Rating: 8/10

Christmas might be a few months away, but “Terrifier 3” is already bringing that holiday cheer to everyone on the big screen. The film is the newest entry in the up-and-coming horror franchise directed by Damien Leone — and it’s his best work yet.

Unlike the first “Terrifier” movie, something that both the second and third films greatly benefit from is the inclusion of a coherent story.

The second film takes place a year after the first film and follows Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) and her brother get targeted by the Miles County Clown, also known as Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton), due to an apparent prophecy.

Taking place five years after the events of the second film, “Terrifier 3” sees the return of Art the Clown after being revived by a demon to finish his goal of killing Sienna during the Christmas season.

Although it’s nice that both films have a narrative, there are several cracks in both movie’s stories that feel incomplete and hard to follow.

The story also suffers from feeling too drawn out at times, with several scenes feeling more like filler simply to give viewers a break between kills.

Another issue with this story is the introduction of new characters out of nowhere, which forces viewers to catch up with the people who have been in this world all along.

This is not beneficial for this franchise, considering how convoluted Art the Clown’s motives get and the introduction of the prophecy involving demons and Sienna’s dad.

Something beneficial for the series and arguably what sets this franchise apart is its practical effects.

Whenever someone dies in “Terrifier 3,” you can bet it’ll be gruesome, with each kill pushing some boundary of comfortability in every viewer.

The kills are also more creative, with different tools being used at Art the Clown’s disposal, making these sequences engaging and an endurance test to see what the filmmakers could get away with.

The creativity of the kills could be attributed to the increased budget in comparison to the series’ previous films.

The “Terrifier” franchise is an underdog story since the series and Art the Clown came as a spinoff from several of Leone’s projects, starting with his 2009 short film, “The 9th Circle,” the 2011 short film, “Terrifier,” and his 2013 anthology film, “All Hallows’ Eve.”

The first film in the trilogy was also crowdfunded through Indiegogo, only making $4,360 out of the $15,000 goal, leaving the film with a budget of $35,000 with an estimated box office total of $416,322.

When it came to the preproduction of  “Terrifier 2,” the film was also crowdfunded on Indiegogo, making a total of $215,127 out of the original goal of $50,000.

In a similar case to the first film, “Terrifier 2” ended up being a smash hit at the box office, earning an estimated total of $15,740,003.

There’s no word on how the third film’s budget was obtained, but it’s reported that it was an estimated $2,000,000, and the final product shows it off.

“Terrifier 3” ended up with a higher production value, and it looks polished with its color grading and shots when compared to the previous films. 

However, there is still the same old grindhouse feel that the series is known for, and by no means did the film stray away from what makes these movies stand out.

One major factor that separates this series from all other horror franchises is David Howard Thornton’s performance as Art the Clown.

Thornton’s performance as Art the Clown is reminiscent of classic horror villains like Freddy Krueger for how cynical he is with his victims. He ends up feeling more menacing and dangerous because of the people he kills and his lack of remorse for his actions.

LaVera also gave a great interpretation of Sienna mainly because of her physical performance in action scenes against Art the Clown, but also her character’s PTSD from the previous film’s events.

Thus, Sienna ends up being a great final girl, in the same vein as Sidney Prescott, Ellen Ripley and Laurie Strode, for her determination and indomitable will.

“Terrifier 3” is a great horror film that is nothing short of an adrenaline rush that is sure to leave you hiding behind your themed barf bag.

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