A Jolly Bloody Time! Slight Spoilers

Terrifier 3 is a stomach-churning, disgustingly brutal, Yule-Time gore fest! Fans are going to love it!

Damien Leone’s Terrifier series is well known for its amazing low-budget special effects, its graphically brutal on-screen kills, and its memorable, maniacal killer, Art the Clown – played wonderfully by David Howard Thornton.

The upside-down saw scene in part one, and the bedroom scene in part two will both live in infamy for a very long time. What the series is not known for, however, is cohesive storytelling. As fun as part 2 was, introducing some fantasy elements to the mix, it left more questions than it answered with its convoluted plot, confusing lore, and vague imagery. This problem does seem to persist in Terrifier 3.

Slight spoilers coming… stop reading now if you want to go in fresh!

Okay, to start, Terrifier 3 is darker, and a bit more grounded than part two. That isn’t to say that it’s totally sensical, by any means. The story is slightly easier to follow, but then the third act does get a bit wonky, and overtly ridiculous. Even confusing.

I was willing to forgive this by the time we got to that point, though, because it remained a fun, well-paced watch. The entire cast does a great job, and Lauren LaVera is just as good as Sienna in this one as she was in part two. You can’t help but root for her.

The last time we saw Art, his severed head was reborn via Victoria Heyes (Samantha Scaffidi) during the wild mid-credits scene of Part Two. He’s back now, it’s five years later, and Vicky is his right hand, and partner in crime. A bold move taking the original final girl and having her turn heel, but it actually works very well in this scenario. Samantha does awesome as a villain, and definitely has a few shining scenes, at times even outdoing Art himself. I said what I said.

Being that it’s a Terrifier film, don’t expect a lot of clear answers as to how, or why this even happens. It isn’t explained very well, but the clues are there. Vicky appears to be possessed by The Little Pale Girl from part 2. Watch her eyes. Damien Leone has even confirmed this to Screen Rant. I just wish this was explored and explained in more detail.  Amelie McLain was super creepy, and for her to not even make an appearance was a major disappointment.

Sienna is just getting out of an institution and is staying with her mother’s sister and her husband, which brings in an interesting dynamic. Sienna is struggling with the past. Her little cousin idolizes her but Jonathan (Elliot Fullam) seems to be distant. This confused me, because she saved his life, but it does drive some of the story. Still felt like an odd choice. 

Art seems to have a fascination with Santa, which is actually hilarious. There’s even a scene where he steals the mall Santa’s spot, and tries having kids sit on his lap before getting the boot. Of course, this doesn’t end well for the people involved. It’s a great scene, though. Having something so creepy happen in the middle of a well-lit mall, in the middle of the day in front of everybody is super unsettling.

I’m not going to ruin the plot of the film, or bang the table about how the story could have been so much tighter, I’ll let you decide on that. Besides, it’s a Terrifier film, nobody comes for the story. I will say this – It’s freaking brutal, and there’s a shower scene that will probably be just as infamous as the prior bedroom scene. It’s a rough one, be prepared.

That being said, there are certain parts that make very little sense, but if you’re a fan of the first two films, you’re going to love part three. The special effects seem to have taken a step up, and there’s plenty of blood and guts to go around. If that’s your draw, you’re in for a treat. The film also does a great job of retaining small bits of humor throughout, despite the super dark subject matter, and it does so without taking you out of the movie. That’s not easy to do. Just be prepared to leave with more questions than answers in terms of actual lore.

It’s a chaotically fun ride. Fun may seem like an odd word to keep using when discussing such a dark, violent, and graphic movie, but it knows what the fans want, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

As usual, David Howard Thornton is just so damn good and entertaining as Art. His movements, his antics, he nails all of it. You can tell the man studied clowning, and he’s in top form the entire run time. He has really carried this franchise on his back with his always memorable and haunting performances, and according to him, Art isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon! Hopefully, a Part 4 can straighten out, and maybe even solidify some of the lore!

Go see Terrifier 3, in theatres now, and tell us what you think in the comments!

Terrifier 3 opens theatrically today.