Leone). Horror fans will also want to revisit the first two movies in the franchise after watchingTerrifier 3in theaters.
